Project Manager

We are seeking an experienced, hands-on Project Manager to join our aerospace forging operation during a critical period of commercial growth. This role is accountable for leading production ramp-up and rate-readiness initiatives—aligning people, equipment/tooling, processes, suppliers, and quality systems to achieve safe, compliant, and on-time delivery performance. The ideal candidate is comfortable working across the shop floor and leadership team, drives structured execution (scope/schedule/cost/risk), and thrives in a fast-paced, highly regulated manufacturing environment.

• Lead end-to-end ramp-up and rate-readiness plans for major aerospace commercial programs, coordinating execution across operations, engineering, quality, supply chain, maintenance, and finance.
• Develop and maintain integrated master schedules and resource plans, including long-lead raw material, outside processing, tooling, equipment capacity, staffing/training, and first-article/qualification milestones.
• Own the project risk/opportunity register; identify constraints and drive mitigation plans with clear owners, due dates, and escalation paths.
• Establish and report ramp-up KPIs, providing data-driven recommendations to leadership.
• Facilitate daily/weekly operating cadences, readiness gate reviews, and cross-functional problem-solving sessions; publish clear agendas, decisions, and action-item closure.
• Manage project budgets and capital/tooling plans; track actuals vs. plan, forecast to completion, and support purchase justification, vendor coordination, installation, and commissioning activities.
• Partner with Supply Chain to ensure supplier readiness and long-lead procurement, including capacity/risk assessments and recovery plans.
• Coordinate manufacturing readiness deliverables in alignment with customer requirements and the site quality system.
• Drive disciplined change control throughout ramp-up, ensuring impacts to cost, schedule, capacity, and customer commitments are assessed and communicated.

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering (Manufacturing/Mechanical/Industrial/Metallurgical).
• 3+ years of project/program management experience in manufacturing, including at least 1 year in aerospace/defense or another regulated environment.
• Experience with project scheduling tools (MS Project, Smartsheet, or equivalent) and comfort working with manufacturing systems/data (ERP/MRP, capacity models, Excel/BI dashboards).
• PMP certification (or active pursuit) preferred; Lean/Six Sigma and/or APQP/PPAP familiarity is a plus.
• Exceptional communication, facilitation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to manage multiple concurrent priorities in a high-tempo environment.

• Experience developing and maintaining integrated master schedules and resource plans.
• Budget and CapEx tracking experience.
• ERP/MRP system experience required — current system is Great Plains, transitioning to Microsoft Dynamics 365.
• SAP or Oracle experience a plus.
• AS9100 or NADCAP familiarity beneficial but not required.
• Highly organized, methodical, and process-driven.

This position is 100% onsite in El Cajon, CA at the Precision Metal Products forge facility. Approximately 60% of the time is spent on the production floor with 40% in the office, with some weeks shifting to 70/30 floor heavy depending on the program phase. The role is a high-visibility position with direct interaction with the CEO, VP of Operations, and plant leadership. The position offers cross-functional exposure spanning virtually every department including engineering, operations, supply chain, finance, HR, production, and external vendors.

This is a Permanent position based out of El Cajon, CA.

The pay range for this position is $100000.00 - $130000.00/yr.

benefits, PTO, etc provided upon offer

This is a fully onsite position in El Cajon,CA.

This position is anticipated to close on Aug 17, 2026.

About Aston Carter

Aston Carter provides world-class corporate talent solutions to thousands of clients across the globe. Specialized in accounting, finance, human resources, talent acquisition, procurement, supply chain and select administrative professions, we extend the capabilities of industry-leading companies. We draw on our deep recruiting expertise and expansive network to meet the evolving needs of our clients and talent community with agility and excellence. With offices across the U.S., Canada, Asia Pacific and Europe, Aston Carter serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® Platinum Award winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email astoncarteraccommodation@astoncarter.com for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.

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