Customer Program Director

Purpose:

The Customer Program Director is responsible for managing a portfolio of high-value customer programs across the full lifecycle - from sales and bidding through aircraft arrival, execution, and post-delivery support. Serving as the primary liaison between the customer and internal stakeholders, this role ensures seamless communication, program alignment, and delivery of aircraft interior completions or refurbishment projects. The Director coordinates all aspects of execution including planning, scheduling, resource allocation, issue resolution, and risk mitigation while ensuring customer satisfaction and compliance with contractual and regulatory requirements.

Essential Job Functions:

• Serve as the primary point of contact for assigned customer programs throughout the project lifecycle.
• Lead internal coordination from sales handoff through planning, execution, delivery, and post-program debrief.
• Manage program schedules, budgets, and scope, ensuring delivery milestones are met and customer expectations are exceeded.
• Develop and maintain detailed program plans; track progress and lead governance updates and internal reviews.
• Represent customer interests internally, translating their needs into actionable plans for engineering, design, production, and support teams.
• Facilitate contract compliance, change management, and resolution of technical, commercial, or schedule-related issues.
• Coordinate proposal and bidding activities, including cost estimating, timeline development, and assumptions validation.
• Support onboarding of aircraft and customers on-site, ensuring clear expectations, timely information sharing, and successful integration into operational flow.
• Lead recurring customer meetings and executive briefings to communicate program health, key decisions, and mitigation plans.
• Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) and implement corrective actions to address variances or risks.
• Maintain strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders to ensure alignment and transparency.
• Collaborate with finance and contracts teams to manage invoicing, revenue recognition, change orders, and contractual deliverables.
• Promote continuous improvement and best practices in customer program management, reporting, and delivery.

Minimum Qualifications or Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Engineering, Aviation Management, or a related field.
• 8-12 years of experience in aviation, aerospace, or aircraft completions with direct responsibility for customer-facing programs.
• Proven success in managing multiple complex projects involving cross-functional coordination, high-value assets, and VIP customer expectations.
• Solid understanding of contract execution, cost and schedule management, and risk mitigation in a regulated aviation environment.

Preferred Qualifications or Experience:

• Experience managing VIP/VVIP completions or refurbishments for platforms such as Boeing BBJ, Airbus ACJ, or Gulfstream G650/G700.
• PMP certification or equivalent program/project management credentials.
• Familiarity with FAA/EASA certification requirements and interior systems compliance.
• Working knowledge of MRO/completions software, ERP systems, and planning tools (MS Project, Excel, BI dashboards, Primavera).
• Background in pre-sales, bidding, or business capture support within aviation.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• This role does not have direct supervisory responsibilities but provides leadership to cross-functional project teams and vendor stakeholders.
• May serve as mentor or team lead to junior program managers or coordinators on assigned accounts.

Knowledge, Skills, and Other Attributes:

• Strong project and program management skills across complex aviation programs.
• Customer-focused mindset with excellent interpersonal and relationship-building capabilities.
• Ability to communicate technical, schedule, and business information clearly across all levels of the organization and with customers.
• Financial acumen in budgeting, forecasting, cost tracking, and revenue recognition.
• Competency in issue management, escalation handling, and decision-making under pressure.
• Influential leadership style with the ability to drive results through others without direct authority.
• High attention to detail, strong organizational skills, and the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Proactive, solutions-oriented, and able to anticipate customer needs and operational risks.
• Collaborative team player with high personal integrity, accountability, and commitment to delivering quality outcomes.

Travel:

Travel is primarily local during the business day, although some out-of-area and overnight travel is to be expected for business industry work, events and occasional business networking and negotiation meetings.

Other Duties:

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.