What Is an Aviation Program Manager and How to Become One

By ZipRecruiter Marketplace Research Team

An aviation program manager is supposed to plan projects, assess the cost and schedule, find solutions to engineering problems, and oversee the project from beginning until final delivery. Your duties as an aviation program manager require you to understand many different aspects of aviation and aerospace engineering. You must also be well-versed in the business and revenue side of aviation, as well as the regulations around air transport. As a program manager, your responsibilities also include recruiting teams for projects, managing deadlines and schedules, reviewing technical specifications, and ensuring that your team finishes the deliverables on time.

To become an aviation program manager, you need to have a bachelor’s degree in engineering. Both aerospace and civil engineering are good courses of study because many of the projects you oversee deal with integrating the two, such as building new terminals for airplanes. In addition to your educational qualifications, you also need numerous skills and competencies, including verbal and written communication, analytical thinking, strong leadership and managerial qualities, and the ability to consult with and understand the perspectives of numerous stakeholders. Strong technical design skills are also fundamental for an Aviation PM.