Material Program Manager II
The future of aerospace and defense starts here.
Ursa Major was founded to revolutionize how America and its allies access and apply high-performance propulsion, from hypersonics to solid rocket motors, satellite maneuvering and launch. We design and deliver propulsion and defense systems that solve the most urgent and critical national security demands.
Our products and technologies require an extraordinary team – a team that will mold tomorrow's technologies while deploying today's best. We are an intrinsically motivated team that has a passion for solving problems and empowering each other every day to develop our skills, knowing that there is always room for growth.
The Material Program Manager (MPM) serves as a key operational bridge between the Program Management Office (PMO), Engineering, Operations, and Supply Chain. The MPC is responsible for maintaining cost and material integrity across program baselines, ensuring line-item hardware readiness, and driving proactive risk management for active defense programs and new program proposals.
Responsibilities:
- Own and maintain the comprehensive Costed Bill of Materials (BOM) for active production programs, engineering development efforts, and new program proposal efforts.
- Serve as the single point of truth for material baseline costs, tracking real-time material price variances, inflation, volume discounts, and lead-time adjustments.
- Design, build, and maintain data-driven tools, automated dashboards, and standard reports to track part availability, pricing trends, and material lead times. Utilize these systems to proactively identify delivery bottlenecks, ensure optimal pricing, and guarantee on-time material arrival to keep programs on schedule.
- Partner closely with Supplier Development Engineering and Strategic Procurement to identify, evaluate, and onboard new suppliers possessing specialized technical capabilities, advanced manufacturing processes, or capacity that existing suppliers do not have.
- Continuously monitor line-item availability across complex BOMs against Integrated Master Schedule (IMS) milestones.
- Lead recurring part-shortage reviews with Manufacturing, Quality, and Procurement to resolve lead-time issues, MRB holds, and engineering change impacts before they disrupt the development program or production line.
- Collaborate with Operations and Planning to ensure ERP data fields that drive MRP calculations are entered promptly and appropriately updated and maintained when changes arise.
- Collaborate with Program Management, Finance, and Business Development teams during proposal phases to build compliant material Estimates at Completion (EAC) and Basis of Estimates (BOE) leveraging historical cost data and costed BOM models.
- Work with Configuration Management, Design Engineering, and Systems Engineering to analyze design changes, material holds, and scrap impact to ensure seamless cut-ins of new revisions without creating excess obsolete inventory.
- Collaborate with Design Engineering and Manufacturing Engineering to develop the program specific strategy, plan, and budget for custom tooling, jigs, and fixtures.
- Collaborate with Program Managers, Engineering, and Supply Chain to drive an optimized make vs buy decision for each component and subassembly.
- Engage with Supply Chain to expedite suppliers and Operations to expedite manufacturing for products with delivery dates on the critical path and develop recovery plans when quality or delivery issues arise.
- Maintain tracking and compliance for Government Furnished Property (GFP) and Customer Furnished Property (CFP) under FAR/DFARS standards, ensuring strict serial/lot traceability.
Required Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Industrial/Mechanical Engineering, Operations, or a related field.
- 5+ years in material planning, supply chain management, or program coordination in aerospace, defense, or high-tech manufacturing.
- Advanced proficiency in ERP/MRP systems (Odoo preferred), including how BOMs, lead times, order policies, and planning parameters drive the plan and what breaks when they are wrong.
- Advanced proficiency in Excel, specifically for lead time and financial/cost modeling.
- Strong analytical skills, with the ability to collect, organize, analyze, and disseminate significant amounts of information with attention to detail and accuracy.
- Experience aggregating data from cross-functional stakeholders to support high-level, strategic decision-making.
- Ability to identify process and data gaps and provide recommendations for improvement.
- Knowledge of FAR/DFARS, ITAR requirements, and Earned Value Management System (EVMS) principles.
- Adaptive and introspective, willing to learn, teach, lead, and follow.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills.
- Demonstrates extreme ownership and accountability in all assigned tasks and ability to hold teammates accountable to the same standard.
Preferred Experience:
- Experience with Department of Defense (DoD) and Government Contracts.
- Leadership and team building skills to include fostering collaborative and positive cultures, formal and informal influencing skills, and team empowerment and motivation expertise.
- Experience working within Program Management tools, structures, and procedures such as a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), Integrated Master Plan (IMP), and Integrated Master Schedule (IMS).
- Exposure to PLM (Windchill) and engineering change management.
- Experience with data visualization tools.
Colorado law requires us to tell you the base compensation range of this role, which is $84,480-105,600, determined by your education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities. What we can’t quantify for you are the exciting challenges, supportive team, and amazing culture we enjoy.
Classification: Full-time Exempt
Benefits Include: (Please note, Interns are not eligible for benefits)
- Unlimited PTO - Vacation, Sick, Personal, and Bereavement
- Paid Parental and Adoptive Leave
- Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance
- Tax Advantage Accounts (HSA/FSA)
- Employer Paid Short and Long Term Disability, Basic Life, AD&D
- Additional Benefit Options Including Voluntary Life and Emergency Medical Transport
- EAP Program
- Retirement Savings Plan - 401k with Company Match
- Equity Grants in the Company
How To Apply: Interested candidates are encouraged to apply by filling out the application below and clicking "Submit Application". This position will be posted for a minimum of 3 days and will remain open until filled or adjusted based on the volume of applicants.
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NOTE: Research suggests that women and BIPOC individuals may self-select out of opportunities if they don't meet 100% of the job requirements. We encourage anyone who believes they have the skills and the drive necessary to succeed here to apply for this role.
Must be a U.S. Person (this includes U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents).
Eligibility to obtain and maintain a U.S. Security Clearance.
We’re an equal-opportunity employer. You will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status.
No outside recruiters, please.
About Ursa Major
Ursa Major provides a propulsion system for space launch, hypersonics, and national security.
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