Director of Program Management – Defense Programs Leader

Riverbend Energetics; East St. Louis (IL); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary and benefits

401(k) with company match

Growth and leadership opportunities

Job summary

Riverbend Energetics seeks a Director of Program Management to lead the Programs organization and serve as the on-site people leader for the PM Department supporting defense energetics contracts. This role reports to the VP of Programs and drives disciplined PM practices across the full contract portfolio.

The Director will build staffing models, implement SOPs, and transition to dashboards that automate program data delivery, while mentoring Senior PMs toward director-level responsibilities.

Qualifications

• Experience leading a PM organization within defense, aerospace, manufacturing, or government contracting.
• Proven ability to translate strategy into day-to-day execution, staffing, and processes.
• Experience managing managers and developing talent, including succession planning.

Responsibilities

• Manage and develop the Program Manager team with coaching and performance management
• Own enterprise-wide program governance with IMP, IMS, risk register, and CDRL
• Build headcount models and plan hires against contract pipeline
• Establish SOPs integrating Programs with Engineering, Supply Chain, Operations, and Finance
• Move from pull to push data models with dashboards and cadences
• Review EVMS, IMS, and contract cost performance; escalate risks to execs
• Represent Programs in SLT reviews with executive status summaries
• Support bid/Proposal activity validating schedules and resources
• Mentor Senior PMs toward Director-level responsibilities

Skills

Program management

People leadership

EVMS/IMS/CDRL

Executive communication

Staffing planning

SOP development

Bid/proposal support

Portfolio governance

Education

Bachelor's degree (Business/Engineering/Science)

Job description

Riverbend Energetics seeks a Director of Program Management to lead the Programs organization and serve as the on-site people leader for the PM Department supporting defense energetics contracts. This role reports to the VP of Programs and drives disciplined PM practices across the full contract portfolio.

The Director will build staffing models, implement SOPs, and transition to dashboards that automate program data delivery, while mentoring Senior PMs toward director-level responsibilities.