Project Manager - Contract

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Job Description:

Airbus Helicopters is looking for a Project Manager- (Contract) to join our Civil Programs Team based in Columbus, MS.

In this role, you will be responsible for acquisition, completion, maintenance, repair and delivery of aircraft to Airbus Helicopters North American and global customers. You will assist in creating and sustaining a reliable customer buying experience in order to drive customer loyalty. In addition, you will coordinate all involved departments; establish, monitor and revise schedules and budgets; track and manage changes; support the writing of contracts and manage their execution and assess and manage risks.

This position is a temporary (contract) position with no specific time period but could be extended or shortened as needed.  Contractors are employed by a 3rd party vendor and placed on assignment to Airbus in America. Expected start date for this role will be the first or second week of January, 2026.

Meet The Team:

From building to servicing the next generation of aerospace, our team focuses on quality, productivity and efficiency. We ensure the highest quality of care and safety is built into each aircraft we assemble and maintain. Our team members make it happen.

Your Working Environment:

On the eastern border of Mississippi you’ll find Columbus, home to our Helicopter manufacturing and assembly lines and Center of Excellence for the entire North America region. It’s here that we produce the UH-72A Lakota Helicopters for the U.S. Army in addition to the H-125 aircraft for civil and commercial customers.

How we care for you:

• Individual Development: Upskilling and development opportunities through our global Leadership University, including unlimited access to 10,000+ e-learning courses focusing on ways to develop your employability, certifications, career path as well as the opportunity to participate in accelerated development programs and both national and international mobility.

Your Challenges:

Stakeholder Management: 35%

• Work with various stakeholders to bring projects to completion on schedule, on budget and on quality. In doing so, the Project Manager will ensure that all project team members:

  • Understand the scope of their commitment

  • Feel committed to their budget and schedule inputs

  • Pull on the same string to accomplish project goals

  • Feel engaged and dedicated

  • Voice concerns

  • Are informed of project status and next steps ahead

  • Understand schedule (SPI) and budget (CPI) situation

Customer Management: 20%

• Guide customers through the aircraft acquisition and completion process

• Focus on customer experience and manage-to-contract

• Make the customer feel welcomed. Listen to the customer. Understand the customer. Educate the customer. Inform the customer. Make the customer want to come back to Airbus.

• Manage difficult situations with finesse.

• Ensure customer satisfaction.

Schedule: 15%

• Develop project schedules in MS Project complete with predecessors, successors, planned and actual start- and finish dates, critical path analysis

• Track project schedules on a weekly basis and update with actual start/finish dates

• Make schedule adjustments based on changing project requirements

• Keep project team, customer and leadership informed on changing project milestones

• Track Schedule Performance Indicator (SPI)

Budget: 15%

• Develop project budgets with inputs from functional departments in MS Excel and MS Access Database

• Verify inputs from functional departments using actuals from previous similar projects

• Check overall validity of budget inputs

• Adjust budget based on change orders (see contract management)

• Track Cost Performance Indicator (CPI)

Contract Management: 15%

• Early involvement in the offer/proposal/sales phase

• Support sales and offers teams with technical advice, e.g. configuration, compatibility etc.

• Full ownership of contract from early in the process all the way through completion

• Real-time and accurate tracking of contractual changes, i.e. change order management reflected in schedule and budget adjustments

• Interpretation of contractual requirements, and, as needed, feedback solicitation with internal counsel

Your Boarding Pass:

• Possess a Bachelor's degree in an Engineering or Program Management discipline, or equivalent work experience (4 years).

• Minimum of three (3) years of experience in aerospace project management including aircraft completions, maintenance and repair, or equivalent.  

• Knowledgeable in FAA regulations. 

• Financial experience for budgeting purposes. 

• Technical experience to comprehend technical data packages.

• An understanding of the aerospace industry, basic aircraft design, mission equipment packages (law enforcement, emergency medical services, utility etc.), and design and certification (FAA) processes.

• Ability to break complex issues down into manageable work packages.

• Strong Microsoft Office Skills (Word, Excel, Project, etc)

• 10-20% Domestic and International travel expectation

• Must be a US Person under ITAR definition (U.S. Citizen, green card holder or person covered under our existing ITAR license)

Preferred Education/Skills:

• Master's degree

• Project/Program Management Certification

Physical Requirements:

• Onsite: 80-90%

• Vision: able to see and read computer screen and other electronic equipment with screens, able to read documents, reports and engineering drawings. [Daily]

• Hearing: able to hear to participate in conversations in person and via teleconference or phone and to hear sounds on production floor including safety warnings or alarms. [Daily]

• Speaking:  able to speak in conversations and meetings, deliver information and participate in communications. [Daily]

• Equipment Operation (personal computer, telephone, copies, fax machine, and related office equipment and using electronic identification card to enter building floors and internal doors): able to operate most office and personal electronic equipment and some tools including production tools such as hydraulic lifts. [Daily]

• Carrying: able to carry documents, tools, drawings, electronic equipment up to 30lbs/14kgs. [Weekly]

• Lifting:  able to lift documents, tools, drawings, electronic equipment up to 30lbs/14kgs. [Weekly]

• Pushing / Pulling:  able to push and pull small office furniture and some equipment and tools. [Weekly]

• Sitting:  able to sit for long periods of time in meetings, working on computer. [Daily]

• Squatting / Kneeling:  able to squat or kneel to retrieve or replace items stored on low shelving. [Weekly]

• Standing: able to stand for discussions in offices or on production floor. [Daily]

• Travel:  able to travel independently and at short notice. [10-20%]

• Walking (include routine walking such as to a shared printer to retrieve documents):  able to walk through office and production areas including uneven surfaces. [Daily]

• Personal Protective Equipment required:  Required PPE includes, but is not limited to, Safety Shoes, Safety Glasses, Hearing Protection, Respirators/Masks, and/or Protective Gloves as required by site and/or customer site

Take your career to a new level and apply online now!

This position is a temporary (contract) position with no specific time period but could be extended or shortened as needed.  Contractors are employed by a 3rd party vendor and placed on assignment to Airbus in America. 

A full job description will be provided to candidates whom progress to interview stage or any candidate upon request.

This job requires an awareness of any potential compliance risks and a commitment to act with integrity, as the foundation for the Company’s success, reputation and sustainable growth.

Company:

Airbus Helicopters, Inc.

Employment Type:

Agency / Temporary

Experience Level:

Entry Level

Remote Type:

On-site

Job Family:

Programme & Project Management

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Job Posting End Date: 12.13.2025

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Airbus provides equal opportunities to all individuals seeking assignment with Airbus without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetics, pregnancy, marital status, veteran status or other legally protected status. In addition to federal law requirements, Airbus complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in every location in which the company has facilities. Airbus expressly prohibits any form of workplace harassment based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetics, pregnancy, marital status, veteran status or other legally protected status. This assignment description does not constitute a written or implied contract of employment.

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