Program Manager - R&D and Continual Improvement at SKYTRAC – Ottawa, Ontario

Founded in 1986, SKYTRAC brings 40 years of experience and is trusted by over 800 customers as a leading provider of LEO satellite and cellular communication services for all aerospace sectors. Trusted by operators, organizations, and OEMs, SKYTRAC provides critical capabilities such as medical data transfer, video streaming, real-time HUMS, and more over Iridium Certus® and cellular networks. Today, we’re still growing, innovating, and investing in our people.

Learn more about what we do

The Opportunity

The Program Manager – R&D and Continual Improvement plays a pivotal role in overseeing both customer-driven programs and internal research and development (R&D) initiatives that advance SKYTRAC’s technology roadmap. This position focuses on the successful execution of contracts supporting customer order fulfillment, while also driving R&D and continual improvement projects to enhance product performance, reliability, and process efficiency.

The Program Manager is responsible for coordinating product development to ensure we meet the customers’ needs and expectations ensuring all deliverables meet company standards, contractual obligations, and evolving business goals. A key aspect of this role is managing technical projects through the Continual Improvement Process, ensuring innovation and operational excellence remain tightly integrated.

This position will coordinate closely with the Sales, Engineering, Production, and Customer Service teams and report progress to leadership on both customer and internal project portfolios.

*This is an in-office position and can be located in either our Kelowna, BC or Ottawa, ON office.

As a Program Manager, responsibilities include:

R&D and Continual Improvement

• Plan, organize, and oversee R&D projects, ensuring alignment with SKYTRAC’s technology roadmap, business objectives, and certification or compliance pathways
• Lead projects within the Continual Improvement Process (CIP) framework—identifying opportunities for performance enhancement, process efficiency, and product innovation
• Collaborate with Engineering to evaluate, prioritize, and implement design changes or emerging technologies based on customer feedback, testing results, and performance data
• Champion cross-functional improvement initiatives, ensuring lessons learned from contracts, field performance, and customer support inform future development
• Track and report R&D progress metrics, budget utilization, and ROI on internal projects
• Facilitate stage-gate reviews and document all R&D and CIP activities for traceability and continuous learning

Contract & Program Management

• Meet contractual, legislative, and environmental compliance requirements
• Design product scope and requirements for contracts ensuring deliverables meet stakeholder expectations

Project Leadership & Communication

• Manage project schedules, budgets, and dependencies to ensure milestones are achieved efficiently
• Maintain proactive communication between project teams, customers, and internal stakeholders to ensure alignment and issue resolution
• Ensure all project deliverables—both external and internal—meet defined scope, technical standards, and organizational objectives
• Maintain accurate project records, reporting, and documentation to support compliance, audits, and knowledge sharing

What You Bring

Candidate Must Have’s

• At least 5+ years of experience managing multi-stakeholder technical projects, within real-time data high-tech or the aviation/aerospace industry
• Bachelor’s Degree or Diploma in Computer Science, Engineering, Business, or a related technical discipline
• PMP Certification or equivalent project management credential
• Experience in R&D or product development environments
• Strong organizational and resource planning skills
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Skilled at inspiring accountability and performance in teams
• Proficiency with project management tools (e.g., MS Project, Jira, Confluence, or equivalent)

This will make you stand out

• Aerospace or aviation industry experience in a technical discipline such as Engineering, Product Development, or Flight Operations
• Demonstrated experience leading R&D projects through design, prototyping, and validation stages
• Familiarity with continual improvement or quality and management frameworks (e.g., ISO 9001, AS9100, Lean Six Sigma, PMP)
• Experience with satellite communications, avionics systems, or connected aircraft technologies

Why join SKYTRAC

At SKYTRAC, we are a dynamic team of passionate experts. We are driven and dedicated; we take ownership of our work, and we are committed to delivering results. We value individuals who are proactive, take initiative, and demonstrate a high level of professionalism and integrity in everything they do. We thrive in a fast-paced, ever-evolving environment, embracing challenges with agility. Our commitment to growth and development has made us the trusted subject matter experts we are today.

We offer:

• A positive and collaborative work culture
• Engaging team-building activities
• Competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits package
• Performance-based bonuses
• Professional development opportunities
• Additional days off beyond vacation entitlement

The salary range for this role is $90,000 - $120,000. The range posted is a guide and may not represent the compensation offered to the successful candidate. Compensation is based on the skills, knowledge, experience, and qualifications brought to the role.