Program Manager (Technical)

OKSI; Torrance (CA); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 185,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

Three weeks of vacation

401K – 5% employer contribution

Educational assistance

Professional development opportunities

Job summary

OKSI is hiring Program Managers across a full career ladder, from entry-level coordination to senior, portfolio-level leadership. You will own programs from proposal through contract closeout, coordinating engineers, technicians, and subcontractors while guiding scope, budgets, and compliance in defense and aerospace projects.

The role involves leading cross-disciplinary teams, drafting communications, conducting reviews, and presenting to government program officers and executives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field. Master's preferred for PM III and above.
• Basic to expert understanding of hardware/software development cycles and compliance frameworks (ITAR, CMMC), scaling with level
• Experience ranges from 5 years in a technical or administrative support role (PM I) up to 15+ years of progressive technical program management experience (PM V), preferably in defense, aerospace, or government contracting
• Eligibility to obtain and maintain a DoD Secret or higher clearance

Responsibilities

• Coordinate scheduling, action-item tracking, and documentation across program lifecycles.
• Understand hardware, software, and systems to troubleshoot with engineers and define scope, budgets, and change control.
• Direct communications between engineers, technicians, and subcontractors across functions.
• Draft communications and serve as the primary contact for government program officers and executives.
• Lead program reviews, technical briefings, and milestone approvals.
• Track budgeted vs actual costs and manage forecasting and earned value management.
• Help with ITAR, CMMC, FAR/DFARS compliance and risk management.

Skills

Communication skills

Organizational skills

Team leadership

Mentoring

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or related technical field

Tools

Odoo

ERP/CRM platforms

CPFF/FFP/T&M knowledge

ITAR/EAR compliance knowledge

Job description

About OKSI

At OKSI, we take ownership of programs from first contract award through final delivery, and we see them through. If you want a place to grow your career while doing meaningful, mission-driven work in defense and aerospace, this is where you belong.

Description

About OKSI

At OKSI, we take ownership of programs from first contract award through final delivery, and we see them through. If you want a place to grow your career while doing meaningful, mission-driven work in defense and aerospace, this is where you belong. OKSI is hiring Program Managers across our full career ladder, from entry-level coordination through senior, portfolio-level leadership, to support programs across our core technology areas: AI Systems, Environmental Sensing, EO/IR Systems, Seekers & PGKs, and Soldier-Borne Systems. We're hiring broadly here: the level, title, and compensation you land at will be based on your experience, so whether you're early in your PM career or a seasoned program leader, we want to hear from you.

What You'll Get To Do

• Support scheduling, action-item tracking, and documentation as a coordinator, scaling up to owning full program lifecycles from proposal through contract closeout
• Get hands-on with the technical side, understanding how hardware, software, and systems fit together well enough to troubleshoot issues alongside engineers, scaling up to defining program scope, budgets, and change control for complex, multi-year efforts
• Coordinate communications between engineers, technicians, and subcontractors, scaling up to directing multidisciplinary teams across engineering, quality, operations, and contracts
• Draft communications and support client-facing meetings, scaling up to serving as the primary point of contact for government program officers and executive stakeholders
• Lead program reviews, technical briefings, and milestone approvals at senior levels
• Track budgeted versus actual costs, scaling up to owning full program or portfolio financial performance, forecasting, and earned value management
• Support risk logging and compliance documentation (ITAR, CMMC, FAR/DFARS), scaling up to leading risk strategy and audit readiness across a portfolio
• Assist with proposal documentation and submission packages, including writing or reviewing technical content alongside engineers, scaling up to leading technical proposal development, capture strategy, and pricing for new business

Requirements

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

(varies by level, PM I through PM V)

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field. Master's preferred for PM III and above
• Basic to expert understanding of hardware/software development cycles and compliance frameworks (ITAR, CMMC), scaling with level
• Experience ranges from 5 years in a technical or administrative support role (PM I) up to 15+ years of progressive technical program management experience (PM V), preferably in defense, aerospace, or government contracting
• Eligibility to obtain and maintain a DoD Secret or higher clearance

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with project scheduling tools (Odoo), with proficiency in ERP/CRM platforms expected at senior levels
• Working knowledge of government contract types (CPFF, FFP, T&M), FAR/DFARS, and export controls (ITAR/EAR), deepening with seniority
• At senior levels: demonstrated experience with multi-million-dollar program ownership, EVM, and P&L accountability
• Prior experience mentoring or leading project teams

DESIRED COMPETENCIES

• Strong organizational, written, and verbal communication skills
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and adapt to evolving program needs
• Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment
• Sound judgment balancing technical, financial, and customer priorities

Compensation And Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage fully paid by the employer for employees
• Three weeks of vacation to start
• Automatic company contribution to 401K – 5% of earned wages (no matching required)
• Educational assistance and professional development opportunities
• Program Manager I: $90,000 - $145,000
• Program Manager II: $140,000 – $165,000
• Program Manager III: $160,000 – $185,000
• Program Manager IV: $180,000 – $220,000
• Program Manager V: $215,000 – $245,000

Why OKSI?

• See your work fielded fast. Get hands-on with hardware and watch it deployed to customers within months, not years.
• Build next-generation defense technology. Our engineering work protects warfighters, reduces collateral damage, and safeguards civilians.
• Speed and Accuracy We move quickly, and you'll see your work through from concept to deployment — not just one slice of the pipeline; no process bottlenecks we move with speed and agility !
• Flexible schedule Working at OKSI provides you with a unique opportunity to see fruition of your work while still having a real work-life balance with our hybrid schedule options.
• Professional Growth . OKSI is expanding and growing, which means faster-than-typical opportunities to advance your career.

We provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities in the application and hiring process.

The person hired will have access to information and items subject to U.S. export controls, and therefore, must either be a “U.S. person” as defined by 22 C.F.R.

This employer participates in E-Verify.