Program Manager

Frontdoor Defense; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 160,000 - 250,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits 100% paid

401k matching

FSA/HSA

Life insurance

Free daily lunch

No meeting Fridays

Unlimited PTO

Job summary

Chaos Industries is seeking a proactive Program Manager to lead our radar product line from inception to on-time delivery. You will coordinate cross-functional teams across engineering, BD, and production to meet cost, schedule, and performance goals.

This role reports to the Acting Director of the Program Execution Office and requires on-site work in Los Angeles/El Segundo or Washington, D.C. Ideal candidates have a B.S.

Qualifications

• B.S. in engineering, computer science, business or related field; PM experience in fast-paced environments.
• 5+ years of Project/Program Management experience handling complex programs.
• Exceptional communication skills for diverse audiences.
• PMP certification is preferred.
• Must work on-site 4-5 days per week in El Segundo CA or Washington DC.
• Willingness to travel up to 30% and obtain/maintain US security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Lead full program lifecycle to meet cost, schedule, and performance goals.
• Coordinate across engineering, supply chain, manufacturing, operations, and BD.
• Act as primary POC to customer COTR/Tech POC and manage contract documentation.
• Oversee program budget, resources, and change management.
• Travel up to 30% as needed; work 4-5 days on-site in LA/El Segundo or DC.

Skills

Program management

Communication

On-site coordination

Education

B.S. in engineering / CS / business

Tools

JIRA

Confluence

Job description

Program Manager

Lead radar product line program from inception to on-time delivery with cross-functional teams

Location: El Segundo, California, Washington, District of Columbia

Compensation: $160,000 - 250,000 USD / year

About The Role

Chaos Industries Program Manager

Chaos Industries is redefining modern defense with a multi-product portfolio that gives the ultimate advantage—domain dominance. The company's products are powered by Coherent Distributed Networks (CDN™), empowering warfighters, commercial air operators, and border protection teams to act faster, adapt rapidly, and stay ahead of evolving threats.

Chaos Industries was founded in 2022 and has raised a total of $1 billion in funding from leading investors, including 8VC, Accel, and Valor Equity Partners. The company is headquartered in Los Angeles, with offices in Washington, D.C., San Francisco, San Diego, Seattle, and London.

Role Overview:

We are seeking a proactive and detail-oriented Program Manager to lead the successful delivery of our radar product line. This role is critical to aligning cross-functional teams, meeting customer requirements, and ensuring on-time delivery within budget. The TPM will collaborate closely with Business Development (BD), Production, Customer, and Engineering teams to oversee program execution, manage budgets, and ensure all technical and contractual objectives are met.

The Program Manager will report to the (Acting) Director the Program Execution Office (PEO).

Responsibilities:

• Program Lifecycle Ownership
  • Lead full program lifecycle to ensure that cost, schedule, and performance goals are met
  • Provide oversight of all technical and operational functions, planning, organization, and control of resources to complete all contract deliverables and services
  • Plan and direct execution of the contractual, technical, multi-disciplinary engineering, programming, maintenance, and administrative support effort
  • In conjunction with technical delivery team, monitor and report progress through regularly scheduled briefings to leadership on program status and milestones
  • Working with technical delivery leads, manage acquisition and employment of project resources
  • Ensure sufficient qualified staffing to achieve timely and successful completion of the efforts described in the contract statement of work (SOW)
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
  • Coordinate efforts across engineering, supply chain, manufacturing, operations, and BD for integrated execution of the program
  • Lead and coordinate efforts to resolve project-related challenges and blockers
• Customer Engagement
  • Serve as the primary POC to the customer's COTR/Tech POC for contract, cost, schedule, and performance
  • Coordinate all program management reviews with the customer to discuss contract performance, special topics of interest, and issue resolutions
  • Coordinate with technical delivery team on drafting and finalization of technical quarterly reports, status reports, final reports, and other contract deliverable documentation as required by contract
• Budget & Resource Management
  • Manage program budget and resource allocation to meet project requirements efficiently
  • Support financial controls and administrative aspects of the project
• Change Management
  • Manage and document scope changes, ensuring alignment with project goals
• Work 4-5 days onsite out of our office in Los Angeles El Segundo), CA or Washington D.C.
• Travel up to 30% as needed to support program and customer objectives

Minimum Requirements:

• B.S. in engineering, computer science, business, or other related field, and/or equivalent Program Management experience in a fast-paced, dynamic environment
• 5+ years of Project/Program Management experience managing complex projects of a similar scope and complexity
• Exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to present complex information clearly and concisely to diverse audiences
• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification
• Must be able to work on-site 4-5 days per week in El Segundo CA or Washington D.C.
• Ability & willingness to travel up to 30% as needed to support program and customer objectives
• U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident of the U.S.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance

Preferred Requirements:

• Experience working in DoD, military, or other Government environment performing in a related subject area (e.g. project management, engineering, computer science, etc.) in a fast-paced, dynamic environment
• U.S. security clearance
• Experience with tools like JIRA and Confluence
• Experience testing and monitoring Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and/or Technical Performance Measures (TPMs)
• Prior systems engineering or software integration experience
• Advanced degree in a technical field

Why Chaos Industries?

• Health Benefits: Medical, dental, and vision benefits 100% paid for by the company
• Additional benefits: 401k (+ 50% company match up to 6% of pay), FSA, HSA, life insurance, and more
• Our Perks: Free daily lunch, 'No meeting Fridays', unlimited PTO, casual dress code
• Compensation Components: Competitive base salaries, generous pre-IPO stock option grants, relocation assistance, and (coming soon!) annual bonuses
• Team Growth: 250 employees and counting across 5 global offices

Salary Range: $160,000 - $250,000

The stated compensation range reflects only the targeted base compensation range and excludes additional earnings such as bonus, equity, and benefits. If your compensation requirements fall outside of the range, we still encourage you to apply. The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a range of compensation factors, inclusive of base salary only. Actual salary offer may vary based on (but not limited to) work experience, education and/or training, critical skills, and/or business considerations.