Program Manager, Special Projects

Socket.dev; Jonesborough (TN); On-site; USD 131,000 - 207,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, and retirement plans

Job summary

BWX Technologies, Inc. in the United States is seeking a Program Manager, HPDU to lead the execution and performance of the HPDU program at BWXT NOG‑J.

You will coordinate engineering, manufacturing, operations, quality, supply chain, and finance to meet program commitments and maintain a balanced focus on cost, schedule, and risk. The role requires strong stakeholder communication, robust scheduling capability, and the ability to drive cross‑functional action while maintaining program integrity

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business, Program/Project Management, Operations, or related discipline from an accredited institution.
• Demonstrated experience managing complex technical, engineering, manufacturing, or government programs.
• Demonstrated ability to manage programs involving significant technical, schedule, cost, and organizational complexity.
• Strong knowledge of program and project management principles, including scope, schedule, cost, risk, change, and stakeholder management.
• Experience developing and managing integrated schedules and major program milestones.
• Experience with program financial management, budgeting, forecasting, and cost performance.
• Demonstrated ability to identify emerging program problems and drive cross-functional corrective action.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Leads overall HPDU program planning, integration, execution, monitoring, and delivery.
• Establishes program objectives, priorities, execution strategy, and performance expectations aligned with contractual and business requirements.
• Maintains accountability for cost, schedule, technical performance, quality, compliance, customer commitments, and risk.
• Integrates engineering, manufacturing, operations, supply chain, quality, finance, contracts, and project controls into a unified execution framework.
• Identifies and resolves cross-functional constraints, competing priorities, technical challenges, and execution risks.
• Develops and maintains the integrated program plan and master schedule, ensuring realistic sequencing, dependencies, milestones, and critical-path management.
• Leads recovery strategies when performance deviates from plan, evaluating downstream impacts across the program lifecycle.
• Manages program financial performance through budgets, forecasts, cost monitoring, earned value principles, and timely communication of material changes.
• Ensures engineering decisions, configuration changes, technical risks, and readiness reviews are aligned with program objectives and downstream impacts.
• Synchronizes operational and manufacturing readiness, removing production constraints and supporting recovery when needed.
• Oversees supplier performance, critical procurements, long-lead items, and supplier risk mitigation strategies.
• Ensures quality requirements, inspection, testing, documentation, and nonconformance management are fully integrated and compliant.
• Owns program risk and opportunity management, ensuring risks are characterized, mitigated, reviewed, escalated, and incorporated into plans.
• Serves as primary customer interface, managing relationships, communications, commitments, challenges, and recovery strategies.
• Administers contractual scope, change proposals, modifications, and ensures alignment of changes across baselines and documentation.
• Ensures disciplined change and configuration management, preventing uncontrolled changes and maintaining decision records.
• Leads the program team, establishing expectations, coaching talent, enabling escalation of concerns, promoting collaboration, and modeling BWXT values.

Skills

Cross-functional leadership

Program management

Written and verbal communication

Stakeholder management

Risk management

Negotiation

Analytical skills

Problem-solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering/Business/PM/Operations

PMP certification

Tools

EVMS

Job description

At BWX Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: BWXT), we are People Strong, Innovation Driven. A U.S.-based company, BWXT is a Fortune 1000 and Defense News Top 100 manufacturing and engineering innovator that provides safe and effective nuclear solutions for global security, clean energy, environmental restoration, nuclear medicine and space exploration. With more than 7,800 employees, BWXT has 14 major operating sites in the U.S., Canada and the U.K. We are the sole manufacturer of naval nuclear reactors for U.S. submarines and aircraft carriers. Our company supplies precision manufactured components, services and fuel for the commercial nuclear power industry across four continents. Our joint ventures provide environmental restoration and operations management at a dozen U.S. Department of Energy and NASA facilities. BWXT’s technology is driving advances in medical radioisotope production in North America and microreactors for various defense and space applications. For more information, visit www.bwxt.com. Follow us on LinkedIn, X, Facebook and Instagram.

Welcome to BWXT
We believe in empowering our employees and cultivating a dynamic workplace that fosters growth and collaboration. Whether you’re an experienced professional or just starting your career, you'll find opportunities to challenge yourself, learn from seasoned experts, and contribute to nuclear innovation. We required a diverse range of skills to support our work in the markets that drive our business and welcome candidates from all backgrounds and life stages who are passionate about making a difference.

Position Overview

The Program Manager – HPDU leads overall execution and performance of the HPDU program at BWXT NOG‑J. Serving as the primary integrator, the role coordinates technical, operational, financial, contractual, quality, supply chain, and schedule activities to meet program commitments. The manager develops execution strategy, translates customer and contractual requirements into actionable plans, and ensures risks, issues, and opportunities are identified and resolved early. Operating at both strategic and tactical levels, the role balances technical understanding with business objectives, cost, schedule, and risk. The manager maintains strong stakeholder interfaces and provides disciplined, timely, decision‑focused assessments to senior leadership.

