Programme Director Defense Programs

Programme Director Defense Programs

Date: Sep 30, 2026

Location:Papendrecht, NL

Company: GKN Aerospace Careers

Job Summary

The Program Director is accountable for the execution of the contract(s) in line with all business case and contractual requirements. Accountable to execute the NPI activities up to and including Lifecycle Gate 6, and in conjunction with Operations from Lifecycle Gate 7 and beyond. Accountable for Leading the Change Control Board and ensuring the smooth execution of all program changes in collaboration with the relevant stakeholders.

Job Responsibilities

• Interface with the Customer for all aspects of the program.
• Accountable for the execution of the program, including changes, in compliance with the business case and contract, throughout the complete life cycle.
• Responsible for the proposal process of follow on work including changes.
• Chairs the Change Control Board and the Life Cycle Gate.
• Effectively handles claims / changes together with Commercial.
• Accountable for Customer Demand input to MPS and SIOP.
• Responsible for establishment of Handshake with Operations.
• Support improvements to the program in collaboration with stakeholders, for example improvements to product performance and cost and Make/Buy.
• Delivers program financial results in accordance with agreed KPIs and targets.
• Acts as the voice of the customer with all other stakeholders.
• Partners the VP in defining the vision, strategy, objectives, operational plan and budget for the program.
• Adheres to all Program management and Commercial standards and policies in accordance with the GKN Aerospace Program Management framework and contribute to process development.
• Actively manages risk and opportunities to mitigate risk exposure and realize opportunities.
• Acts as the point of escalation for Program Managers to resolve customer issues.
• Accountable for New Product Introduction up to and including Lifecycle 7 and beyond and for planning and performance of Life Cycle Gate, including preceding Reviews.
• Develop the IPT as a team in order to maximize the effectiveness of the program.
• Responsible for Creating a Great Place to Work and for championing the GKN Aerospace 5 culture principles.
• PD have the responsibility to make sure that all responsibilities is taken care of by the decided roles in the local IPT.

Job Qualifications

• Proven working experience in managing complex multi-projects  in an industrial environment
• Proven leadership skills in interacting at company board level
• Excellent external and internal communication skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Effective stakeholder management.
• Solid organizational skills including attention to detail and multitasking skills
• Strong familiarity with project management software tools, methodologies, and best practices
• Experience seeing customer projects through the full life cycle
• Excellent analytical skills

Whats in it for you

We are committed to offer you fantastic challenges and amazing opportunities, a career that can go in many directions thanks to our breadth of international opportunities. By being part of GKN Fokker Aerospace that has proven itself to be at the cutting edge of our industry, you will know that you will be working towards being the most trusted partner in the aerospace industry. 

Furthermore, we will offer you:

• A gross monthly salary based on grade WTW-E14
• 30 holidays for full-time employment
• An excellent pension scheme (PME)
• Competitive Bonus Scheme(s)
• Company car
• A pleasant and informal working environment, in which we work together to achieve the best result for our customers.

Next to a competitive package, we will offer you a world of opportunities: we want to see your career fly! We will support your career progression by providing you with learning and development opportunities. That's the beauty of being part of a global business, once you're on board you never know where your career journey may take you!

How to apply

Apply online by sending us your CV. Due to data privacy reasons we do not handle any applications sent by email.
For additional questions you can contact Mark Streep, Talent Acquisition, via View email address on careers.gknaerospace.com.