Program Manager and Inside Sales – Military

REPORT TO: VP, Sales and Marketing

PURPOSE

Manage military parts programs from opportunity identification and contract award through delivery and closeout. Develop new military business opportunities for rubber, plastic, and rubber-to-metal bonded products through inside-sales prospecting, customer engagement, market research, and proposal support. Coordinate cross-functional teams, ensure compliance with contractual and regulatory requirements, and serve as a primary customer contact to achieve program, revenue, quality, cost, and delivery objectives.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Manage all phases of military parts programs, including opportunity transition, planning, execution, monitoring, delivery, and closeout.
• Coordinate with Engineering, Production, Quality, Supply Chain, Finance, and other departments to translate military customer requirements into executable program plans.
• Develop and maintain program schedules, budgets, resource plans, forecasts, performance metrics, and customer deliverables.
• Monitor program performance, identify schedule, cost, quality, or supply risks, and lead corrective and mitigation actions.
• Ensure compliance with military and government contract requirements, applicable Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) provisions, quality standards, and customer-specific requirements.
• Serve as a primary liaison between Robin Industries and military customers, prime contractors, distributors, and other defense-market partners.
• Communicate program status, risks, issues, opportunities, and performance to customers and internal stakeholders.
• Conduct risk assessments and develop mitigation plans to support on-time delivery and successful contract performance.
• Work with cross-functional teams to resolve technical, production, quality, procurement, pricing, and delivery issues.
• Identify and implement continuous improvement opportunities that enhance program efficiency, quality, responsiveness, and cost-effectiveness.
• Conduct inside-sales prospecting to identify new military applications and opportunities for rubber, plastic, and rubber-to-metal bonded products.
• Research military agencies, commands, prime contractors, subcontractors, platforms, solicitations, and procurement channels to build a qualified opportunity pipeline.
• Initiate and maintain contact with prospective customers through telephone, email, virtual meetings, industry resources, and other approved outreach methods.
• Qualify leads by assessing application requirements, technical fit, volumes, timing, competition, purchasing processes, and revenue potential.
• Maintain accurate customer, contact, activity, quotation, and opportunity information in the company customer relationship management system and provide regular pipeline forecasts.
• Coordinate requests for information, requests for quotation, proposals, cost estimates, samples, technical reviews, and follow-up activities for new military opportunities.
• Partner with Engineering and Operations to evaluate manufacturability and product fit for molded rubber, plastic, and rubber-to-metal bonded components and assemblies.
• Participate in contract and proposal reviews and negotiations, as needed, to align customer requirements, pricing, delivery commitments, and company capabilities.
• Monitor military-market trends, procurement activity, customer needs, competitors, and relevant platforms to recommend business-development priorities.
• Maintain accurate program, sales, customer, and contract documentation in accordance with company and contractual requirements.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

ADDITIONAL SKILLS OR CREDENTIALS

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business Administration, Marketing, Supply Chain Management, or a related field required.
• Minimum of five years of program management, project management, technical sales, inside sales, or business development experience in a manufacturing environment required.
• Experience supporting military or defense customers, government contracts, or defense-industry programs preferred.
• Working knowledge of applicable FAR and DFARS requirements and government procurement processes preferred.
• Experience with rubber molding, plastics manufacturing, rubber-to-metal bonding, engineered components, or a related manufacturing technology preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to identify, research, qualify, and develop new business opportunities through proactive inside-sales activity.
• Strong project planning, scheduling, budgeting, forecasting, and resource management skills.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams while managing both active programs and a developing sales pipeline.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, organizational, negotiation, and decision-making skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate technical and commercial information to customers and senior leadership.
• Proficiency with customer relationship management systems, project management software, Microsoft Office applications, and related business systems.
• Ability to interpret customer drawings, specifications, solicitations, statements of work, and contractual requirements preferred.
• Knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or other continuous improvement methodologies preferred.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification preferred.
• Eligibility to obtain and maintain a security clearance, if required by applicable contracts.
• Ability to manage competing deadlines, conduct consistent prospecting follow-up, and respond effectively to changing customer and business requirements.