Program Manager

Position Location: Sterling, VA

About the role

The Program Manager is responsible for leading the execution of one or more technically complex hardware development programs, owning performance across cost, schedule, risk, and customer satisfaction. This role requires demonstrated experience running technical projects independently but not yet overseeing large-scale portfolios or mentoring entire PM teams. The Program Manager serves as a primary customer interface, leads cross-functional execution, coordinates technical and programmatic activities, manages subcontractors, and ensures all contractual and internal commitments are met. This role is ideal for a hands-on Program Manager who thrives in hardware development environments and is progressing toward leadership of larger flight programs.

Responsibilities

• Program Leadership & Customer Engagement
  • Serve as the primary customer-facing representative for assigned programs.
  • Lead recurring customer meetings, technical interchange meetings, program status reviews, and action-item follow-ups.
  • Deliver clear, timely communication on program performance, risks, and issues to customers and internal leadership.
  • Maintain strong customer relationships, resolve concerns, and ensure customer satisfaction.
• Program Execution & Contract Compliance
  • Manage all aspects of program execution including cost, schedule, deliverables, and technical scope.
  • Ensure alignment with Statements of Work (SOW), specifications, and contract requirements.
  • Coordinate with Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, Finance, Quality, and Contracts to meet program commitments.
  • Support contract modifications, funding actions, and customer-directed scope changes.
• Financial Management
  • Develop and maintain program budgets, Estimates at Completion (EACs), and financial forecasts.
  • Track labor, material, subcontractor costs, and actuals versus plan.
  • Identify and analyze variances, recommend corrective actions, and prepare monthly financial reporting inputs.
• Schedule Management
  • Build and maintain integrated program schedules using Microsoft Project.
  • Identify critical path, dependencies, resource constraints, and schedule risks.
  • Forecast milestone completion and create recovery plans when deviations occur.
• Risk, Issue, and Opportunity Management
  • Maintain program risk registers, including mitigation strategies, owners, and closure plans.
  • Facilitate routine risk and issue reviews with cross-functional teams.
  • Identify opportunities to improve cost, schedule, technical performance, or customer value.
• Cross-Functional Team Leadership
  • Lead integrated program teams across Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Chain, and other support functions.
  • Develop staffing plans and communicate resource needs to functional managers.
  • Drive accountability, clarity, and coordination across technical and programmatic stakeholders.
  • Mentor and support the development of Associate Program Managers, providing guidance on execution fundamentals, communication practices, and PM best practices.
• Subcontractor and Supplier Management
  • Develop inputs for Statements of Work (SOWs) and requirements packages.
  • Monitor subcontractor execution, schedule performance, and deliverables.
  • Coordinate supplier issue resolution and ensure alignment with program objectives.
• Business Development Support
  • Provide programmatic input to proposals, schedules, cost estimates, and risk assessments.
  • Support customer meetings, fact-finding, and transition activities during proposal phases.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, or equivalent experience / combined education.
• 6+ years of related experience with a bachelor’s degree OR 4+ years with a master’s degree (OR 10+ years in lieu of a degree).
• Experience in program management and/or technical project leadership.
• Experience leading hardware development programs in aerospace, defense, space, or electronics environments.
• Strong understanding of contracts, SOWs, milestones, and compliance.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Project, Excel, PowerPoint, and Word.
• PMP certification (or ability to obtain within 6 months).

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Earned Value Management (EVM).
• Experience leading programs from design → prototype → production.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving abilities.
• Strong MS Office skills, especially Word, Excel, Project, and PowerPoint:
  • Excel – Establish and maintain budgetary baselines, track actual expenditures, forecast future costs.
  • Project – Establish and maintain a program schedule to show critical path, track customer and internal milestones, identify time-phased resource needs, and use for reporting internally and externally.
  • Word – Create and update documents for delivery to the customer, provide to subcontractors for direction, and respond to internal requirements for documentation.
  • PowerPoint – Create presentations for program status, design reviews, and other meetings both internally and externally.
• Strong oral and written communication skills to clearly and effectively convey issues, status reports, risk assessment, quality management, data validation, and interface with a highly technical engineering and leadership staff.
• Familiarity with manufacturing in an electronics environment.

Pay

Full-Time Salary Range: $92,000 - $172,000. Actual compensation offered will be determined based on several factors including, but not limited to, relevant experience, skills, education, certifications, internal equity, business considerations, and geographic location where applicable.

Benefits

• Health benefits (Medical, Dental, Vision)
• Basic life with AD&D
• Short-term and long-term disability
• Ancillary benefits (Voluntary life with AD&D, accident, critical illness, hospital, and pet)
• Spending accounts (HSA, FSA, and DCFSA)
• Paid time off and holidays
• 401(k) (including company match)
• Tuition reimbursement
• Leaves (Parental, maternity, and military)
• Annual discretionary bonus (for eligible roles)