Project Manager, Federal Programs

About the role

The Project Manager (Federal Contracts) supports federal, defense, and national-security-aligned programs within George Mason University’s Mason Defense initiative within CPE. This role oversees the planning, coordination, and delivery of federal contract-funded programs, ensuring regulatory compliance, high-quality program execution, and alignment with Mason’s mission to advance workforce readiness and national security education.

Responsibilities

• Leads end-to-end delivery of federal and defense-aligned programs operated through Mason Defense and CPE;
• Develops, manages, and tracks program schedules, milestones, and deliverables;
• Captures and coordinates with internal GMU units, faculty, partner organizations, government stakeholders, and subcontractors;
• Ensures adherence to FAR, DFARS, and agency-specific federal acquisition regulations;
• Manages contract deliverables, reporting, documentation, audits, and compliance protocols;
• Tracks budgets, expenditures, invoices, and financial forecasts for defense-funded programs;
• Supports cost proposals, budget modifications, and pricing for new or expanding contract efforts;
• Serves as a primary liaison between government sponsors, GMU leadership, and program teams;
• Provides executive-level updates, briefings, and performance summaries;
• Communicates program status across Mason Defense, CPE, and university partners;
• Supports staffing, onboarding, and resource allocation for program personnel;
• Oversees subcontractor work to ensure quality and compliance;
• Facilitates coordination with faculty, instructional designers, and subject-matter experts for training-based programs.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Project Management, Public Administration, Engineering, IT, or related field or the equivalent combination of education and experience;
• Generally, 5+ years of project management experience, including typically 3+ years supporting federal or defense government programs;
• Experience delivering programs under FFP, T&M, or Cost-Plus contracts;
• Strong knowledge of FAR/DFARS and federal procurement regulations;
• Excellent organizational, communication, and documentation capabilities;
• Proficiency in tools such as MS Project, SharePoint, Smartsheet, or Jira;
• U.S. citizenship required;
• Active [Clearance Level] or the ability to maintain a US security clearance is required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in related field;
• PMP, CAPM, Agile/Scrum, or DoD program management certification;
• Experience supporting defense-focused entities (DoD, DHS, IC, DoN, Army, Air Force);
• Experience with federal workforce development, training programs, or university-based contract management;
• Familiarity with Earned Value Management (EVM).