Program Manager

Karman Space & Defense; Huntington Beach (CA); On-site; USD 130,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) with company match

Paid time off

HSA with company contribution

FSA

Company-paid life and AD&D insurance

Short- and long-term disability

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

Karman Space & Defense is seeking an experienced Program Manager to lead complex defense programs from planning through delivery, ensuring cost, schedule, technical, quality, and customer objectives are met.

You will coordinate cross-functional teams across engineering, operations, quality, supply chain, contracts, and finance, serving as a primary customer interface while managing risks and driving program success in the U.S. defense sector.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science degree in engineering, business program management, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and directly relevant experience.
• 5 or more years of experience supporting or managing aerospace, defense, advanced manufacturing, or similarly complex technical programs.
• Preferred: MS degree or MBA, PMP certification, and DoD/ government program experience.

Responsibilities

• Leads assigned programs through planning, development, qualification, production, delivery, and contract completion.
• Owns performance against cost, schedule, technical, quality, contractual, and customer objectives.
• Develops and maintains integrated program plans, schedules, budgets, milestones, resource requirements, and performance metrics.
• Coordinates cross-functional execution across engineering, operations, quality, supply chain, contracts, finance, and test.
• Serves as a primary interface for customers, prime contractors, government stakeholders, suppliers, and internal leadership.
• Identifies programmatic, technical, supply-chain, cost, and schedule risks and drives mitigation and recovery plans.
• Leads recurring program reviews and communicates financial performance, risks, decisions, dependencies, and corrective actions.
• Supports design reviews, test-readiness reviews, qualification activities, production-readiness reviews, and customer acceptance events.
• Manages contractual deliverables, statements of work, program changes, customer requests, and scope changes.
• Supports proposals, estimates, contract negotiations, follow-on opportunities, and program-growth activities.

Skills

Program management

Cross-functional leadership

Risk management

Customer interface

EVM familiarity

Education

Bachelor of Science in Engineering or related field

Master's degree or MBA (preferred)

PMP certification (preferred)

Tools

EVM (Earned Value Management)

ERP systems

PLM systems

Scheduling tools

Job description

Karman Space & Defense is a leader in the rapid design, development, and production of critical, next-generation system solutions that align with the U.S. Department of War and its allies’ core mission priorities, and meet the accelerating demand for access to space. Building on nearly 50 years of success, we deliver Payload & Protection Systems, Aero/Hydrodynamic Interstage Systems, and Propulsion & Launch Systems to more than 80 prime contractors supporting over 130 space and defense programs.

This role supports our Defense Systems business, bringing together Hypersonics, Strategic Missile Defense, Tactical Missiles, and Integrated Defense Systems. Modern defense missions demand more than piecemeal parts or patchwork products; they require hardware that seamlessly integrates disparate technologies into a unified system. Backed by decades of flight‑proven performance, our teams deliver tailored mission‑ready solutions across air, land, and sea, including: launch and deployment systems, propulsion, payload protection, integration and deployment.

In this role, you will lead complex defense‑focused programs from planning through delivery, ensuring cost, schedule, technical, quality, and customer objectives are met. You will coordinate cross‑functional execution, guide program plans, manage risks, and serve as a primary customer interface while supporting the delivery of integrated missile, propulsion, launch, payload, and defense‑system hardware.

Schedule

• The work schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Responsibilities

• Leads assigned programs through planning, development, qualification, production, delivery, and contract completion.
• Owns performance against cost, schedule, technical, quality, contractual, and customer objectives.
• Develops and maintains integrated program plans, schedules, budgets, milestones, resource requirements, and performance metrics.
• Coordinates cross‑functional execution across engineering, operations, quality, supply chain, contracts, finance, and test.
• Serves as a primary interface for customers, prime contractors, government stakeholders, suppliers, and internal leadership.
• Identifies programmatic, technical, supply‑chain, cost, and schedule risks and drives mitigation and recovery plans.
• Leads recurring program reviews and communicates financial performance, risks, decisions, dependencies, and corrective actions.
• Supports design reviews, test‑readiness reviews, qualification activities, production‑readiness reviews, and customer acceptance events.
• Manages contractual deliverables, statements of work, program changes, customer requests, and scope changes.
• Supports proposals, estimates, contract negotiations, follow‑on opportunities, and program‑growth activities.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science degree in engineering, business program management, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and directly relevant experience.
• 5 or more years of experience supporting or managing aerospace, defense, advanced manufacturing, or similarly complex technical programs.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master of Science degree or Master of Business Administration.
• Experience managing Department of Defense, U.S. government, allied‑defense, or prime‑contractor programs.
• Experience with missile systems, propulsion, launch systems, payload integration, separation systems, energetic devices, or related flight hardware.
• Experience managing programs from development through qualification and production.
• Knowledge of government contracting and fixed‑price, cost‑reimbursable, or incentive‑based contract structures.
• Experience with Earned Value Management (EVM), cost‑account management, or similar financial‑performance methods.
• Experience supporting proposals, estimates, negotiations, contract modifications, or follow‑on program capture.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification or equivalent formal program‑management training.
• Experience with program scheduling, enterprise resource planning (ERP), or product‑lifecycle management (PLM) systems.
• Experience leading engineering teams developing mechanical and pyrotechnic components and systems.

This position requires U.S. person status under U.S. export control laws, including U.S. citizens and nationals, lawful permanent residents, refugees, and asylees.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) with company match
• Paid time off
• Health Savings Account (HSA) with company contribution
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
• Company‑paid life and AD&D insurance
• Short‑and long‑term disability coverage
• Tuition reimbursement

Karman Space and Defense is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable law.