Federal Project Manager (Secret Clearance Required)

VectorUSA; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 126,000 - 154,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Project bonus plan

Medical, dental, vision insurance

Partial remote work after 6 months

Job summary

VectorUSA in San Diego, CA seeks an experienced Federal Project Manager with an active Secret Clearance to lead complex federal initiatives.

You will oversee planning, budgeting, scheduling, and billing, coordinating with federal agencies and internal teams while ensuring compliance with ISO 9001 and NIST standards. Travel to naval ports may be required, with potential for partial remote work after six months.

Qualifications

• Requires a degree in PM/IT/engineering or related field.
• 8+ years managing federal projects and contracts.
• Active Secret Clearance required and knowledge of federal compliance.

Responsibilities

• Lead full lifecycle of federal projects from planning to execution.
• Develop and maintain detailed project plans with milestones and billing.

Skills

Budgeting

Scheduling

Risk mitigation

Billing coordination

Client relationships

Federal client comms

Education

Degree in PM/IT/Engineering

Tools

ProCore

Excel

Microsoft Project

CAD (drawings)

Job description

VectorUSA

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status, age, marital status, pregnancy, genetic information, or other legally protected status.

San Diego, California

Position Title: Federal Project Manager (Secret Clearance Required)

Clearance Requirement: Active Secret Clearance

Position Overview

VectorUSA is seeking a skilled and experienced Federal Project Manager based in San Diego, California, to lead and manage complex federal projects. The ideal candidate will have 5+ years of project management experience supporting federal contracts, a strong technical background, and a demonstrated understanding of federal contracting, project financial controls, and billing processes. This position involves collaboration with agencies such as the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Navy, and Veterans Administration.

The Federal Project Manager is responsible for day-to-day project leadership, logistical coordination, financial and contractual administration, compliance tracking, and support of onsite engineering and field teams. Responsibilities include managing documentation, facilitating briefings, ensuring required approvals and signatures are obtained, maintaining secure project records, and coordinating billing and contract requirements. The role requires a detail-oriented professional who thrives in complex environments and can confidently engage with federal clients, contracting stakeholders, internal leadership, and project teams.

Within a larger program, the Federal Project Manager may be assigned responsibility for specific projects, sites, workstreams, geographic areas, or portions of the overall program. This reporting structure does not reduce the responsibilities, qualifications, accountability, or professional expectations of the position. The individual must possess the knowledge, judgment, technical understanding, and project management capability required to independently perform the full responsibilities of a Federal Project Manager and to assume primary responsibility for a federal project when assigned.

Depending on project size and program structure, the Federal Project Manager may serve as the primary Project Manager for an assigned project or may operate as part of a larger program team. On larger or more complex programs, the position may have a dotted-line reporting relationship to a Senior Project Manager, Program Manager, or other designated project leader responsible for overall program coordination.

Role Structure & Reporting

Key Responsibilities & Role Structure

Project Planning & Execution

• Lead the full lifecycle of federal projects, from planning to execution, ensuring alignment with client goals, timelines, and budgetary constraints.
• Develop and maintain detailed project plans defining scope, budgets, schedules, critical milestones, contract deliverables, billing milestones, and closeout requirements.
• Manage project KPIs, including budget adherence, scheduling, scope control, overall project quality, billing status, committed costs, forecast-to-complete, and financial performance.
• Coordinate daily statuses as well as in-briefs and out-briefs, providing clear updates on project status.
• Manage project paperwork, drawings, and technical documentation; ensure signatures are gathered and documents scanned/stored correctly.
• Support the onsite engineer with logistical planning (who, what, where, when, how).
• Review technical drawings and technical documentation for accuracy; ability to contribute hands-on is a plus.
• Present updates and findings to executive-level stakeholders with confidence.
• Navigate ambiguous situations and develop solutions to maintain schedules; candidates should provide a written example of doing so in past roles.

Technical Project Leadership

• Manage projects involving Cisco and Aruba networking equipment (wired and wireless), cybersecurity solutions (including Fortinet and Cisco ASA), and Aruba ClearPass / Cisco ISE.
• Oversee installations of outside plant (OSP) and inside plant (ISP) fiber, network servers, firewalls, security cameras, and related video management systems (VMS).

