Senior Material Controller Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Worker Type

Job Description

Position Summary
AeroVironment is seeking a highly experienced Senior Material Program Manager to support the Directed Energy (DE) Business Unit, responsible for leading material strategy, supply chain execution, subcontractor performance, and lifecycle logistics across a portfolio of advanced high-energy laser weapon systems. This role ensures the timely, cost-effective, and compliant delivery of critical hardware supporting development, production, fielding, and sustainment of AV's LOCUST family of Directed Energy systems and related electro-optical, beam control, and tracking technologies.

The Senior Material Program Manager will serve as a key leader within Integrated Product Teams (IPTs), directly overseeing major subcontractors and suppliers while ensuring material readiness aligns with aggressive customer schedules, including U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, and other national security customers. This individual will play a critical role in scaling Directed Energy production capabilities while ensuring financial discipline, subcontractor execution, and program schedule adherence.
Key Responsibilities:
Program Material Leadership
Lead material planning and execution across multiple Directed Energy programs from development through production and sustainment.
Serve as the material lead within Integrated Product Teams (IPTs), ensuring alignment with program cost, schedule, and technical baselines.
Develop and execute program-specific material strategies supporting rapid prototyping, low-rate initial production (LRIP), and full-rate production.
Ensure material readiness for system integration, system test events, and customer deliveries.
Subcontractor Oversight and Program Execution
Maintain direct oversight of all major subcontractors and critical suppliers, ensuring performance aligns with contractual cost, schedule, and technical requirements.
Serve as AV's primary interface with key subcontractors delivering laser subsystems, optics, electro-optical tracking systems, precision mechanical assemblies, and mission-critical electronics.
Conduct regular on-site visits, supplier audits, and program execution reviews to assess production readiness, schedule adherence, quality, and risk.
Lead subcontractor performance reviews, corrective action plans, and recovery strategies when required.
Support subcontract negotiations, statements of work, and technical performance requirements in coordination with Contracts and Supply Chain teams.
Ensure subcontractors are prepared for major program milestones including PDR, CDR, PRR, TRR, and delivery events.
Financial Management and EAC Accountability
Conduct monthly financial reviews of material and subcontract performance, including Estimate-at-Completion (EAC) validation and variance analysis.
Track material and subcontract costs against program budgets, identifying risks and implementing mitigation strategies.
Support Earned Value Management (EVM), program forecasting, and financial reporting processes.
Provide detailed cost, schedule, and materiel readiness briefings to program leadership and executive stakeholders.
Ensure procurement commitments and expenditures align with program cash flow and financial plans.
Supply Chain and Procurement Execution
Coordinate with Supply Chain and Strategic Sourcing to secure critical components including optics, laser modules, beam directors, sensors, and electronic assemblies.
Identify and mitigate supply chain risks, including long-lead components, single-source suppliers, and obsolescence.
Support supplier selection, qualification, and performance monitoring.
Production and Manufacturing Support
Support transition from prototype to production, including material planning, production ramp-up, and factory readiness.
Coordinate closely with Manufacturing and Production teams to ensure uninterrupted production flow.
Support Production Readiness Reviews (PRRs), manufacturing readiness activities, and production scaling efforts.
Configuration, Quality, and Compliance
Ensure material supports configuration-controlled builds and meets contractual and regulatory requirements.
Support DCMA audits, customer reviews, and internal quality audits.
Ensure compliance with AeroVironment policies and DoD acquisition requirements.
Fielding and Sustainment Support
Support material planning for deployed systems, spares provisioning, and sustainment readiness.
Assist with lifecycle sustainment planning and deployed system support requirements.
Required Qualifications:
Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, Business, Logistics, or related field.
10+ years of experience supporting material management, supply chain, subcontract management, or program execution in defense, aerospace, or complex hardware programs.
Demonstrated experience managing major subcontractors and supplier performance.
Experience supporting DoD development and production programs.
Experience with program financial tracking, EAC development, and cost management.
Strong understanding of defense acquisition, configuration management, and quality systems.
Willingness and ability to travel frequently (20-40%) to supplier sites and program locations.
Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. DoD security clearance.
Preferred Qualifications:
Experience supporting Directed Energy, EO/IR systems, laser systems, sensors, or precision tracking systems.
Experience supporting U.S. Army or other DoD rapid acquisition or production programs.
Experience with Earned Value Management (EVM).
PMP certification or equivalent program management training.
Experience supporting production ramp and manufacturing scale-up efforts.
Familiarity with ERP systems such as SAP, Costpoint, or Oracle.
Key Competencies
Subcontractor performance management and accountability
Financial ownership and EAC discipline
Program execution and schedule ownership
Production ramp and manufacturing readiness
Supply chain risk management
Cross-functional leadership in high-tempo environments

Clearance Level

The salary range for this role is:

AeroVironment considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the location, the role and associated responsibilities, a candidate's work experience, education/training, and key skills.

ITAR Requirement:

This position requires access to information that is subject to compliance with the International Traffic Arms Regulations ("ITAR") and/or the Export Administration Regulations ("EAR"). In order to comply with the requirements of the ITAR and/or the EAR, applicants must qualify as a U.S. person under the ITAR and the EAR, or a person to be approved for an export license by the governing agency whose technology comes under its jurisdiction. Please understand that any job offer that requires approval of an export license will be conditional on AeroVironment's determination that it will be able to obtain an export license in a time frame consistent with AeroVironment's business requirements. A "U.S. person" according to the ITAR definition is a U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident (green card holder), or protected individual such as a refugee or asylee. See 22 CFR 120.15. Some positions will require current U.S. Citizenship due to contract requirements.

Benefits: AV offers an excellent benefits package including medical, dental vision, 401K with company matching, a 9/80 work schedule and a paid holiday shutdown. For more information about our company benefit offerings please visit: http://www.avinc.com/myavbenefits.

We also encourage you to review our company website at http://www.avinc.com to learn more about us.

Principals only need apply. NO agencies please.

About AV:

AV isn't for everyone. We hire the curious, the relentless, the mission-obsessed. The best of the best.

We don't just build defense technology-we redefine what's possible. As the premier autonomous systems company in the U.S., AV delivers breakthrough capabilities across air, land, sea, space, and cyber. From AI-powered drones and loitering munitions to integrated autonomy and space resilience, our technologies shape the future of warfare and protect those who serve.

Founded by legendary innovator Dr. Paul MacCready, AV has spent over 50 years pushing the boundaries of what unmanned systems can do. Our heritage includes seven platforms in the Smithsonian-but we're not building history, we're building what's next.

If you're ready to build technology that matters-with speed, scale, and purpose-there's no better place to do it than AV.

We are proud to be an EEO/AA Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability/veterans. AeroVironment, Inc. is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer and welcomes all qualified applicants. Qualified applicants will receive fair and impartial consideration without regard to race, sex, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, genetic data,sexual orientation, gender identity or other legally protected status.

ITAR