Mach Industries · 9 hours ago
Program Operations Manager
Huntington Beach, CA
Full-time
Onsite
Senior LevelMach Industries is a rapidly growing defense technology company focused on developing next-generation autonomous defense platforms. The Program Operations Manager will coordinate, plan, and execute flight test and demonstration activities, ensuring effective collaboration between various teams and maintaining high operational standards.
National DefenseIndustrialManufacturingDronesDrone ManagementInfrastructureNational Security
Responsibilities
Coordinate flight test, demonstration, and exercise activities at the customer, range, and partner interface, ensuring external requirements, constraints, and timelines are understood and integrated into internal planning
Build and maintain integrated visibility into test, demo, and exercise schedules, highlighting dependencies, conflicts, and readiness issues for Flight Operations and Engineering leadership
Serve as the central coordination point for external-facing operational planning, ensuring alignment between customer and range expectations and internal execution owners
Act as the primary flight operations point of contact for ranges, customers, and partners during tests, demos, and exercises
Coordinate range onboarding, approvals, access, and operational requirements for new and existing test sites
Support customer-facing preparation and execution by coordinating required documentation, briefings, and operational materials in partnership with Flight Operations and Engineering
Represent Mach Industries at customer and range planning conferences (e.g., IPCs, MPCs, FPCs), coordinating flight operations requirements, timelines, and documentation in advance of tests, demonstrations, and exercises
Own and track documentation required for flight operations, tests, demos, and exercises, including range packages, safety documentation, and regulatory approvals
Coordinate export, shipping, and compliance artifacts such as hazard approvals, DD1750s, IATT documentation, and international shipment requirements
Ensure required paperwork is complete, accurate, and submitted on schedule to support planned operations
Track cross-functional action items related to flight operations, tests, demos, and exercises across Engineering, Flight Operations, and supporting teams
Identify blocked, delayed, or at-risk tasks and work with appropriate owners to develop and drive resolution paths
Improve operational coordination processes, templates, and documentation to reduce friction and repeated failure modes
Track high-level costs associated with tests, demos, and exercises in coordination with Flight Operations and Product
Compare actuals against estimates or quotes for paid demonstrations and exercises
Provide visibility into operational cost drivers and resource constraints to inform planning and decision-making
Qualification
Required
Experience in program management, operations, or project coordination within defense, aerospace, or other highly regulated technical environments
Demonstrated experience interfacing with external stakeholders such as customers, test ranges, government organizations, or operational partners
Strong familiarity with operational documentation, approval workflows, and compliance requirements for fielded or test activities
Proven ability to manage multiple parallel efforts, track complex dependencies, and drive follow-through across cross-functional teams
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to produce clear operational documentation, schedules, and status updates
High degree of ownership, judgment, and comfort operating in ambiguous, fast-moving environments
Willingness to travel as required to support tests, demonstrations, and exercises
Preferred
Prior military experience or extensive experience supporting military customers, exercises, or test programs
Experience working with flight operations, test organizations, or fielded technical systems
Familiarity with range operations, range approval processes, or operating on DoD or private test sites
Experience coordinating international operations, export-controlled activities, or complex shipping and logistics efforts
Background in finance, cost tracking, or operational budgeting
Experience improving operational processes and coordination workflows
Benefits
Health insurance
Retirement plans
Opportunities for professional development
Company
Mach Industries
Mach Industries is a defense manufacturing company that develops unmanned systems and defense infrastructure.
Founded in 2023
51-200 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Growth StageTotal Funding
$184.7MKey Investors
Bedrock,Khosla VenturesBedrockSequoia Capital
2025-06-17Series B· $100M
2023-10-04Series A· $79M
2023-06-15Seed· $5.7M
Leadership Team
Ethan Thornton
Member
Recent News
2026-02-10
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