Program Manager (Defense & Aerospace)

About the role

AECOM is seeking a Program Manager (Defense & Aerospace) to lead complex engineering, architecture, and infrastructure programs supporting Prime System Integrators (OEMs), federal defense agencies and aerospace clients. You will coordinate interdependent efforts involving planning, design, construction, modernization, testing, integrations, sustainment and mission-support infrastructure.

Working with client leadership, engineering teams, prime contractors, and OEM partners, you will turn strategic objectives into integrated execution plans with clear delivery milestones. This role offers the opportunity to guide defense, aerospace, space, missile, and national security programs where disciplined coordination, quality performance, and dependable delivery are central to success.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead program planning and execution for engineering, architecture, infrastructure modernization, mission-support facilities, and capital improvement programs.
• Coordinate dependencies across manufacturing engineering, operations, quality, supply chain, and equipment partners.
• Establish program scope, budgets, resource plans, governance, and measurable cost, quality, and delivery objectives.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary engineering teams, OEMs, prime contractors, government stakeholders, architects, constructors, and specialty consultants.
• Manage program risks, configuration changes, constraints, and recovery actions affecting production objectives.
• Provide executive reporting on financial performance, schedule status, production risks, and decisions requiring leadership action.
• Guide project managers and technical leads while maintaining alignment with client commitments and contractual requirements.
• Lead program reviews and track design, construction, commissioning, testing, occupancy, and mission-readiness milestones.
• Experience supporting capture management, pursuit strategy, and proposal development efforts for engineering, architecture, construction, or federal services contracts.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Architecture, Construction Management, or a related discipline and 10+ years of program or project management experience supporting defense, aerospace, federal, architecture, engineering, infrastructure or other complex technical programs including 2 years of leadership or demonstrated equivalency of experience and education.
• Due to the nature of the work, US Citizenship is required.

Preferred Qualifications

• 20+ years of program or project management experience leading defense, aerospace, space, missile, national security, or mission-critical infrastructure programs.
• Experience supporting Prime System Integrators (Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Boeing Defense, RTX, General Dynamics, L3Harris, BAE Systems, etc.) on engineering, architecture, facility, infrastructure, or mission-support programs.
• Experience coordinating prime contractors, OEMs, and specialized suppliers on complex manufacturing programs.
• Experience supporting spacecraft, launch systems, missile systems, weapons integration, laboratories, secure facilities, test complexes, mission-critical infrastructure, or defense sustainment facilities. Project Management Professional (PMP) or Program Management Professional (PgMP) certification.
• Experience managing programs with defense acquisition requirements, mission assurance, risk management, configuration management, and executive-level contractual reporting requirements.
• Experience leading large, geographically dispersed organizations and driving enterprise-level transformation initiatives.

Additional Information

At AECOM, we are committed to maintaining a secure and trustworthy recruitment process and take any fraudulent hiring activity seriously. To support this commitment, all newly hired employees are required to attend an in-person Day 1 onboarding at an AECOM office location as a condition of employment.