Sr. Manager, Configuration Management

About the role

As the Senior Configuration Data Management (CDM) Manager, you will serve as an operational execution leader responsible for managing the government CDM team and implementing and operationalizing configuration management practices across government programs. This role deploys and sustains CDM leadership-approved strategy, governance, standards, and tools, ensuring adoption, consistency, and operational effectiveness across assigned programs. You will ensure data integrity, traceability, and change control across the product lifecycle while aligning with company, contractual, and regulatory requirements. The position reports directly to the Director of Configuration Data Management and provides direct people leadership for an 8–10-person CDM team supporting hardware and software development and sustainment programs.

Responsibilities

• Provide operational leadership and direction for hardware and software configuration management execution, ensuring integrated governance, lifecycle control, change management, and cross-discipline integration in support of enterprise CDM strategy and standards.
• Offer configuration management leadership and subject matter expertise to proposal and capture activities, including reviewing RFPs and SOWs, contributing to CM scope definition, and providing input to Basis of Estimate development.
• Operationalize and sustain organizational configuration management capability across programs and business areas by deploying established CM expectations and governance. Assess prime and subcontract documentation to identify CM responsibilities, risks, and dependencies (configuration identification, traceability, data management, change control, and lifecycle governance).
• Ensure appropriate CM work requirement flow-down, mitigation, staffing, and execution in partnership with program and technical leadership, including programs where CM requirements must be clarified or matured during execution.
• Lead execution of CDM practices across multiple programs or product lines, ensuring consistency, compliance, and alignment with organizational and contractual requirements.
• Ensure configuration data integrity, traceability, and change control outcomes across hardware and software baselines, including audit readiness, deficiency resolution, and sustained compliance.
• Provide leadership and direction to the CDM team, ensuring clear priorities, performance management, and development of talent within the team.
• Build partnerships with engineering, operations, quality, supply chain, and program management to strengthen configuration control, traceability, and day-to-day execution effectiveness.
• Translate enterprise and program objectives into actionable execution plans, influencing prioritization and sequencing of CDM deployment across assigned programs.
• Represent the CDM function to programs, customers, auditors, and regulatory authorities, escalating enterprise-level, strategic, or policy matters to CDM leadership as appropriate.
• Serve as a subject matter expert in configuration identification, change management, data management, configuration status accounting, and audit readiness, supporting audits and compliance activities.
• Oversee day-to-day execution and adoption of approved PLM and configuration data systems, ensuring teams effectively use established tools, workflows, and governance models in partnership with IT and engineering stakeholders.
• Anticipate operational risks and lead resolution of execution-level issues spanning multiple programs, escalating systemic or strategic risks to CDM leadership as needed.
• Ensure compliance with applicable industry standards (e.g., AS9100, EIA-649, MIL-STD-973, ISO-9001, ITAR/EAR) in regulated government environments.
• Monitor CDM process performance and implementation effectiveness, identifying execution gaps and partnering with CDM leadership to support continuous improvement initiatives.
• Develop capability within the CDM team by coaching and mentoring configuration management professionals to strengthen execution discipline, accountability, and consistency.
• Regular travel to Viasat locations in Carlsbad, CA, Tempe, AZ, or other sites as determined by business needs.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, business, or a related field, or equivalent experience in Configuration Data Management.
• 5+ years of leadership experience managing professional staff, with demonstrated responsibility for team performance, prioritization, and development.
• Strong working knowledge of configuration management practices across hardware and software domains, with depth in one or more areas.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional execution initiatives, manage competing operational priorities, and influence program leaders, customers, auditors, and regulatory authorities.
• Experience working with industry PLM systems and configuration data governance frameworks, with the ability to support effective adoption and execution of established tools and processes.
• US Citizenship required.
• Active Secret Clearance is required.

Skills

• Strong analytical mindset with proven ability to anticipate, identify, and mitigate configuration and program risks to ensure compliance with product and contractual requirements.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• CM2 or CMPIC certification preferred.
• Track record of driving process improvement, adoption of new tools/technologies, and organizational change in CDM functions.

Pay

Salary range: $139,000.00 - $219,500.00 annually. For specific work locations within San Jose, the San Francisco Bay area, and the New York City metropolitan area, the base pay range is $173,000.00 - $259,000.00 annually. Base pay may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Additional cash or stock incentives may be provided as part of the compensation package.

Benefits

Viasat offers a range of medical, financial, and other benefits focused on holistic health and wellness. Learn more at https://careers.viasat.com/benefits.