SSN(X) PROGRAM MANAGER

About the role

The SSN(X) Program Manager will play a critical role in shaping the future of undersea warfare capability, ensuring the program is positioned, resourced, and executed to meet evolving national security needs while strengthening the industrial base.

Responsibilities

• Program strategy, planning, and governance
• - Define and lead the overarching SSN(X) program strategy, aligning technical, commercial, and schedule objectives.
• - Develop and maintain the overall program plan, integrating requirements, scope, cost, risk, and schedule baselines.
• - Establish program governance, reviews, and performance metrics to ensure delivery to cost, schedule, and technical requirements.
• - Proactively identify, manage, and mitigate program risks and opportunities.
• - Lead capture strategy for SSN(X), including competitive positioning, customer engagement, and win themes.
• - Work with government relations to shape requirements, acquisition strategies, and opportunity pipeline for SSN(X) and undersea warfare initiatives.
• Overall program schedule management
• - Guide planning teams to align work breakdown structure (WBS), schedule logic, and key milestones across design, build, test, and delivery.
• - Own the Integrated Master Schedule (IMS) and master schedule, ensuring all phases, tasks, and dependencies are represented in a single, time-phased plan.
• - Monitor schedule performance, driving recovery and acceleration plans where required.
• Supplier development and partnership strategy
• - Define supplier and partnership strategy for key systems, technologies, and services.
• - Identify and qualify strategic suppliers and partners to support program objectives.
• - Negotiate and manage strategic partnership frameworks and long-term agreements in coordination with supply chain and legal.
• Build strategy and execution
• - Support SSN(X) build strategy lead to incorporate build strategy decisions into impacted areas of engineering, supply chain and other functions, including make-versus-buy, modularization, sequencing, and facility loading.
• - Coordinate with engineering and operations to ensure design-for-build and design-for-supportability are embedded early.
• - Integrate advanced manufacturing, digital engineering, and model-based approaches into the build strategy where value-adding.
• Cross-functional leadership and stakeholder management
• - Serve as the central integrator across engineering, supply chain, manufacturing, and program controls.
• - Communicate program strategy, status, risks, and decisions to senior leadership, customers, and partners.
• - Build and lead a high-performing program team, fostering accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree and 8 years of applicable, progressive professional and/or supervisory work experience; Master's Degree and 6 years of relevant experience
• One of the following may be used as equivalent to Bachelor's Degree to meet minimum qualifications:
• - NNS Apprentice School graduate
• - Navy Nuclear Power School (NNPS) graduate
• - Associate's Degree or other formal 2 year program and 2 years of relevant exempt experience or 4 years of relevant non-exempt experience
• - Military Paygrade E-5 or above military experience
• - High School/GED and 4 years combined of Manufacturing, Shipbuilding, Trades, Military experience or other relevant exempt experience
• - High School/GED and 8 years combined of Manufacturing, Shipbuilding, Trades, Military experience or other relevant non-exempt experience

Qualifications

• Experience in program management for complex defense, aerospace, or maritime systems.
• Experience in submarine design, requirements, and/or operations
• Familiarity with integrated master scheduling, program planning, and project controls in a complex environment
• Experience leading supplier strategy, partnership development, or complex subcontract management.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams and influence senior stakeholders.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and executive presentation skills
• Submarine XO, engineer, or NAVSEA Team Submarine Program