Program Manager, Defence, Worldwide Public Sector

Amazon Web Services; Canberra; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is seeking a Program Manager for Defence initiatives in Australia. You will oversee end-to-end coordination of priority Defence projects, track milestones and dependencies, and engage with Defence stakeholders to ensure alignment with customer outcomes.

This role requires Australian citizenship or clearance eligibility, with travel about 10% interstate. In this position you will partner with Solutions Architecture, Professional Services, and Partners to deliver cloud

Qualifications

• 3+ years of program or project management experience.
• Experience using data and metrics to drive improvements.
• Experience working in Australia’s defence or national security sector.
• Experience supporting program strategy, end-to-end delivery and customer and stakeholder engagement

Responsibilities

• Program Management: coordinate end-to-end priority Defence initiatives from concept to delivery.
• Project Support: maintain schedules and quality across workstreams.
• Stakeholder Engagement: manage engagement with Defence stakeholders and briefing materials.
• Program Coordination: prepare materials for weekly alignment meetings and cross-team sessions.
• Milestone Tracking: monitor progress and document schedules with teams.
• Tracking & Reporting: maintain trackers and dashboards with progress and blockers.
• Risk Monitoring: escalate risks and issues and support mitigation strategies.
• Process Improvement: use data to improve delivery efficiency.

Skills

Program management

Data-driven improvements

Defence sector experience

Stakeholder engagement

Education

Master's or Bachelor's in business / related field

Job description

Program Manager, Defence, Worldwide Public Sector

The Program Manager supports the delivery of cloud transformation and priority initiatives for Australia's Defence Organisation, helping keep them on schedule and aligned to customer outcomes. This role coordinates day-to-day project activities, tracks progress across workstreams, maintains visibility of risks and dependencies, and supports the planning and execution of Think Big initiatives and priority engagements that demonstrate how AWS can address Defence's most pressing capability challenges.

You will support a portfolio of initiatives designed to deepen AWS's partnership with Defence. This includes Think Big engagements that help Defence leaders envision how cloud can address their strategic challenges, as well as priority delivery programs that demonstrate tangible value. You will be the connective tissue that keeps these initiatives moving: coordinating across internal teams, maintaining stakeholder engagement rhythms, and ensuring nothing falls through the cracks.

Applicants must be Australian citizens and hold or be eligible to obtain an Australian Government Security Clearance with the ability to successfully complete an Organisational Suitability Assessment. More information regarding security clearances can be found at https://www.agsva.gov.au/.

In this role, you can expect to travel interstate approximately 10% of the time.

Key job responsibilities

• Program Management: Support the end-to-end coordination of priority Defence initiatives from concept through delivery, including tracking dependencies across AWS teams (Solutions Architecture, Professional Services, Partners), maintaining initiative timelines, and ensuring deliverables are on track and aligned to customer outcomes.
• Project Support: Support the delivery of cloud and transformation projects, maintaining schedule adherence and quality standards across assigned workstreams.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Support customer engagement activities with Defence stakeholders, coordinating logistics, tracking actions, and maintaining alignment on project milestones. Prepare briefing materials, maintain stakeholder maps, and support the rhythm of engagement across Defence Groups and Services.
• Program Coordination: Prepare materials for and support facilitation of weekly alignment meetings, program updates, and cross-team coordination sessions to keep delivery teams synchronised. Support the planning and coordination of Think Big events, executive briefings, and priority initiative workshops with Defence customers.
• Milestone Tracking: Coordinate with technical delivery teams, solutions architects, and operations to track milestone progress, flag dependencies, and maintain accurate schedule documentation.
• Tracking & Reporting: Maintain project trackers, dashboards, and status reports; provide regular updates on progress, risks, and blockers.
• Risk Monitoring: Monitor and report on milestone-level risks and issues impacting project schedules; elevate per established protocols and support development of mitigation strategies.
• Process Improvement: Contribute to process improvement initiatives, using data and metrics to support efficiency and delivery quality.

About the team

Diverse Experiences: AWS values diverse experiences. Even if you don't meet all of the qualifications listed below, we encourage you to apply. If your career hasn't followed a traditional path or includes non-linear experiences, that's something we value — don't let it stop you from applying.

Why AWS?: Amazon Web Services (AWS) is the world's most comprehensive and broadly adopted cloud platform. We pioneered cloud computing and never stopped innovating — that's why customers from the most successful startups to Global 500 companies trust our robust suite of products and services to power their businesses.

Inclusive Team Culture: Here at AWS, it's in our nature to learn and be curious. Our employee-led affinity groups foster a culture of inclusion that empowers us to be proud of our differences. Ongoing events and learning experiences inspire us to never stop embracing our uniqueness.

Mentorship & Career Growth: We're continuously raising our performance bar as we strive to become Earth's Best Employer. That's why you'll find endless knowledge-sharing, mentorship, and other career-advancing resources here to help you develop into a better-rounded professional.

Work/Life Balance: We value work-life harmony. Achieving success at work should never come at the expense of sacrifices at home, which is why we strive for flexibility as part of our working culture.

Basic qualifications

• 3+ years of program or project management experience
• Experience using data and metrics to determine and drive improvements
• Experience working in or directly supporting Australia's defence or national security sector.
• Experience supporting program strategy, end to end delivery and customer and stakeholder engagement

Preferred Qualifications

• active project management certification (e.g., APM, CSM, PMI-ACP, PRINCE2)
• Master's degree, or Bachelor's degree in business, operations, human resources, adult education, organizational development, instructional design or related field

Acknowledgement of country

In the spirit of reconciliation Amazon acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.

IDE statement

Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected veteran status, disability, or other legally protected status.

Our inclusive culture empowers Amazonians to deliver the best results for our customers. If you have a disability and need a workplace accommodation or adjustment during the application and hiring process, including support for the interview or onboarding process, please visit https://amazon.jobs/content/en/how-we-hire/accommodations for more information. If the country/region you’re applying in isn’t listed, please contact your Recruiting Partner.

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