Location

On‑site in Jonesborough, Tennessee

Your Day to Day as a Program Manager, HPDU

• Leads overall HPDU program planning, integration, execution, monitoring, and delivery.
• Establishes program objectives, priorities, execution strategy, and performance expectations aligned with contractual and business requirements.
• Maintains accountability for cost, schedule, technical performance, quality, compliance, customer commitments, and risk.
• Integrates engineering, manufacturing, operations, supply chain, quality, finance, contracts, and project controls into a unified execution framework.
• Identifies and resolves cross‑functional constraints, competing priorities, technical challenges, and execution risks.
• Develops and maintains the integrated program plan and master schedule, ensuring realistic sequencing, dependencies, milestones, and critical‑path management.
• Leads recovery strategies when performance deviates from plan, evaluating downstream impacts across the program lifecycle.
• Manages program financial performance through budgets, forecasts, cost monitoring, earned value principles, and timely communication of material changes.
• Ensures engineering decisions, configuration changes, technical risks, and readiness reviews are aligned with program objectives and downstream impacts.
• Synchronizes operational and manufacturing readiness, removing production constraints and supporting recovery when needed.
• Oversees supplier performance, critical procurements, long‑lead items, and supplier risk mitigation strategies.
• Ensures quality requirements, inspection, testing, documentation, and nonconformance management are fully integrated and compliant.
• Owns program risk and opportunity management, ensuring risks are characterized, mitigated, reviewed, escalated, and incorporated into plans.
• Serves as primary customer interface, managing relationships, communications, commitments, challenges, and recovery strategies.
• Administers contractual scope, change proposals, modifications, and ensures alignment of changes across baselines and documentation.
• Ensures disciplined change and configuration management, preventing uncontrolled changes and maintaining decision records.
• Leads the program team, establishing expectations, coaching talent, enabling escalation of concerns, promoting collaboration, and modeling BWXT values.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business, Program/Project Management, Operations, or a related discipline from an accredited institution.
• Significant progressive experience managing complex technical, engineering, manufacturing, or government programs.
• Demonstrated experience leading cross‑functional teams in a matrixed organization.
• Demonstrated ability to manage programs involving significant technical, schedule, cost, and organizational complexity.
• Strong knowledge of program and project management principles, including scope, schedule, cost, risk, change, and stakeholder management.
• Experience developing and managing integrated schedules and major program milestones.
• Experience with program financial management, budgeting, forecasting, and cost performance.
• Demonstrated ability to identify emerging program problems and drive cross‑functional corrective action.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with technical personnel, operations personnel, executives, customers, and external stakeholders.
• Strong analytical, organizational, negotiation, and problem‑solving capabilities.
• Demonstrated ability to operate effectively with incomplete information and make timely, risk‑informed decisions.
• Ability to manage multiple competing priorities in a complex, highly regulated environment.
• Ability to meet applicable BWXT employment, security, access, and regulatory requirements associated with the position.
• Must be a U.S. citizen.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Department of Energy (D.O.E.) security clearance.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's or advanced degree in an engineering discipline.
• Master's degree in Engineering, Business Administration, Program Management, or a related field.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification or comparable program management credential.
• Experience managing programs within the nuclear, defense, Department of Energy, Department of Defense, aerospace, or other highly regulated industries.
• Experience with nuclear component or complex engineered‑product manufacturing.
• Experience managing major government contracts.
• Experience with Earned Value Management Systems (EVMS).
• Experience with Integrated Master Scheduling and critical‑path analysis.
• Experience with manufacturing planning, production control, supply chain management, and supplier performance.
• Experience with design‑to‑production transition and manufacturing readiness.
• Experience leading technical and programmatic risk‑management processes.
• Experience managing contract changes, proposals, negotiations, and customer commitments.
• Familiarity with applicable nuclear quality requirements and regulated manufacturing environments.
• Previous leadership experience involving multiple project managers or major program workstreams.

What We Offer

• Competitive salary and benefits package, including health, dental, and retirement plans.
• Flexible work schedules and paid time off to promote a healthy work‑life balance.
• Professional development opportunities, including mentorship programs and sponsorship for continuing education.
• An inclusive atmosphere that celebrates new perspectives and supports collaboration between different generations.
• The chance to be part of a mission‑driven organization making a positive impact on the future of energy.
• Opportunities for continuous learning and training to grow throughout your career!

Pay: $131,480- $207,000

The base salary range for this position in Tennessee (US‑TN) at the start of employment is expected to be between $131,480 and $207,000 per year. However, the base salary offered is based on local job market factors, and may vary further depending on factors specific to the selected job candidate, such as job‑related knowledge, skills, experience, and other objective business considerations. Subject to these considerations, the total compensation package for this position may also include other elements, such as an annual cash incentive in addition to a full range of medical, retirement, and/or other benefits. Details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided at such time the selected job candidate receives an offer of employment. If hired, the selected job candidate will be employed 'at‑will,’ unless employed at a location and in a position subject to a collective bargaining agreement. The company further reserves the right to modify base salary (as well as any other discretionary payment, compensation or benefit program) at any time, including for reasons related to individual performance, company or individual department/team performance, and other market factors.

As a federal government contractor, BWX Technologies, Inc. and any subsidiaries, affiliates and related entities (“BWXT” or the “Company”) complies with all federal, state, and local laws and customer requirements regarding health and safety protocols. As such, all BWXT new hires will be required to adhere to applicable Company health and safety requirements within the workplace as a condition of employment.

All candidates must be U.S. citizens. Selected applicants are required to successfully complete a pre‑employment check and drug screening. In addition, the position may require the ability to obtain and maintain applicable federal eligibility requirements for access to classified/sensitive information or matter which involves an extensive criminal and financial background investigation, drug test, previous employment, and reference verifications.

BWXT is committed to the concept of Equal Employment Opportunity. We have established procedures to ensure that all personnel actions such as recruitment, compensation, career development, benefits, company‑sponsored training and social recreational programs are administered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, protected veteran or other protected status.