Program Operations Manager

Date Posted: 2026-07-21 Country: United States of America Location: US-AZ-TUCSON-M02 ~ 1151 E Hermans Rd ~ BLDG M02 Position Role Type: Onsite U.S. Citizen, U.S. Person, or Immigration Status Requirements: Active and transferable U.S. government issued security clearance is required prior to start date.​ U.S. citizenship is required, as only U.S. citizens are eligible for a security clearance​ Security Clearance Type: DoD Clearance: Secret Security Clearance Status: Active and existing security clearance required on day 1 At Raytheon, the foundation of everything we do is rooted in our values and a higher calling – to help our nation and allies defend freedoms and deter aggression. We bring the strength of more than 100 years of experience and renowned engineering and manufacturing expertise to meet the needs of today’s mission and stay ahead of tomorrow’s threat. Our team solves tough, meaningful problems that create a safer, more secure world.   Raytheon is looking for a Program Operations Manager for a competitive program moving from concept to development to LRIP in the near future. This position requires a highly skilled and competent operations leader with an understanding of program execution and leadership skills to engage across all functional organizations. This role will serve the primary interface between the Raytheon Program Office, Raytheon factories, and Customers responsible for communicating all Program manufacturing requirements and owning cost and schedule execution. Results will be accomplished through leading, influencing, and frequent briefing across all levels of the organization including internal leaders and external customers. This role will lead the Manufacturing Operations organization which might include Manufacturing Development Engineers for Assembly and Test, Supplier Engineers, Manufacturing Sim & Capacity Modeling SMEs, and Production Control. This role also owns cost and schedule responsibility for all Operations NRE activities associated with production activities during the development phase. In addition, this role will directly interface with the Supply Chain Lead and partners closely with Test Equipment Engineering along with Quality and Contracts leadership to ensure compliant deliverables that meet all Customer contract and mission requirements. The ideal candidate will possess demonstrated skills across the program lifecycle including proposals, engineering and manufacturing development, and initial production along with planning for future sustainment activities. This position involves direct guidance and/or support to manufacturing activities and requires focused effort within or around several factory areas. This job requires full-time onsite closed area support in Tucson with occasional travel to remote factory and supplier sites. The preferred candidate must be capable of working beyond the typical 40-hour work week, travel domestically, and move between buildings and local facilities. What You Will Do: Own the Operations EAC and budget scope including execution of full contractual Earned Value Management (EVM) processes Communicate across programs sharing same-factory resources to identify, assess, collaborate and resolve schedule and/or cost conflicts Define clear operational schedules, priorities, and goals for each factory and key suppliers via Supply Chain partners Serve as the Manufacturing Operations lead for proposal development, ensuring costs and schedule challenges are understood by Operations leadership, Program leadership, and Customers Coordinate and develop operations gate reviews and execute proposed strategies to march toward a successful Transition to Production, primary focus on the RLPM Production Readiness Gates. Lead, collaborate, and influence quality and performance of Manufacturing Operations program deliverables, accountable for factory startup execution including manufacturing facilities, tooling, assembly & test planning, and factory test equipment. Develop, scope, and budget for Raytheon’s New Product Introduction (NPI) framework alongside Engineering and Supply Chain. Participate in strategic Program/Operations planning for current development and future production. Support Operational Security (OPSEC) plan(s) execution and influence future security strategies affecting hardware deliveries. Partner with Program Managers in strategic contract shaping & execution. Qualifications You Must Have: Typically requires a bachelor’s degree and a minimum of ten (10) years prior relevant experience, or an Advance Degree in a related field and a minimum of seven (7) years’ experience. Experience leading cross-functional teams in a manufacturing or production environment. Experience managing manufacturing operations in aerospace or defense environments, including factory startup planning, tooling, and production test equipment development. Active and transferable Secret clearance level required at time of application. U.S. government issued security clearance is required prior to start date with the ability to obtain Top Secret or higher clearance level or program access prior to start date. Qualifications We Prefer: Experience with manufacturing development processes, including New Product Introduction (NPI) frameworks and transition to production. Experience in Earned Value Management (EVM) for cost and schedule execution, including the ability to develop and manage Operations EAC and budget scope effectively. Experience with Proposal and Basis of Estimate development in a DoD environment. Industry 4.0, Lean Manufacturing, and factory automation experience. Experience with make/buy/where decision-making processes and collaboration with Supply Chain to ensure timely hardware availability to meet production requirements. What We Offer Our values drive our actions, behaviors, and performance with a vision for a safer, more connected world. At RTX w