AETC Operations - Program Manager/Sales Representative

Position Summary:  AETC is seeking a motivated Program Manager / Sales Representative to support aerospace, defense, and commercial programs from initial customer inquiry through quotation, production, delivery, and follow-up. This position is designed for an individual who wants to develop a career combining program management, technical sales, customer relationships, and business development within the aerospace and energetic-products industry. The individual will work closely with customers and AETC's engineering, manufacturing, quality, purchasing, and management teams to ensure customer requirements are understood, quotations are prepared accurately, programs remain on schedule, and customer expectations are met.

Main Duties and Responsibilities of the Role: (other duties may be assigned) Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

Project Management
• Manage assigned customer programs from initial inquiry and quotation through order execution, qualification, production, delivery and program completion.
• Track customer requirements, quotations, purchase orders, schedules, deliverables, and open actions.
• Maintain program schedules and communicate status, risks, and potential delays to management and customers.
• Coordinate activities between sales, engineering, manufacturing, quality, purchasing, and suppliers.
• Follow up on open technical, manufacturing, quality, and customer actions.
• Assist with program status reports, presentations, meeting notes, and action-item lists.
• Monitor production and delivery schedules and proactively communicate changes.
• Independently identify and evaluate program risks, recommend appropriate corrective actions, and coordinate with Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Chain and management to develop and implement solutions.
• Support qualification, testing, validation, and customer approval activities as required.
• Maintain accurate program and customer records.
Sales & Business Development
• Develop and maintain positive relationships with existing AETC customers.
• Respond to customer inquiries and assist with preparation and follow-up of quotations.
• Follow up on open quotations and identify opportunities to convert quotes into purchase orders.
• Assist in identifying new customers, applications, and business opportunities within aerospace and defense markets.
• Develop an understanding of customer requirements and identify AETC products and capabilities that may provide solutions.• Support sales calls, customer meetings, trade shows, and business-development activities.
• Maintain regular communication with customers regarding pricing, lead times, production status, and delivery.
• Assist in developing forecasts and identifying potential future requirements.
• Support efforts to expand AETC's customer base and identify replacement, aftermarket, and new-application opportunities.

Technical & Product Responsibilities
• Develop a working knowledge of AETC products, manufacturing capabilities, testing requirements, and aerospace applications.
• Become familiar with AETC cartridge actuated devices, initiators, igniters, cutters, pyrotechnic products, aerospace fire-extinguishing applications, pressure and impulse cartridges, and time-delay products.
• Develop an understanding of product qualification, validation, and customer interface requirements.
• Maintain a strong commitment to quality, safety, accuracy, and confidentiality when working with safety-critical aerospace products

Customer Interface

• Communicate professionally with customers by phone, email, and in person.
• Understand customer requirements and translate them into actionable internal tasks.
• Provide timely responses and follow-up.
• Coordinate customer meetings and technical discussions.
• Escalate technical, schedule, quality, or commercial issues when appropriate.
• Build long-term customer relationships.
• Represent AETC professionally at customer meetings, industry events, and trade shows.

Internal Coordination
• Work closely with Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Purchasing, Supply Chain, testing laboratories, and Management.
• Maintain ownership and accountability for program coordination, follow-up, and customer communication, including when technical, manufacturing, quality, purchasing, or testing activities are performed by other departments or external suppliers.

Qualifications

•Strong written and verbal communication skills.

• Strong organizational and follow-up skills.

• Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities simultaneously.

• Ability to communicate professionally with customers and internal personnel.

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.

• Willingness and ability to learn technical products and aerospace applications.

• Ability to work independently while also functioning effectively as part of a cross-functional team.

• Strong customer-service mindset and attention to detail.

• Ability to learn technical concepts quickly and understand customer requirements.

• Strong problem-solving skills and professional communication style.

• Ability to establish and maintain customer relationships.

• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks.

• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, growing company.

• Ability to recognize sales opportunities and pursue them appropriately.

• Successfully complete all pre-employment requirements, including background check and drug screening.

• Must meet U.S. Persons criteria due to facility access restrictions.

• Must be a U.S. Persons as defined by ITAR (22 CFR § 120.62), - be lawful permanent resident (Green Card holder), or protected individuals (asylees/refugees).

• Must be able to complete and pass the ATF Employee Possessor Certification (ATF Form 5400.28) Notice of Clearance for ATF Federal License – which will ask if you have ever been convicted in any court for a felony or any other crime, for which the judge “could have” imprisoned you for mor that one year, even if you received a shorter sentence, including probation.

Preferred Qualifications

 • Aerospace or defense industry experience.

 • Familiarity with FAA, DoD, or other aerospace regulatory requirements.

 • Previous experience with manufacturing or engineered products

• 1+ years of relevant experience in aerospace, defense, manufacturing, engineering, technical sales, program management, or a related industry preferred; 3–5 years preferred for candidates expected to independently manage assigned customer programs.

• Experience with technical sales or business development preferred 

• Experience reading engineering drawings or specifications preferred

• Experience with ERP, CRM, or project-management systems preferred

• Experience working with government or commercial aerospace customers preferred.

Education

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, business, aerospace, manufacturing, program management, or a related technical field. Equivalent relevant aerospace, manufacturing, technical sales, or program-management experience may be considered.

Travel

• Expected travel: approximately 25%–50%, depending on project and customer requirements.
• Travel may include customer meetings, program reviews, trade shows, supplier visits, testing activities, manufacturing facilities, and business-development activities.
• Travel requirements may fluctuate based on active programs, customer needs, and project schedules.

Career Development

This position is intended to provide a development path toward increased responsibility in program management, sales, and business development. As experience and technical knowledge are developed, the individual will progressively assume responsibility for customer accounts and programs, customer meetings and program reviews, quotations, new customer opportunities, larger programs, and strategic business-development initiatives.
• Junior Program Manager / Sales Representative → Program Manager / Account Manager → Senior Program Manager / Business Development Manager
Other circumstances (training required)
• AETC product, program-management, customer-service, sales, safety, quality, and applicable regulatory training will be provided as required.