Program and Strategy Manager

Position Summary

The Undersea Program and Strategy Manager leads a cornerstone government program across the full program lifecycle and is accountable for customer outcomes, contract performance, and business results. This role serves as the primary Barber-Nichols (BN) interface with Navy undersea program offices, Naval Undersea Warfare Centers (NUWCs), prime contractors, and other government stakeholders. The Program Manager integrates engineering, operations, supply chain, quality, contracts, and finance to deliver compliant products and services on schedule, within budget, and to technical requirements.

Responsibilities

• Lead the cross-functional integrated program team; establish clear objectives, work plans, decision rights, cadence, and accountability.
• Build trusted relationships with Navy program offices, NUWC organizations (including Newport and Keyport, as applicable), warfare centers, contracting activities, prime contractors, and end-user representatives.
• Serve as the primary customer interface for programmatic matters; prepare and lead program reviews, technical and schedule reviews, executive briefings, and customer communications.
• Interpret and execute contract requirements under the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), Defense FAR Supplement (DFARS), contract clauses, statements of work, specifications, data-item descriptions, and CDRL requirements in partnership with functional leaders.
• Manage contract type and funding constraints, including fixed-price and cost-reimbursement work, options, incremental funding, deliverables, milestones, and change authorization.
• Track and communicate cost, schedule, technical, supply-chain, and contractual performance; analyze variances and lead timely recovery plans.
• Own the program risk and opportunity process, including identification, quantitative assessment, mitigation planning, escalation, and closure.
• Control scope and configuration changes; evaluate customer direction, prevent unauthorized work, and coordinate requests for equitable adjustment, claims support, and contract modifications with Contracts.
• Ensure timely, accurate completion of customer deliverables, reports, invoices/milestone evidence, and records required by the contract.
• Partner with Supply Chain, Quality, and Export Compliance to meet applicable requirements, which may include ITAR/EAR, CMMC/NIST SP 800-171, supply-chain controls, and government property management.
• Identify and lead corrective actions and continuous improvements that strengthen program execution and customer confidence.
• Foster a positive, accountable culture consistent with BN's core values and perform other duties assigned by the Director of Program Management.

Required Qualifications

• 6+ years of relevant experience in program or project management for complex engineered products, including significant responsibility for defense or other U.S. Government contracts.
• Demonstrated experience managing programs under FAR and DFARS requirements and working effectively with Contracts, Finance, Quality, Engineering, Operations, and Supply Chain.
• Experience owning cost, schedule, scope, risk, customer commitments, and contract deliverables for production programs.
• Working knowledge of contract types, change management, government funding, proposal development, and program financial forecasting.
• Bachelor's degree in engineering, business, program management, or a related discipline; equivalent relevant experience may be considered.
• Executive-level communication, negotiation, relationship-management, planning, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to lead through influence in a matrixed organization.
• Ability to translate technical, contractual, and financial information into clear decisions and recovery actions while maintaining attention to detail under deadline pressure.
• Ability to travel up to 20% and engage regularly with Navy, warfare-center, prime-contractor, and supplier stakeholders.
• Must be authorized to work in the United States without employer sponsorship and be able to obtain and maintain the security clearance and site/customer access required for assigned work.

Preferred Qualifications

• Direct experience supporting U.S. Navy undersea warfare programs and established working relationships with relevant program executive offices, program offices, NUWC Newport, NUWC Keyport, or related Navy laboratories and warfare centers.
• Prior Navy program-management experience, such as service in a Navy program office, Warfare Center, acquisition command, or closely aligned prime-contractor role.
• Experience as a Program Manager on a major defense development and production program, including customer reviews, contract modifications, and subcontractor management.
• Active U.S. Department of Defense Secret clearance or recent eligibility for reinstatement.
• PMP or PgMP certification; Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt experience.

Compensation and Benefits

The salary range for this role is $145,000 - $170,000 and is commensurate with the applicant's experience. This range represents the anticipated minimum and maximum base for this position. The final compensation for this position will be set based on the applicant's qualifications (education, training and/or experience related to this role), and therefore, may fall outside the range shown, depending on the circumstances.

Barber-Nichols offers a comprehensive benefits package including:

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• FSA and HSA with company paid HSA quarterly contributions
• Disability, Life, and AD&D Insurance
• 401(k) with 4% Company Match and Profit Sharing
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan (NYSE: GHM)
• Generous PTO and Paid Holidays with an option to purchase additional PTO
• Tuition reimbursement
• Performance-based bonus program
• Paid Parental Leave, Military Leave, Jury Duty, and Bereavement Leave