Director of Program Management
| Req Number: | 1WA0HG |
| Location: | Charleston, South Carolina (Relocation Supported) |
| Posted: | 11/14/2025 |
| Category: | Industrial : Aviation/Aerospace/Defense |
| Job Type: | Permanent |
A high-growth, private-equity-backed defense manufacturer in the Charleston, SC region is seeking a Director of Programs to lead a portfolio of complex, high-visibility manufacturing programs supporting major U.S. Navy platforms. This is a rare opportunity to modernize a PMO from the ground up, shape the future operating model of a rapidly scaling enterprise, and directly influence programs tied to the nation’s most critical defense priorities.
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With strong financial backing, expanding facilities, and accelerating customer demand, this organization is transforming from a collection of legacy businesses into a fully integrated, world-class defense manufacturing company. The Director of Programs will be one of the most pivotal hires on their journey.
The Role:
The Director of Programs will own execution across a portfolio of complex defense programs—from kickoff through delivery—with full accountability for cost, schedule, technical performance, risk, and quality. This leader will serve as the senior customer interface to top-tier defense primes and DoD stakeholders, ensuring performance excellence while driving internal alignment across engineering, operations, supply chain, and quality.
Just as important: this leader will build and modernize a professional-grade PMO, establishing the processes, tools, governance, and culture needed to scale a multi-site enterprise during a period of rapid growth.
What Makes This Opportunity Unique
• Modernize and professionalize a PMO: Install best-in-class program controls, dashboards, cadence reviews, risk/variance management, and a single source of truth for cost and schedule across a high-energy operation.
• High impact, high visibility: This role is central to delivering on mission-critical U.S. Navy programs and shaping performance across multiple manufacturing sites.
• Private-equity backed growth: With significant investment behind it, the company is scaling capabilities, facilities, systems, and talent—giving this leader a powerful runway to architect the next chapter.
• Defense manufacturing at national scale: The work directly supports platforms such as submarines, surface combatants, and other high-consequence programs essential to U.S. national security.
Charleston, SC quality of life
A thriving advanced-manufacturing corridor combined with coastal living, mild climate, and a dynamic regional economy—consistently ranked among the best places to live and work.
Key Responsibilities
• Lead end-to-end execution for a portfolio of prime and DoD manufacturing programs, ensuring delivery to scope, schedule, quality, and cost targets.
• Serve as the senior escalation point for customers; build trusted relationships with program teams at major shipyards and government offices.
• Build, modernize, and govern the PMO—including policies, procedures, work instructions, templates, and KPIs.
• Install robust program controls: EVM, IMS, risk/issue/change management, variance analysis, and executive-level dashboards.
• Ensure compliance with FAR/DFARS/ITAR and maintain audit readiness across programs.
• Partner tightly with engineering, operations, supply chain, and quality to solve problems, streamline workflows, and advance operational discipline.
• Develop, mentor, and scale a high-performing program management team; set expectations that drive predictability and continuous improvement.
Profile of the Ideal Leader
• 10+ years of program leadership in defense, aerospace, shipbuilding, or heavy manufacturing—ideally supporting prime or DoD programs.
• Experience leading multi-site or multi-program portfolios with full responsibility for cost/schedule/quality.
• Proven ability to stand up or significantly modernize a PMO.
• Hands-on experience with EVM, IMS (MS Project or Primavera), contract compliance, CDRLs, and ERP/MRP environments.
• Strong customer-facing presence; comfortable serving as the senior escalation point with high-stakes government and prime contractor counterparts.
• PMP a plus; advanced degree or additional certifications (Lean/Six Sigma/PgMP) preferred.
• Experience in welding, machining, heavy-steel fabrication, or naval/shipyard environments is a strong plus.
First-Year Success Indicators
• PMO fully built with clear governance, KPIs, dashboards, and uniform processes.
• Dramatic improvements in schedule adherence, quality yields, and risk/variance control.
• Predictable, transparent reporting cadence for both internal leadership and customer stakeholders.
• Program managers and planners operating at higher levels of rigor, accountability, and cohesion.
• Strong customer confidence in program execution and escalation management.
Why Now
The company is scaling rapidly—expanding facilities, upgrading systems, increasing production capacity, and integrating operations. The Director of Programs will be the architect of execution excellence, ensuring the business matures in structure as it grows in size. This role is a career-defining opportunity for a leader who thrives at the intersection of transformation, operational discipline, and national-security impact.
Please send qualified resumes to Stacey.oneill@kornferry.com
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Korn Ferry shall provide equal employment opportunity to all qualified candidates, and will refer candidates without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, veteran status or any other legally protected basis.
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