Program Manager

About Odys

At Odys, we’re mobilizing power, with Hybrid Power Systems developed for aerospace and in-demand everywhere. It’s the kind of mission diversity that demands a fresh way of thinking.

We began with an early bet on hybrid, when the mobility industry was focused on batteries. We designed, tested, and validated our first 1 MW high-speed generator in 12 months. And then we pushed further, developing systems with greater power density in less time. Today, our Hybrid Power Systems offer outputs ranging from 20 kW to 4 MW, with applications in the air or on the ground.

One of those applications is Laila, an unmanned drone designed for critical logistics and defense missions. With its 100 kW-class onboard Hybrid Power System, Laila can support medical cold-chain transport or serve as an aerial platform for counter-UAS measures.

The market interest has been overwhelming: Over 30 inbound requests from leading US and global manufacturers, and 14+ DoD contracts.

Our team comes from deep tech and aerospace, with backgrounds spanning drone and aircraft development, high-volume production, and electrified mobility.

We operate with urgency and ownership at every level. We validated high-speed generator technology faster than our peers, not because we skipped steps, but because we've been doing this long enough to know which ones matter most.

Creating the future of power, in the air and on the ground, is a challenge we’ve been training our entire lives for. If that sounds like you, this is the opportunity you’ve been waiting for.

 

About The Role

Odys Aviation is seeking a senior Program Manager to own execution across our active power generation and aircraft development programs. Our portfolio spans internally funded R&D and customer-funded engagements, with applications in aircraft hybrid propulsion, nuclear power conversion, expeditionary power systems, data centers, and other industrial power users.

In this role, you will run multiple concurrent programs, including DoD efforts, from award through delivery. You will own cost, schedule, and scope; keep engineering, supply chain, and test aligned to committed dates; and serve as the primary point of contact for customers, primes, and government sponsors.

This is a hands-on role close to the hardware. You will also support capture and proposal activity as we grow the pipeline and help stand up the quality and program process a company at our stage needs to scale.

Don't meet all desired requirements? Studies have shown that some people are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single desired qualification. At Odys, we are dedicated to building an authentic workplace, so if you're excited about this role but your experience doesn't align perfectly with every desired qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway.

What You'll Do

• Own cost, schedule, scope, and risk across multiple concurrent programs spanning internal R&D and customer-funded development

• Build and maintain integrated master schedules that tie engineering milestones to long-lead procurement, build, and test windows

• Serve as the primary interface to customers, primes, and government sponsors: run program reviews, deliver status and technical reporting, and negotiate scope and schedule changes

• Manage DoW program execution end to end, including contract deliverables (CDRLs), milestone and payment events, period-of-performance tracking, and coordination with contracting officers and technical points of contact

• Translate statements of work into executable work breakdown structures, staffing plans, and budgets, and track actuals against them

• Partner with supply chain on long-lead procurement, supplier selection and follow-up, BOM readiness, and recovery plans when parts slip

• Drive cross-functional execution across propulsion, aircraft, power electronics, manufacturing, and test teams, surfacing blockers early and holding owners to dates

• Maintain risk and opportunity registers with real mitigations, and escalate with a recommendation rather than a status

• Help implement and mature quality and program processes, including configuration management, document control, change control, gate reviews, and corrective action

• Manage compliance obligations on government programs, including export control, data rights, property, and reporting requirements

• Communicate program health clearly and honestly to leadership, with the underlying data behind it

What We're Looking For

• B.S. in Engineering, or equivalent technical background paired with program management depth

• 7+ years managing hardware development programs in aerospace, defense, energy, or industrial hardware

• Demonstrated ownership of multiple concurrent programs, including at least one taken from award through delivery

• Direct experience managing DoD-funded programs (SBIR/STTR, OTA, prime subcontract, or similar) and their deliverable, reporting, and compliance requirements

• Working familiarity with hybrid or electrified power system development: engines or turbines, generators, power electronics, energy storage, thermal management, and integration and test

• Experience managing hardware supply chain risk, including long-lead items, custom fabrication, and supplier recovery

• Technical fluency sufficient to hold your own with engineers, customers, and primes

• Fluency with scheduling and program tracking tools (MS Project, Smartsheet, Jira, or equivalent)

• Clear written and verbal communication, with the judgment to know what leadership and customers need to hear and when

• Bias toward action, comfort with ambiguity, and a track record in fast-paced, iterative hardware environments

Nice to Have

• Prior engineering experience in a hands-on hardware role

• Experience with aircraft or UAS development programs, including certification or airworthiness pathways

• Experience with expeditionary or tactical power for defense customers

• Active or recently held security clearance

• Experience standing up or maturing a quality management system at a growing company

• Experience negotiating and administering FAR/DFARS-based contracts and subcontracts

• PMP, or equivalent formal program management training

• Familiarity with PLM and ERP/MRP systems