Digital M&A Program Manager

Job Description:

Airbus is looking for a Digital Mergers & Acquisitions Lead to join our Digital & Information Management North America team based in Herndon, VA.

You will serve as the critical North American anchor for Digital Mergers & Acquisitions, with a primary focus on pre-deal IS/IT strategy, technical due diligence, architectural blueprinting, and deal governance, alongside driving post-deal execution across North American legal entities. Operating at the intersection of operational teams and Executive Leadership, you will lead early-phase digital evaluation and integration strategy, aligning regional deal execution with global Airbus standards and multi-million-dollar deal objectives.

Meet the Team:

You will belong to the DM for Digital Corporate & Analytics domain within Digital & Information Management (IM) North America, working in close collaboration and with operational reporting alignment to the European DMTM | Digital for Mergers & Acquisitions team. You will serve as a vital dual-interface connecting operational site leads, European HQ M&A leads, external advisors, and Executive Vice Presidents/Steering Committees across cross-border transactions.

Your Working Environment:

Located just outside Washington, D.C., Herndon is a thriving technology and aerospace hub in Northern Virginia. Positioned minutes from Washington Dulles International Airport, it offers exceptional global connectivity, top-tier school districts, and convenient access to the rich cultural, historical, and dining scenes of the capital region, alongside the scenic outdoor landscapes of the Blue Ridge Mountains and Shenandoah Valley.

How We Care for You:

- Financial Rewards: Competitive base salary, incentive compensation which may include profit-sharing schemes, retirement savings plan with company match, and the opportunity to participate in the Airbus Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP).
- Work/Life Balance: Generous paid time off including personal time, company holidays, flexible working arrangements, and a comprehensive paid parental leave program.
- Health & Welfare: Comprehensive insurance coverage starting on day one, including medical (traditional and high-deductible options), prescription, dental, vision, life, disability, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and supplemental health plans.
- Individual Development: Continuous upskilling and career progression through our global Leadership University, including unlimited access to 10,000+ e-learning courses, industry certifications (PMP, TOGAF, Agile), leadership development tracks, and international mobility opportunities across global Airbus divisions.

Your Challenges:

- Lead Pre-Deal IT Due Diligence & Risk Evaluations: Direct technical due diligence, target architecture assessments, cybersecurity risk evaluations, and legacy technical debt identification for M&A projects, joint ventures, and divestitures across North America.
- Shape Target Architecture Blueprints: Deliver the early-phase global solution designs, technical requirements, and architectural models guiding IT products; partner with Enterprise Architecture teams to build integration roadmaps leading to Day 1 readiness.
- Drive Deal Financial Governance: Steer IT financial valuation support, including pre-deal budget modeling, synergy target estimation, Transition Service Agreement (TSA) cost scoping, and advisory/consultancy spend governance.
- Execute Regional Post-Merger Integrations (PMI): Direct post-merger integration and corporate separation activities across North American entities (US and Canada), overseeing software cutovers, cloud migrations, data governance, and Day 1/Day 2 stabilization according to global Airbus standards.
- Safeguard Customer-Facing Platforms: Align specialized Customer Support, aftermarket, and client service portals post-close to protect operational continuity across commercial and defense customers.
- Co-Develop the Global Digital M&A Playbook: Partner directly with European HQ (Toulouse/Hamburg) and Steering Committees to institutionalize post-deal lessons learned, enrich the global Digital M&A Playbook, and maintain transatlantic alignment.
- Maintain Executive & Regional Alignment: Act as the operational interface between North American site leadership, IM pillars, and Executive Vice Presidents to secure buy-in throughout deal handoffs.

Your Boarding Pass:

- Bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Business Administration, or a related discipline (or equivalent practical experience); Master’s Degree or MBA preferred.
- 10+ years of progressive IS/IT Project/Program Management experience, with a proven track record leading IT workstreams in M&A, PMI, corporate restructurings, carve-outs, or company creation across international, multi-entity setups.
- Demonstrated experience managing multi-million-dollar program budgets, vendor contracts, and TSA financial management structures.
- In-depth technical breadth across enterprise application suites, cloud infrastructure environments (AWS/Azure), data migration tools, and modern delivery frameworks (Agile/Waterfall).
- Strong exposure to customer-facing systems, Customer Support/Services operations, and client-relationship considerations during integration.
- Outstanding executive presentation, negotiation, and cross-cultural communication skills in English; ability to influence senior stakeholders across multiple time zones.
- Professional certifications such as PMP, PMI-ACP, or TOGAF are strongly preferred.
- Prior experience within aerospace/defense, Customer Support & Services, or familiarity with the Airbus Information Management (IM) ecosystem is an asset.
- Working proficiency in French, Spanish, or German is a plus.

Physical Requirements:

- Ability to work in an office/hybrid environment, utilizing computers, monitors, and standard office peripherals for extended periods.
- Domestic and international travel mobility across North America (US/Canada) and European Headquarters (Toulouse, France / Hamburg, Germany) up to 30–40% depending on deal milestones and transaction schedules.

Work Authorization:

- Authorized to work in the United States without the need for current or future employer sponsorship.
- Security clearance is not required for this role.

Job Dimensions:

- Direct financial oversight for multi-million-dollar annual Digital M&A execution budgets, TSA financial tracking, consultancy spend, and high strategic influence on groupwide growth initiatives across North America.

Nature of Contacts:

- Frequent high-level involved, influencing, and executive-level negotiating communications with internal European M&A leads, Executive Steering Committees (EVPs/C-suite), external advisory partners, and key commercial/defense customer representatives.

Physical Requirements: