About FlightSafety International

FlightSafety International is the world’s premier professional aviation training company and supplier of flight simulators, visual systems and displays to commercial, government and military organizations. The company provides training for pilots, technicians and other aviation professionals from 167 countries and independent territories. FlightSafety operates the world’s largest fleet of advanced full-flight simulators and award-winning maintenance training at Learning Centers and training locations in the United States, Canada, France and the United Kingdom.

The FSI Defense (FSID) team is looking for an exceptional leader, program manager and strategic thinker to join a growing program portfolio. The Director, Defense Program Management will be responsible for the development and management of current and future FSID Development Programs. The position is in Broken Arrow, OK and reports to the President FSI Defense. This portfolio includes ATS Programs such as, KC-46, C-17, CRH, AH-1, FSTSS and C-130. In addition, this position will support the FSID Growth team by ensuring future device bids are accurate and complete.  There will be multiple program managers reporting directly to this position, with key support roles supporting in a matrixed organization. The Director, Defense Program Management, will ensure FSID Program Managers manage the cost, schedule, technical and customer requirements as well as oversee the start-up and baselining of new programs, risk and opportunity management, program business rhythm, and metrics to ensure program performance. This position will partner with the other key areas in the organization (Program Excellence, Growth, Training Programs) to ensure the capture of next generation of Simulation and Training device programs and help to shape the FSID strategy by integrating our evolving customer needs with our technology development roadmap, keep sold plans, and capture efforts.

• Provides strategic leadership and hands-on mentorship to a team of Program Managers, fostering a culture of high performance and engagement in a highly matrixed organization.


• Acts as primary customer contact for program activities, leading program review sessions to raise cost, schedule, technical performance, risk and mitigation awareness


• Internal Comms


• Lead multi-functional teams in a matrixed organization


• Understand customer and compliance requirements and program commitments


• Ensure contractual and compliance requirements and program commitments are met


• Establish resource requirements, budgets, and schedules


• Evaluate performance against plans, budgets, and milestones


• Develop, direct, and execute mitigation actions as required


• Strengthen customer relationships though open communication and keeping commitments


• Participates in the negotiation of contract modifications


• Support the FSID Growth Team in developing and winning new and follow-on business


• Ensures the preparation of proposals, work statements, specifications, operating budgets and financial terms/conditions of a contract are executable and achievable

• Bachelor’s Degree of equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Minimum 15+ experience with a demonstrated track record of strong Program Management experience, leading program teams to deliver cost, schedule, and technical performance.
• Demonstrated experience leading Development Programs with a deep understanding and demonstrated expertise in Earned Value Management.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and foster strong relationship with OEM customers, DoD Customers, partners, and suppliers
• Exceptional interpersonal communication, both written and verbal, as well as formal presentation skills, including the ability to interface at all levels of management and customer organizations both locally and virtually
• Proficient with Microsoft office tools, including Microsoft Project, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Full Spectrum Leadership skills and experience leading diverse, distributed, and virtual teams
• Demonstrated ability briefing and communicating at Senior levels.
• Consistent with FSI Defense obligations under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and Export Administration Regulations (EAR), some Program Manager positions may require the selected individual to be a “U.S. Person” under applicable law. A U.S. Person is a citizen or national of the United States, a lawful permanent resident of the United States (i.e. Green Card holder), or a person with certain refugee or asylee statuses under federal law.

• Self-starter with proven leadership ability, as well as demonstrated success working with limited supervision while coordinating activities with engineering, operations, finance, quality, and other program execution functions
• A team player that can work with diverse disciplines in multi-functional teams at all levels of the organization
• Proficiency in Earned Value Management
• Knowledge of Risk Management and a demonstrated understanding of the value of identifying and managing program risks, formulating risk burn down plans, and ensuring incorporation into project/program plans and schedules
• Experience in the development of SOWs, contract modifications, engineering change proposals, and schedule integration
• Ability to adapt to changing environments while meeting customer requirements and leveraging proven configuration control practices
• Experience with new business capture milestones, proposals and the cost estimating process
• Experience transitioning developmental technology into production
• Experience with simulation device design and build is beneficial, but is not required
• Aerospace & Defense Industry experience
• Currently possess an active security clearance or the ability to obtain and maintain Secret Clearance.

FlightSafety provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities to enable them to perform their essential job functions. Subject to reasonable accommodations that may be provided, this position involves the following physical demands: Routine use of hands to finger, handle, or feel/reach with hands and arms (including typing, instrument operation, and use of touchscreen devices); and communicate verbally and in writing (typically by email or other written communication). Range of body motion to deliver or observe training activities, including: Reach, exert pressure and manipulate the rudder controls and/or anti-torque with both feet in simulator training devices. Reach and manipulate numerous controls within the simulator device from the instructor’s chair. Enter and exit the simulator device by going up and down stairs and using the provided ramp. Vision abilities including close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus; in each case, as applied to viewing monitors, technical documents, diagrams, and reference materials. The noise level in the work environment is low to moderate. 

FlightSafety is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Vet/Disabled. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or disability.