Client & Stakeholder Engagement

• Serve as the primary point of contact for federal clients, ensuring continuous and effective communication throughout project duration.
• Establish regular reporting to stakeholders on progress, risks, financial status, contract changes, billing requirements, and project adjustments, ensuring client satisfaction and alignment with federal agency needs.

Travel & Site Coordination

• Coordinate travel between the San Diego office, client locations, and project sites as required.
• Coordinate on-site project activities, with required travel to Naval ports within the United States and possible limited travel to ports outside of the U.S.
• Travel may be 50% of the employees time during the initial project and may scale over time as projects evolve.
• VectorUSA offers compensation for travel mileage, with potential car allowances as travel requirements increase.

Compliance & Security Standards

• Ensure all project activities comply with ISO 9001 and NIST frameworks, maintaining alignment with federal security and compliance regulations.
• Manage documentation and reporting for federal compliance, audit readiness, and quality assurance.

Performance Monitoring & KPI Tracking

• Track project performance against established KPIs for budgets, billing, cost-to-complete, schedules (including milestone and critical path tracking), scope management, and contract deliverables.
• Proactively manage and mitigate project risks, escalating issues as needed and maintaining accountability for project deliverables.

Project Management Software & Tools

• Utilize Excel and Microsoft Project for budget management, scheduling, and task tracking.
• Use ProCore as the primary project management platform (training will be provided for candidates unfamiliar with this tool).

In-Office & Remote Work

• This role is based full-time in VectorUSA's San Diego office.
• After a 6-month period, eligibility for remote work or partial remote work will be assessed based on performance and project requirements at the discretion of management.

Incentive & Bonus Structure

• VectorUSA offers a project bonus plan tied to project financial performance.
• Project Managers are eligible for this bonus if project financial objectives are met.

Qualifications

Education

• Preferred: Degree in Project Management, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related field.

Certification

• Preferred: PMP (Project Management Professional).
• Preferred: CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional), particularly for projects involving cybersecurity, secure networks, or federal information systems.

Clearance

• Required: Active Secret Clearance.

Experience Required

• Years of Experience: 8+ years of recent experience managing federal projects.
• Federal Contracting & Billing: Required understanding of federal contracting and billing processes, including contract requirements, funding and authorization controls, invoicing support, change management, documentation, and project closeout. Experience supporting DoD or other federal agency contracts is strongly preferred; shipboard/maritime vessel experience is highly valued.
• Technical Expertise: Proficiency in Cisco and Aruba networking, Aruba ClearPass, Cisco ISE, Fortinet, and Cisco ASA.
• Project Types: Demonstrated experience in federal projects involving OSP / ISP fiber installations, network core and edge equipment installation, network server deployment, and cybersecurity implementations.

Skills & Competencies

• Project Management Proficiency: Strong skills in project budgeting, scheduling, scope management, risk mitigation, change control, financial forecasting, billing coordination, and project closeout.
• Technical Knowledge: Expertise in IT wireless / networking, network infrastructure, cybersecurity protocols, and fiber installation.
• CAD: Familiarity with CAD and drawings.
• Compliance Awareness: Familiarity with ISO 9001 and NIST frameworks, federal compliance standards, and the documentation discipline required for audit-ready federal projects.
• Client & Stakeholder Management: Excellent communication and client relationship management skills, with experience working with federal agencies.
• Competitive salary with a performance-based project bonus plan.
• Comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• Training and development opportunities, including ProCore platform training.
• Supportive team environment with opportunities for career advancement.

What We Offer

• Competitive Compensation starting at $140,000.00: Includes a performance-based project bonus plan.
• Comprehensive Benefits: Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• Professional Development: Training opportunities, including ProCore platform certification.
• Career Growth: A supportive team environment with opportunities for advancement.
• Work Flexibility: Eligibility for partial remote work after six months based on performance.

VectorUSA is a proud Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.

Equal employment opportunity, including veterans and individuals with disabilities.