Technical Program Director, Missiles & Hypersonic Strike Systems at MachinaLabs – Chatsworth, California
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About This Position
Engineering moves at software speed. Manufacturing doesn't...... Yet.
Machina Labs is changing that. We build intelligent, software-defined factories that produce complex metal structures directly from digital design. By integrating advanced metal forming, robotics, and automated production inside a flexible factory architecture, we enable customers to move from prototype to production in weeks, not years.
Backed by Lockheed Martin, Toyota, and NVIDIA, we're building the manufacturing infrastructure that defense, aerospace, and advanced mobility programs will run on.
If you want to work on hard problems that matter and see them fly, drive, and defend, this is the place.
Job Description:
Machina Labs is seeking a Technical Program Director, Missiles & Hypersonic Strike Systems to lead the execution of high-priority defense programs involving advanced structural assemblies, formed metallic components, and next-generation manufacturing solutions for strategic strike platforms.
This leader will be responsible for driving complex technical programs from early feasibility and prototyping through qualification, low-rate initial production, and full-rate production. The role sits at the intersection of engineering, manufacturing, customer delivery, and defense program execution. The ideal candidate will bring deep experience managing technically demanding aerospace and defense programs, with particular strength in missiles, hypersonic weapons, propulsion-adjacent structures, and flight-critical hardware.
The Technical Program Director will work cross-functionally with engineering, production, quality, supply chain, and executive leadership to ensure program success. This individual will also serve as a key customer-facing leader, building trust with defense prime contractors, government stakeholders, and strategic partners while ensuring Machina Labs delivers on cost, schedule, technical performance, and quality.
This is a senior technical leadership role that will help shape how Machina Labs scales into mission-critical defense production.
Key Responsibilities:- Own end-to-end execution of technical programs supporting missile and hypersonic strike weapon applications.
- Lead programs from concept development and prototyping through qualification, production readiness, LRIP, and full-rate production.
- Ensure program performance across technical scope, schedule, budget, risk, and quality objectives.
- Translate customer requirements into executable internal plans across engineering, manufacturing, inspection, and delivery functions.
Drive Cross-Functional Alignment
- Coordinate internal teams across applications engineering, production, quality, supply chain, robotics, and product development.
- Establish program governance, milestones, decision points, and reporting structures to maintain alignment and accountability.
- Drive timely issue resolution and remove blockers across technical and operational workstreams.
- Build scalable program management processes to support increasingly complex defense programs.
- Interface with Customers and External Stakeholders
- Serve as a primary program interface for defense primes, government program offices, and strategic partners.
- Lead program reviews, technical interchange meetings, status updates, and executive briefings.
- Ensure customer requirements, compliance expectations, and delivery commitments are clearly understood and executed.
- Support proposal shaping, statement of work review, technical planning, and transition-to-execution activities for new awards.
Manage Technical and Manufacturing Risk
- Identify program risks early and develop mitigation plans across design maturity, manufacturability, supply chain, quality, and schedule.
- Drive disciplined change management and configuration control in partnership with engineering and quality teams.
- Ensure production and qualification activities are supported by robust documentation, planning, and readiness reviews.
- Help bridge the gap between advanced manufacturing innovation and production-grade defense execution.
Support Growth in Strategic Strike Programs
- Help position Machina Labs for expanded participation in advanced strike, missile, and hypersonic weapon programs.
- Inform internal investment priorities based on customer demand, program needs, and manufacturing readiness requirements.
- Contribute to long-term customer success by identifying follow-on opportunities tied to production scale-up and adjacent hardware applications.
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or a related technical field.
- 10+ years of experience in aerospace and defense program management, technical program leadership, or integrated product team leadership.
- Demonstrated experience leading complex hardware programs involving missiles, hypersonic systems, aerospace structures, propulsion-adjacent hardware, or other high-performance defense platforms.
- Strong understanding of defense program lifecycles, including prototyping, qualification, test, transition to production, and production ramp.
- Proven experience managing cross-functional teams in technically complex and fast-paced environments.
- Strong working knowledge of cost, schedule, risk, and configuration management practices.
- Experience interfacing directly with defense prime contractors and U.S. Government customers.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate effectively across engineers, operators, executives, and customers.
- Ability to travel as required, up to 25%.
- Must be eligible to work in an ITAR-controlled environment.
In addition, you are:
- Technically credible and operationally disciplined, with the ability to earn trust across engineering and production teams.
- Able to move fluidly between deep technical detail and executive-level communication.
- Comfortable operating in ambiguity and building structure where processes are still evolving.
- Highly organized, accountable, and able to maintain composure in high-pressure environments.
- Effective at driving execution across matrixed teams while maintaining momentum and alignment.
- Customer-facing and mission-oriented, with the ability to build trust in high-stakes environments.
- Willing to take a hands-on approach when needed to ensure program success.
- Master’s degree in Engineering, Systems Engineering, Manufacturing, or Business Administration.
- Experience supporting programs tied to systems such as cruise missiles, long-range strike weapons, hypersonic weapons, boost-glide systems, air-breathing hypersonic systems, or similar strategic defense platforms.
- Experience with metallic structures, structural assemblies, thermal management structures, tanks, ducts, skins, or other flight-critical hardware.
- Familiarity with defense contracting environments, including Cost Plus, Fixed Price, and T&M contract structures.
- Experience in advanced manufacturing, automation, robotics-enabled production, or digital manufacturing environments.
- Prior experience in a startup, high-growth manufacturing company, or dual-use technology company.
$200,000 - $240,000 a year