Senior Program Manager

About the role

Leidos’ Defense Sector – Advanced Materials & Test Division is seeking a Senior Program Manager to lead programs focused on advanced manufacturing of missile systems and test platform components, advancing Hypersonic Systems and defense solutions in extreme environments. The role involves planning, tracking, and executing complex tasks within technical, schedule, and budget constraints, while serving as the primary interface with customers and stakeholders. The Senior Program Manager will also contribute to proposal teams to pursue follow-on business and on-contract growth.

Responsibilities

• Lead a program team responsible for advanced manufacturing of missile systems and test platform components.
• Plan, track, and execute complex tasking within technical, schedule, and budget constraints.
• Serve as the primary interface with customers and external stakeholders, building and maintaining strong relationships founded on trust, transparency, and collaboration.
• Communicate regularly with government and prime customers, including status updates and strategy collaborations, ranging from one-on-one interactions to large formal program management reviews.
• Set expectations and guide the direction of work for the internal team through clear, frequent, and compelling communication.
• Develop and implement execution and growth strategies for the program, leveraging available resources.
• Collaborate with program team leads and division leaders to develop staffing plans, financial budgets, metrics, and targets.
• Work with customers, collaborators, vendors, and matrixed staff to develop and maintain detailed schedules.
• Provide regular internal reporting, including Monthly Reports, Integrated Program Reviews, and weekly status reports.
• Maintain awareness of program needs and performance expectations with division leaders and seek resources or guidance as needed.
• Mitigate risks to consistent, on-time, on-cost, successful program execution by leveraging resources and collaborating with stakeholders.
• Travel up to 25% for test events and technical interchange meetings at various test locations or collaborator performance sites.

Basic Qualifications

• Active DOD clearance at the SECRET level or higher.
• Bachelor’s degree in science or engineering.
• BA degree with 15+ years of prior relevant experience or Master’s degree with 13+ years of prior relevant experience.
• Prior experience in a program management or deputy program management role for a program with more than $30M in annual value.
• Prior experience leading programs or tasks involving the development, prototyping, or launching of flight vehicles for Department of Defense applications.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience leading programs or tasks focused on flight testing missiles, rockets, or similar flight vehicles at government test ranges.
• Advanced degree in business, science, or engineering.
• Strong understanding of hardware development, manufacturing, procurement, production, and integration in an AS9100 environment.
• Working knowledge of missile systems.
• Proven experience developing, maintaining, and managing to detailed program schedules, leveraging matrixed scheduling staff.
• Proven experience developing, maintaining, and managing to detailed financial plans, leveraging matrixed program finance staff.
• Proven experience leading through dynamic program start-up or substantial program growth phases.
• Proven experience communicating with senior company leadership regarding program status, expectation management, and strategy shaping.
• Proven experience growing and maintaining solid customer and external stakeholder relationships based on trust, transparency, and demonstrated results.
• Demonstrated ability to thrive in a highly dynamic program environment with shifting priorities, requirements, and funding allocations.
• Consistent track record of achieving success through communication, transparency, and collaboration.
• Demonstrated willingness and ability to be flexible and learn on the job from colleagues in new environments or when encountering new circumstances or requirements.

Pay

The Leidos pay range for this job level is $139,100.00 – $251,450.00. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.