Program Manager, Marauder

About the Role

Saronic Technologies is seeking a Program Manager to own the execution and delivery of Marauder, our 180-foot Autonomous Surface Vessel (ASV) produced at our Franklin, LA shipyard. This is a flagship large-scale production program, and the Program Manager is accountable for its cost, schedule, scope, and customer outcomes from contract award through delivery and sustainment.

Responsibilities

• Program Ownership & Delivery: Own end-to-end execution of the Marauder program, holding accountability for cost, schedule, scope, and quality. Serve as the leader and owner of the customer contract, deliverables, milestones, CDRLs, and contractual obligations. Build and maintain the integrated program plan, aligning production schedules, engineering milestones, and integration timelines to customer commitments. Drive risk and opportunity management, escalating and resolving issues. Report program health, forecasts, and decisions to leadership and customer stakeholders.
• Large-Scale Production Interface: Partner with the Franklin production team to plan and execute rate production, monitoring build sequencing, work breakdown, and production milestones. Mitigate production risks related to supply chain, labor, tooling, and facility constraints. Ensure build configurations and acceptance events meet customer and contractual standards.
• Kit & Mission Package Integration: Own the configuration strategy for Marauder across various mission packages, kits, and payloads. Partner with Mission Package Integration Managers to plan integration, balance production standardization against mission-driven variance, and ensure integration timelines are reflected in the master program plan. Capture mission-package lessons learned for production and product roadmaps.
• Customer & Stakeholder Engagement: Serve as the primary point of contact for the customer, managing expectations, requirements, and relationships. Lead program reviews, delivery events, and technical exchanges with government stakeholders. Deliver clear program updates and after-action reporting.
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Direct and synchronize a cross-functional program team spanning Production, Engineering, Software, Mission Services, and Forward Deployed Engineering. Partner with Technical Program Managers, make tradeoff decisions, and drive disciplined configuration management.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Naval Architecture, or a related technical field.
• 10+ years of experience in program management of large-scale production, shipbuilding, or complex defense development programs.
• Program Management experience of Unmanned Surface Vessels highly desirable.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Demonstrated ownership of cost, schedule, and scope on large, complex programs.
• Experience managing production at rate, including supply chain and build sequencing.
• Proven ability to manage government or defense customers, contracts, and deliverables.
• Willingness to travel up to 25%.
• Secret security clearance eligibility required, active preferred.

Key Competencies

• Own large, complex programs end-to-end while balancing production throughput and mission flexibility.
• Connect production and configuration decisions to program cost, schedule, and mission outcomes.
• Translate evolving customer requirements into disciplined, executable program plans.
• Lead high-performing, cross-functional, and distributed teams.
• Communicate clearly, consistently, and correctly with peers, leaders, and external stakeholders.
• Guide customers through ambiguous requirements and shape actionable solutions.

Physical Demands

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Occasional standing, walking, reaching, bending, or stooping.
• Manual dexterity to operate office equipment.
• Visual acuity to read screens and documents.
• Lifting and carrying items up to 20 pounds occasionally.

Benefits

• Medical Insurance: Comprehensive health insurance plans (100% premium paid for employees, 80% for dependents).
• Dental and Vision Insurance: Coverage for routine care (100% premium paid for employees under basic plan, 80% for dependents).
• Time Off: Generous PTO and Holidays.
• Parental Leave: Paid maternity and paternity leave.
• Retirement Plan: 401(k) with company match.
• Stock Options: Equity options for employees.
• Life and Disability Insurance: Basic coverage and short/long-term disability.
• Pet Insurance: Discounted options with 24/7 Telehealth helpline.
• Additional Perks: Free lunch, unlimited drinks/snacks, and competitive salary with performance bonuses.

This role requires access to export-controlled information or items, necessitating "U.S. Person" status as defined by U.S. law.