Manager Of Program Operations Jobs in Charleston, SC

Built on Experience. Built for Skill. Built for You.

Keel was formed by bringing together three industry leaders combining generations of hands-on expertise in steel fabrication, shipbuilding, aerospace, and defense manufacturing.

That means when you join Keel, you’re joining a team backed by decades of proven craftsmanship and real-world results.

We build ships, defense systems, aerospace components, and heavy steel structures that serve critical missions — and we do it with pride.

Your Mission:

The Senior Program Manager provides strategic leadership and oversight across complex, multi-disciplinary programs to ensure exceptional functional, technical, and financial performance of company initiatives. This role drives cross organizational alignment, optimizes program execution, and ensures the successful delivery of high value projects that support company goals and customer commitments.

Explore the Depth of the Role:

• Leads the end to end planning, execution, and governance of assigned programs, ensuring alignment with organizational objectives, budgets, and timelines.
• Owns program level performance metrics and provides executive level reporting on schedules, financials, risks, dependencies, resource needs, and critical paths.
• Develops, maintains, and communicates comprehensive program strategies, roadmaps, and plans; ensures consistent documentation, clear decision making, and timely escalation of issues.
• Serves as the primary point of contact for key customers, suppliers, and internal stakeholders, ensuring high quality communication, expectation management, and relationship stewardship.
• Provides leadership across cross functional teams to ensure program success, including engineering, operations, supply chain, finance, and quality.
• Oversees the development and approval of work orders, change requests, and customer invoicing, ensuring compliance with financial controls and contract requirements.
• Identifies, analyzes, and mitigates program risks while proactively pursuing opportunities to improve quality, throughput, and profitability.
• Guides the creation of program documentation, executive presentations, and updates for internal and external reviews.
• Ensures effective management of technical data, configuration control, and program documentation requirements.
• Partners closely with manufacturing and fabrication partners as well as internal leadership to resolve issues, support production needs, and ensure program objectives are consistently met.
• Mentors and supports junior program staff, providing guidance on project management tools, processes, and best practices.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Mission Readiness:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering, Finance, or related field; or equivalent combination of education and experience. (Advanced degree preferred.)
• Minimum 10-15 years of progressive program management or project management experience, with at least 5 years in a leadership or supervisory capacity.
• Experience in manufacturing or production environments required; heavy plate fabrication or welding related industries strongly preferred.
• PMP certification preferred.
• Deep understanding of program/project management principles, including planning, critical path management, resource allocation, risk mitigation, and financial oversight.
• Proficiency with ERP systems; IFS experience strongly preferred.
• High proficiency in MS Project, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook; SmartSheet and Power BI experience preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to manage customer-facing communications and executive level reporting.
• Strong organizational skills and exceptional attention to detail, with proven ability to manage multiple complex initiatives in a fast paced environment.
• Knowledge of welding processes, NDT methods, and AWS codes preferred.
• Strong leadership capability with a track record of driving programs to successful, on time, high quality delivery.

Travel Requirements:

• Between facilities as needed.

Physical Requirements:

• May be required to stand, walk, sit, reach/pull/push with hands and arms, climb or balance, stoop or kneel regularly.
• May lift or carry 50lbs. Weights exceeding 50lbs will require mechanical means to maneuver.

Become a part of our Builders and you too can...

• Upholds Safety and Quality Standards
• Embodies Team Spirit
• Relentless Customer Focus
• Conveys Integrity, Trust, and Professionalism
• Executes with Excellence and Velocity
• Inspires Team Members
• Communicates Effectively
• Resolves Problems
• Elevates Those Around Them

What Keel will build for you:

• Comprehensive Benefit Package
• Competitive Pay
• 401(k) Match
• HSA/FSA
• Paid Holidays
• Paid Time Off
• Internal Referral Bonus Opportunities
• Shift Differentials
• Overtime Potential
• Paid on the Job Training
• Certification Sponsorship Opportunities
• Committed to Individual Career Growth
• We Do Fun Things, Plus More! 

Need Assistance?

If you require a reasonable accommodation at any stage of the employment process, please email talent@keelusa.com with details about your request and your contact information. Accommodation requests are reviewed individually on a case-by-case basis. Please note that this email address is monitored only for inquiries related to reasonable accommodation requests.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Individuals with Disabilities / Protected Veterans

What we build, builds us.