AIT Waterfront Program Manager

TRISTAR; Crane (IN); On-site; USD 110,000 - 165,000; Full time

Job summary

TRISTAR in Crane, Indiana seeks a seasoned Program Manager to lead Waterfront Support and AIT Services for maritime and defense platforms. You will coordinate with engineering teams, shipyards, subcontractors, and government stakeholders to ensure on-time, within-budget delivery of complex system integrations.

The ideal candidate has 7+ years in defense programs, PMP certification, and proven leadership in coordinating multi-discipline teams under DoD frameworks.

Qualifications

• 7+ years in defense/maritime programs; 2+ years in a leadership role.
• PMP-certified Project Management Professional.
• Ability to obtain active secret clearance.

Responsibilities

• Lead AIT efforts at the waterfront, overseeing integration and testing of mission systems, combat systems, mechanical/electrical systems, and other subsystems.
• Develop and manage detailed schedules, risk mitigation plans, and resource allocations to meet program milestones.
• Act as the primary point of contact at the waterfront, coordinating with shipbuilders, government customers (e.g., NAVSEA), subcontractors and internal stakeholders.
• Ensure adherence to quality assurance procedures, safety regulations, and contractual requirements.
• Facilitate regular status meetings, providing technical and programmatic updates to internal and external stakeholders.
• Support material readiness, test planning, and installation verification processes.
• Manage budgets and control program costs, identifying and resolving variances.
• Provide leadership to cross-functional teams including engineers technicians, and logisticians.
• Drive continuous improvement in integration/test processes and documentation.
• Oversee issue resolution and troubleshooting during testing and integration activities.

Skills

Military shipbuilding

Combat systems integration

Test readiness reviews

Contract & budget management

Configuration Management

Quality Assurance

Subcontractor management

Field support teams

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience

Job description

Description

We are seeking a highly experienced Program Manager to join our team in Crane, Indiana. This pivotal role involves leading and coordinating the Waterfront Support and AIT Services for maritime and defense platforms. The ideal candidate will bring a strong background in managing complex system integration efforts on naval vessels or platforms, ensuring seamless collaboration among engineering teams, shipyards, subcontractors, and government stakeholders.

Job Type

Full-time

Key Responsibilities

• Lead AIT efforts at the waterfront, overseeing integration and testing of mission systems, combat systems, mechanical/electrical systems, and other subsystems.
• Develop and manage detailed schedules, risk mitigation plans, and resource allocations to meet program milestones.
• Act as the primary point of contact at the waterfront, coordinating with shipbuilders, government customers (e.g., NAVSEA), subcontractors and internal stakeholders.
• Ensure adherence to quality assurance procedures, safety regulations, and contractual requirements.
• Facilitate regular status meetings, providing technical and programmatic updates to internal and external stakeholders.
• Support material readiness, test planning, and installation verification processes.
• Manage budgets and control program costs, identifying and resolving variances.
• Provide leadership to cross-functional teams including engineers technicians, and logisticians.
• Drive continuous improvement in integration/test processes and documentation.
• Oversee issue resolution and troubleshooting during testing and integration activities.

Preferred Skills

• Familiarity with military shipbuilding processes, combat systems integration, and test readiness reviews (TRRs).
• Knowledge of Contracts, Budgets, Travel Estimates, ROMs and other program control methodologies.
• Experience with Configuration Management (CM) and Quality Assurance (QA) systems.
• Prior experience managing subcontractors and field support teams.

Requirements

• 7+ years of experience in defense/maritime programs, with 2+ years in a leadership role.
• Strong understanding of AIT processes, shipboard systems, and integration/test practices in a shipyard or waterfront environment.
• Minimum three (3) years project management/integrated master schedule development and maintenance.
• Minimum two (2) years financial management experience.
• Knowledge of DoD appropriations and the use and management of appropriations.
• PMP-certified Project Management Professional.
• Preferred experience in management of heavy travel personnel and/or installation/shipyard tasking personnel.
• Experience interfacing with Navy or DoD stakeholders, including NAVSEA or equivalent.
• Proven track record of managing complex technical projects to completion on time and within budget.
• Ability to work onsite at the waterfront with flexible hours as needed.
• Excellent communication, leadership, and organizational skills.
• Must be U.S. Citizen.
• Ability to obtain and maintain an active secret clearance.

Education

• Bachelor's degree preferred and/or 12 years' experience with ship install.

About TRISTAR

TRISTAR is an SBA certified Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned professional services company supporting the U.S. Department of Defense programs. Our core competencies include Electronic Warfare, Enterprise Management, Full Spectrum Cybersecurity, Information Technology, Digital Transformation, Software Engineering and Development, Maritime Modernization and Engineering, and Technical Solutions.

TRISTAR was founded in March 1995 and has built an employee-focused collaborative environment which enables our team of professionals to create and deliver customized solutions to meet our customers' mission critical challenges. TRISTAR's core capabilities support customers with end-to-end solutions.

For over 30 years, TRISTAR has demonstrated and perfected our ability to successfully manage any task, small or large no matter how difficult or complex.

TRISTAR is proud to serve the Department of Defense and other Federal Agencies.

TRISTAR provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.