Program Manager

About the role

nLIGHT-DEFENSE Systems, Inc. is seeking an experienced Program Manager to lead the planning, execution, and delivery of complex Department of Defense (DoD) programs. The Program Manager will oversee program scope, cost, schedule, performance, and customer satisfaction while ensuring compliance with DoD policies, contractual requirements, and organizational standards.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary point of contact with DoD customers, stakeholders, and subcontractors.
• Lead program planning, budgeting, scheduling, and performance tracking.
• Manage program teams across engineering, logistics, security, and support functions.
• Develop program documentation (e.g., Program Management Plans, risk registers, decision briefs).
• Maintain program execution, deliverables, and earned value management (EVM) metrics as required.
• Prepare and present program status reports, milestones, and reviews (e.g., IPTs, PMRs).
• Identify, mitigate, and manage program risks, issues, and opportunities.
• Oversee subcontractor performance and contract modifications.
• Actively manage technical teams to ensure efficient and rapid execution of complex systems.

Requirements

• 5+ years of experience managing DoD programs.
• Demonstrated experience working with DoD customers and acquisition processes.
• Prominent ability to manage complex programs with cross-functional teams.
• Strong communication, negotiation, and leadership skills.
• Ability to manage budgets, schedules, and performance metrics.
• Experience with risk management and issue resolution.
• Proficiency with program management tools (MS Project, Jira, EVM tools, etc.).
• Commitment to Excellence. Attention to Detail. Pride in Workmanship.
• Able to work in a dynamic environment and maintain composure and good working relationships under pressure.
• Superior problem-solving ability and ability to absorb information from multiple sources to reach a solution.
• Develop and maintain documentation in support of formal DoD acquisition design reviews (i.e. CoDR, SRR, PDR, IBR, CDR, TRR, etc.).
• Technical Presentation and Report Writing Skills (i.e. good technical writing skills are critical).
• Vendor management experience.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree (MBA, MS Systems Engineering, or related field).
• Experience in functional and performance requirements allocation and tracking.
• Experience in System Engineering tools: Model-based Systems Engineering tools.
• Experience with High Energy Laser systems.
• Experience with electro-optical systems including acquisition, pointing, and tracking and/or Adaptive Optical (AO) Systems.
• Configuration Management for laser and electro-optical systems, in particular for high power applications.