Program Manager

Karman Space & Defense

West Valley City (UT)

On-site

USD 140,000 - 160,000

Full time

3 hours ago

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Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) with company match

Paid time off

Health Savings Account (HSA) with公司贡献

Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)

Company-paid life and AD&D insurance

Short- and long-term disability

Job summary

Karman Space & Defense is seeking a Program Manager in West Valley City, UT to lead defense programs from planning through delivery. You will coordinate cross‑functional teams across engineering, operations, quality, and supply chain, while interfacing with customers and government stakeholders to ensure program success.

Responsibilities include managing cost, schedule, technical quality, and contractual objectives, developing program plans, and driving risk mitigation.

Qualifications

Bachelor degree or equivalent in engineering or related field.
5+ years of experience in aerospace/defense or complex technical programs.
Ability to obtain DoD Secret clearance.

Responsibilities

Leads programs through planning, development, production and delivery.
Manages cost, schedule, technical, quality and contractual objectives.
Develops integrated program plans, budgets, milestones and performance metrics.
Coordinates cross‑functional execution across engineering, operations, quality, supply chain, contracts, finance and test.
Acts as primary interface with customers, prime contractors, government stakeholders, suppliers and leadership.
Identifies risks and drives mitigation and recovery plans.
Supports design reviews, qualification activities and production readiness.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering / related field

MS/MBA preferred

Tools

ERP systems

PLM systems

Job description

If you are unable to complete this application due to a disability, contact this employer to ask for an accommodation or an alternative application process.

Program Manager

Program Management Technical West Valley City, UT, US

3 days ago Requisition ID: 4195

Salary Range: $140,000.00 To $160,000.00 Annually

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 is part of our Hypersonics and Strategic Missile Defense business, which designs, develops, and delivers highly dependable missile systems for hypersonic and strategic missile defense missions. We provide integrated, mission-ready hardware that brings together multiple technologies into unified systems engineered to perform in demanding operational environments. Our tip-to-tail capabilities include payload protection and deployment systems, propulsion systems, aerodynamic interstage systems, separation systems, missile subsystems, shroud systems, launch systems, and payload integration solutions.

In this role, you will lead defense programs from initial planning through qualification, production, and delivery, ensuring performance across cost, schedule, technical, quality, and contractual objectives. You will coordinate cross-functional execution, guide program decisions, manage risks and opportunities, and serve as a primary interface with customers and internal stakeholders to deliver mission-critical missile, propulsion, launch, payload, and defense-system hardware that meets program objectives.

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 organizations.
Serves as a primary interface for customers, prime contractors, government stakeholders, suppliers, and internal leadership.
Identifies technical, programmatic, supply‑chain, cost, and schedule risks and drives mitigation and recovery plans.
Leads composite material development, fabrication, and integration activities to ensure alignment with program technical, cost, and schedule objectives.
Coordinates cross‑functional execution for composite tooling, layup, curing, inspection, and qualification processes to meet stringent defense and flight‑hardware requirements.
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.
Role requires frequent travel up to 50% to our California and Utah facilities.

Required Qualifications

Bachelor of Science in Engineering, Business Program Management, or related field, or an equivalent combination of education and directly relevant experience.
5+ years of experience supporting or managing aerospace, defense, advanced manufacturing, or similarly complex technical programs.
A current U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Secret security clearance or the ability to obtain and maintain one.

Preferred Qualifications

Master of Science or Master of Business Administration degree.
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, cost‑account management, or similar financial‑performance methods.
Experience supporting proposals, estimates, negotiations, contract modifications, or follow‑on program capture.
Project Management Professional certification or equivalent formal program‑management training.
Experience with program scheduling, enterprise resource planning, or product‑lifecycle management systems.
Experience leading engineering teams to develop mechanical and pyrotechnic components and systems.

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.

This role is part of our Hypersonics and Strategic Missile Defense business, which designs, develops, and delivers highly dependable missile systems for hypersonic and strategic missile defense missions. We provide integrated, mission-ready hardware that brings together multiple technologies into unified systems engineered to perform in demanding operational environments. Our tip‑to‑tail capabilities include payload protection and deployment systems, propulsion systems, aerodynamic interstage systems, separation systems, missile subsystems, shroud systems, launch systems, and payload integration solutions.

In this role, you will lead defense programs from initial planning through qualification, production, and delivery, ensuring performance across cost, schedule, technical, quality, and contractual objectives. You will coordinate cross‑functional execution, guide program decisions, manage risks and opportunities, and serve as a primary interface with customers and internal stakeholders to deliver mission‑critical missile, propulsion, launch, payload, and defense‑system hardware that meets program objectives.

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 organizations.
Serves as a primary interface for customers, prime contractors, government stakeholders, suppliers, and internal leadership.
Identifies technical, programmatic, supply‑chain, cost, and schedule risks and drives mitigation and recovery plans.
Leads composite material development, fabrication, and integration activities to ensure alignment with program technical, cost, and schedule objectives.
Coordinates cross‑functional execution for composite tooling, layup, curing, inspection, and qualification processes to meet stringent defense and flight‑hardware requirements.
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.
Role requires frequent travel up to 50% to our California and Utah facilities.

Required Qualifications

Bachelor of Science in Engineering, Business Program Management, or related field, or an equivalent combination of education and directly relevant experience.
5+ years of experience supporting or managing aerospace, defense, advanced manufacturing, or similarly complex technical programs.
A current U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Secret security clearance or the ability to obtain and maintain one.

Preferred Qualifications

Master of Science or Master of Business Administration degree.
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, cost‑account management, or similar financial‑performance methods.
Experience supporting proposals, estimates, negotiations, contract modifications, or follow‑on program capture.
Project Management Professional certification or equivalent formal program‑management training.
Experience with program scheduling, enterprise resource planning, or product‑lifecycle management systems.
Experience leading engineering teams to develop mechanical and pyrotechnic components and systems.