Technical Program Manager in Riverside, CA 92506, USA, California at Luxfer Gas Cylinders

Summary

Under the direction of the Director of Innovation and Engineering, the Technical Program Manager (TPM) is responsible for the successful execution of COPV (Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessel) programs supporting aerospace customers. The Program Manager serves as the single point of contact and accountability for assigned programs and Statements of Work (SOW), ensuring commitments related to scope, schedule, communication, and delivery are met. This role requires a working technical understanding of COPV programs and includes hands-on support of quality execution on the manufacturing floor as needed to protect delivery (e.g., assisting with dispositioning, documentation, and issue resolution) while maintaining primary focus on program management, planning, reporting, and customer engagement.

Essential Functions of the Job

Program Management and Accountability

• Serve as the Designated Representative and primary customer interface for assigned COPV programs.
• Own execution of contractual scope in accordance with SOW and purchase order requirements.
• Actively manage program activities, deliverables, issues, and dependencies.
• Establish clear communication, escalation, and reporting methods.

Program Planning and Schedule Management

• Develop and maintain integrated program schedules using industry-standard tools such as Microsoft Project.
• Define major milestones, high-level tasks, and critical path activities.
• Provide schedule updates to support program execution and customer visibility.
• Identify schedule risks and coordinate mitigation or recovery actions.

Program Reporting and Regular Meetings

• Establish routine internal and customer-facing program meetings.
• Lead meetings focused on status, risks, issues, and required decisions.
• Track action items and ensure timely closure.

Cross-Functional Coordination

• Coordinate across Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Chain, and suppliers.
• Support alignment between execution activities and program commitments.
• Facilitate resolution of issues impacting cost, schedule, or delivery.

Hands-On Quality Support

• Provide hands-on, on-the-floor support to the Quality Engineer and production teams to ensure timely execution of program deliverables.
• Assist with nonconformance identification, containment, and documentation
• Participate in Material Review Board (MRB) activities and help coordinate dispositions, rework/repair planning inputs, and customer communication as required by the SOW.
• Help drive closure of corrective actions by coordinating cross-functional owners and ensuring actions, evidence, and due dates are tracked to completion.

Risk, Issue, and Change Management

• Identify, track, and communicate program risks and issues.
• Maintain issue and action logs with clear ownership.
• Escalate unresolved issues as required.

Job Skills and Requirements

• Strong program management and organizational skills.
• Experience serving as a single point of accountability for customer-facing programs.
• Ability to manage schedules, risks, and cross-functional dependencies.
• Working knowledge of aerospace hardware programs, preferably COPVs or similar components.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams without direct authority.
• Understanding of ISO 9001 and AS standards and their documentation/control requirements.
• Comfortable working on the production floor and supporting hands-on quality execution (e.g., NCRs, containment, MRB support, documentation verification) when required to protect schedule and delivery.
• Working familiarity with core quality tools and documentation practices (e.g., basic root cause, corrective actions, evidence capture, traceability, and controlled records) in an aerospace manufacturing environment.
• Strong organizational and problem-solving skills in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

Education and Training Requirements