Program Manager

Company: Graham Manufacturing
Location: Batavia
Posted on: February 19, 2026

Job Description:

Job Description Job Description Description: Job Title: Program Manager Reports To: Director of Operations FLSA Status & EEO Code: Exempt & First/Mid-level Manager Division/Department: GHM / Operations Level of Work: Level II Position Summary: The Program Manager is responsible for leading business-critical projects by overseeing compliance to the contractual requirements and guiding them through their lifecycle. This includes management of the cost, schedule, technical performance and customer management. They lead their programs through detailed engineering, manufacturing and test phases as applicable to the scope of each program. Acts as primary customer interface for project activities and provides routine formal project updates to review cost, schedule, and technical performance. Leads the negotiation of contract changes on active programs and provides supports for new contracts. Responsible for meeting business objectives within the boundaries of the contract while driving customer satisfaction. Level II: Service – Coordinating “production” with problem solving and prevention Key Results Areas: Resource management (material and people) Deliver projects on time, on budget, with performance and quality specified by customer contractual requirements. Maintains up-to-date project schedule, budget and risk for accurately tracking project execution. Escalates risks with proposed solutions with sufficient time to take action. Knowledgeable on entire project supply chain and fosters positive supplier relationships to enable long-term sustainability. Acts as primary point-of-contact for all stakeholders including customer, suppliers, and internal team. Proactively identifies project risks with associated mitigation plans and effectively communicates cross-functionally to ensure accountability. Leads identification and implementation of interdepartmental corrective actions to drive improved efficiency and no repeat issues. Willingness to dive in deep when required on any issue (manufacturing, quality, technical, contractual, etc). Forecasts and communicates future needs (resources, processes, and systems) for active/future projects. Compiles resource needs with objective evidence based on project scope. Shares lessons learned within manufacturing team to ensure issues are not duplicated on other programs. Engages with customers to explore future business opportunities. Organizes internal cross-functional events to celebrate major program milestones. Resource scheduling, output management and reporting Execute contract negotiations with government and prime contractors (cost plus and fixed price contract types) to ensure optimized terms & conditions, pricing, and delivery & milestone dates. Performs scope assessment and pricing review during program proposal phase. Responsible for schedule creation and higher-level schedule flow explanations during program kickoff. Establishes milestone payment structure and cash flow model to ensure optimized cash flow and revenue recognition. Ensures contract modifications during execution phase are reviewed timely and accurately. Maintains contract scope control to ensure program profitability per contractual agreement. Maintains technical and schedule cognizance over the entire program. Leads identification of and drives incorporation of Engineering Change Proposal for additional scope requested. Supports audits (ISO/IEEE, DCAA, etc). Drives data and reporting submittals via Contract Changes Continuous Improvement Assess programmatic activities and risks to make improvements for more consistent and predictable product and service. Maintain and continually improve methodologies used in the operation of the department and recommend/develop new systems, methodologies, and technologies which may improve operations and/or capabilities in the future. Manage time and resource investments to implement proactive product improvements. Includes strategic partnership development and maintaining knowledge of emerging technologies and trends. Plans and formulates aspects of research and development proposals Equipment & process maintenance Support business development by working with new and existing customers to understand their requirements and develop solutions for their needs. Identify, recommend and implement new relationships, processes, technologies and systems. Terminate practices, systems, and processes that are no longer aligned with the strategic direction. Create a culture of continuous improvement, accountability and resilience through process documentation, execution, audit, and refinement throughout the engineered product teams. Enable and empower streamlining the processes that span across departments. Assess, improve, and execute cross-organizational alignment and integration of engineering, supply chain, business development, product management, production, and sales functions. Professional Development Assist Manager’s over your project on performance reviews, rewarding and disciplining employees, addressing complaints and resolving problems. The opportunity to mentor employees when the opportunity arises. Continuous reflection on current skill set, personally and within the department, to determine areas of focus for upgrading skill set, effectiveness, and efficiency within the department, through people development, process improvement and expansion of technology to meet the constantly evolving needs of our customer base. Qualifications: To qualify for this position, an individual must possess the knowledge, training, experience and abilities required. Education and Training: Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, Economics, Business/Contract Administration or equivalent combination of education and experience. Experience: Three years of professional experience in project management. Seven years of combined experience in project management, supply chain management, engineering, and/or manufacturing. Demonstrable experience managing Government Contracts and associated flowdowns. Other: Must be willing to work overtime as required Travel up to 20% of working time. Desired Job Qualification: Program Management Professional certification desired Knowledge of FAR/DFARS, ITAR, and/or related regulations desired Skills: To perform the job successfully, an individual should demonstrate the following competencies: To perform this job successfully, an individual must have proficiency in word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, project management, enterprise resource planning, database, and specialized application software. Ability and willingness to abide by set policies and/or safety programs established by Graham, our clients, and/or regulatory agencies which govern our performance and behavior in the normal course of our work while on Graham or the client’s property or job site. Excellent written and verbal communication skills required Strong organizational and time management skills High attention to detail Ability to successfully plan and implement objectives within established timelines and work schedules. Ability to analyze problems and develop effective solutions at both strategic and functional levels. Demonstrate behavior consistent with company values Ability to work independently, with minimal direction as a highly motivated self-starter and within a team oriented culture Physical and Mental Demands The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Physical demands: This is largely a sedentary role; however, some filing is required. This would require the ability to lift files, open filing cabinets and bend or stand as necessary. Required to speak and communicate clearly with others. Mental demands: While performing the duties of this position, the incumbent is required to read, write, analyze data and reports, exercise judgment, develop plans, procedures and goals, present information to others and work under pressure. Work Environment: This job operates in a clerical office setting. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers and filing cabinets Work Authorization/Security Clearance Must be able to work in the U.S. without sponsorship. Ability to obtain US government security clearance required. This job description is not all inclusive but rather serves as a general guideline of the current needs of the position and can be modified at the discretion of management to meet current business needs. Experience and education requirements are the primary basis for awarding this position, however substitutions that are essentially equivalent may be made as they relate to the essential functions, duties, and responsibilities of this position Requirements:

Keywords: Graham Manufacturing, Irondequoit , Program Manager, Engineering , Batavia, New York