Senior Technical Program Manager - Optical Payload Systems

About the role

Drive cross-functional coordination and execution across assigned optical payload program areas; maintain detailed schedules, track technical progress, and surface risks with clear ownership and mitigation paths.
Partner with engineering leads and program leadership to maintain roadmaps and aggressive schedules; support end-to-end execution from early development through EVT, DVT, PVT, and production ramp.
Identify and resolve cross-functional blockers through proactive coordination and servant leadership; escalate complex issues with well-structured recommendations and decision support.
Build and maintain scalable processes, tools, and reporting mechanisms that give teams visibility into progress and enable execution with speed and predictability.
Develop working relationships with engineering, operations, and business stakeholders; facilitate collaborative decision-making and ensure alignment across dependencies.
Translate complex technical challenges into clear program status, risk briefs, and stakeholder communications tailored to the audience.

Responsibilities

• Drive cross-functional coordination and execution across assigned optical payload program areas; maintain detailed schedules, track technical progress, and surface risks with clear ownership and mitigation paths.
• Partner with engineering leads and program leadership to maintain roadmaps and aggressive schedules; support end-to-end execution from early development through EVT, DVT, PVT, and production ramp.
• Identify and resolve cross-functional blockers through proactive coordination and servant leadership; escalate complex issues with well-structured recommendations and decision support.
• Build and maintain scalable processes, tools, and reporting mechanisms that give teams visibility into progress and enable execution with speed and predictability.
• Develop working relationships with engineering, operations, and business stakeholders; facilitate collaborative decision-making and ensure alignment across dependencies.
• Translate complex technical challenges into clear program status, risk briefs, and stakeholder communications tailored to the audience.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, physics, or a related technical field.
• 7+ years in technical program management or systems/program leadership in hardware or complex product development environments.
• Experience managing hardware programs through structured development cycles including EVT, DVT, and PVT.
• Experience with agile development methods and hybrid hardware/software program execution.
• Demonstrated ability to drive cross-functional alignment and execution with limited direction in ambiguous, fast-paced environments.
• Strong communication skills: able to synthesize technical complexity into clear schedules, risk registers, and decision-ready communications.
• Must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum.

Qualifications

• Minimum qualifications: Bachelor's degree in engineering, physics, or a related technical field. 7+ years in technical program management or systems/program leadership in hardware or complex product development environments. Experience managing hardware programs through structured development cycles including EVT, DVT, and PVT. Experience with agile development methods and hybrid hardware/software program execution. Demonstrated ability to drive cross-functional alignment and execution with limited direction in ambiguous, fast-paced environments. Strong communication skills: able to synthesize technical complexity into clear schedules, risk registers, and decision-ready communications. Must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (i.e. current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum.

Skills

• Experience in constellation-scale space programs or satellite/optical communications systems.
• Experience managing supply chain and vendor programs in a hardware development context.
• Advanced degree in engineering, physics, or systems engineering.
• Agile certification (CSM, SAFe, PMI-ACP) or equivalent practical experience.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, basic and supplemental life insurance.
• Paid parental leave.
• Short and long-term disability.
• 401(k) with a company match of up to 5%.
• Education Support Program.
• Stock Options for all regular employees (working at least 20 hours/week).
• Paid Time Off: Up to four (4) weeks per year based on weekly scheduled hours, and up to 14 company-paid holidays.

Pay

Base Pay Range For WA applicants is $197,529.00 - $276,539.55

Schedule

Not specified