Program Manager

Judge Consulting Group; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Judge Consulting Group is seeking an experienced Program Manager to lead the execution of strategic defense programs for U.S. Army and Navy customers.

You will own program execution from contract award through delivery, coordinating cross-functional teams to meet time, scope, and budget commitments. The role requires strong leadership, proactive risk management, and clear communication with government stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business, Program Management, or a related field.
• 5+ years of program management experience supporting U.S. Department of Defense programs.
• Experience managing complex, cross-functional technical programs from contract award through execution.
• Experience serving as the primary interface with government customers or major defense contractors.
• Strong understanding of program management methodologies, including schedule management, risk management, cost tracking, and change control.
• Experience developing and maintaining Integrated Master Schedules (IMS), risk registers, and executive program reviews.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams without direct authority.
• Excellent communication, organizational, and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to travel regularly between customer locations, manufacturing sites, and company offices, including Washington, D.C., Dallas, TX, and the Huntsville, AL area.
• Must be eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Lead the execution of complex defense programs from contract award through customer delivery.
• Serve as the primary customer point of contact throughout program execution, building trusted relationships with government stakeholders.
• Partner with Business Development during capture activities to define scope of work, execution strategy, resource requirements, and program risks.
• Develop and maintain Integrated Master Schedules (IMS), program plans, risk registers, business cases, and executive program reviews.
• Coordinate Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality, Finance, and Operations to ensure successful execution of customer commitments.
• Drive cross-functional decision-making to resolve technical, schedule, and execution issues.
• Track program cost, schedule, scope, and performance while identifying and mitigating risks.
• Lead customer reviews, status meetings, technical interchange meetings, and milestone reviews.
• Manage contract changes, customer requests, and program deliverables throughout the lifecycle of the program.
• Ensure programs meet quality, cost, and delivery objectives while maintaining exceptional customer satisfaction.
• Champion program management best practices and continuously improve internal tools, processes, and reporting.
• Support executive leadership with program status updates, forecasts, and strategic recommendations.

Skills

Program management experience

Cross-functional leadership

Government/customer interface

Schedule management

Risk management

Cost tracking

Change control

Executive program reviews

Stakeholder management

Travel readiness

Security clearance eligible

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business, Program Management, or related field

Tools

Microsoft Project

Jira

Smartsheet

Primavera P6

Job description

We are seeking an experienced Program Manager to lead the execution of strategic defense

programs supporting U.S. Army and Navy customers. This role serves as the central integrator

across Business Development, Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Finance, and

Operations to ensure customer commitments are delivered on time, within scope, and on

budget.

You will own program execution from contract award through delivery, acting as the primary

customer interface while driving internal cross-functional teams toward successful program

outcomes. The ideal candidate is a strong operator who thrives in fast-paced environments,

proactively manages risk, and is comfortable balancing customer expectations with technical

and operational realities.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Lead the execution of complex defense programs from contract award through customer delivery.
• Serve as the primary customer point of contact throughout program execution, building trusted relationships with government stakeholders.
• Partner with Business Development during capture activities to define scope of work, execution strategy, resource requirements, and program risks.
• Develop and maintain Integrated Master Schedules (IMS), program plans, risk registers, business cases, and executive program reviews.
• Coordinate Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality, Finance, and Operations to ensure successful execution of customer commitments.
• Drive cross-functional decision-making to resolve technical, schedule, and execution
• Track program cost, schedule, scope, and performance while identifying and mitigating risks.
• Lead customer reviews, status meetings, technical interchange meetings, and milestone reviews.
• Manage contract changes, customer requests, and program deliverables throughout the lifecycle of the program.
• Ensure programs meet quality, cost, and delivery objectives while maintaining exceptional customer satisfaction.
• Champion program management best practices and continuously improve internal tools, processes, and reporting.
• Support executive leadership with program status updates, forecasts, and strategic recommendations.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business, Program Management, or a related field.
• 5+ years of program management experience supporting U.S. Department of Defense programs.
• Experience managing complex, cross-functional technical programs from contract award through execution.
• Experience serving as the primary interface with government customers or major defense contractors.
• Strong understanding of program management methodologies, including schedule management, risk management, cost tracking, and change control.
• Experience developing and maintaining Integrated Master Schedules (IMS), risk registers, and executive program reviews.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams without direct authority.
• Excellent communication, organizational, and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to travel regularly between customer locations, manufacturing sites, and company offices, including Washington, D.C., Dallas, TX, and the Huntsville, AL area.
• Must be eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.
• Prior military experience, particularly supporting or serving within the U.S. Army or U.S. other complex defense platforms.
• Experience working for a defense prime contractor, high-growth defense technology company, or within a U.S. government acquisition organization.
• Familiarity with DoD acquisition processes and defense program execution.
• Experience supporting manufacturing, production, or hardware development programs.
• Experience using program management tools such as Microsoft Project, Jira, Smartsheet, Primavera P6, or similar platforms.
• Strong understanding of defense contracting, proposal support, and transition from capture to execution.

WHAT MAKES YOU SUCCESSFUL

• You are a natural integrator who brings together Engineering, Operations, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Finance, and Business Development to solve complex problems.
• You excel at building trusted relationships with customers while holding internal teams accountable for execution.
• You anticipate risks early, communicate proactively, and make sound decisions in fast-moving environments.
• You are equally comfortable in executive program reviews, customer meetings, and on the production floor ensuring commitments are met.
• You thrive in environments where ownership, accountability, and execution matter more than bureaucracy.
• You are motivated by delivering mission-critical capabilities that directly support the