Program Operations Specialist

Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory; Laurel (MD); On-site; USD 62,900 - 180,300; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous retirement contributions

Education assistance program

Flexible spending accounts

Job summary

Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, is seeking a Program Operations Specialist to provide operational leadership across various projects. This role requires coordination with program leadership and effective communication with diverse stakeholders to ensure project success.

The ideal candidate will have a Bachelor's degree and relevant experience, alongside a Top Secret security clearance, with comprehensive benefits including paid time off and educational assistance.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of relevant experience coordinating project operations or 10+ years without a degree.
• Proficient in reviewing and organizing technical information.
• Strong communication skills and ability to prioritize competing efforts.

Responsibilities

• Partner with Program Managers to ensure seamless program operations.
• Track schedules and milestones to ensure commitments are met.
• Support project kickoff activities and execution reviews.

Skills

Customer service

Problem solving

Attention to detail

Strong communication skills

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Job description

Do you enjoy working on challenging projects? Are you skilled in customer service, problem solving, and have a high attention to detail? Do you desire participating on groundbreaking projects? We are seeking a Program Operations Specialist to support the Force Projection Sector's (FPS) varied portfolio of projects. You will join a dedicated team of business professionals that provides operational leadership and project coordination across all phases of the project lifecycle. In this role, you will partner closely with program leadership, technical staff, and support organizations to ensure projects are executed efficiently, sponsor requirements are met, and operational activities remain aligned with program objectives.

Program and Project Operations

• Partner with Program Managers (PMs) and Project Managers (PjMs) to ensure seamless program operations, establish priorities, mitigate operational risks, drive timely delivery of contractual obligations, and oversee day‑to‑day project execution from initiation through closeout.
• Develop and maintain standard operating procedures (SOPs) that promote consistency, efficiency, and successful project delivery.
• Monitor and provide oversight and coordination of operational compliance efforts.

Program and Project Administration

• Develop a thorough understanding of program objectives, technical efforts, and sponsor priorities to effectively support program execution and communicate program activities to internal and external stakeholders.
• Prepare and organize information for internal and external program reviews, technical exchanges, and sponsor engagements, including content review of technical materials prepared by technical staff.
• Serve as a key liaison among program leadership, technical staff, sponsors, and stakeholders to facilitate communication, track actions, and drive successful outcomes.

Logistics, Collaboration, and Operational Leadership

• Collaborate with APL support organizations, including security, IT, quality, communications, procurement, property, and administrative services, to secure resources, coordinate logistics, and resolve operational issues that impact project execution.
• Lead coordination of meetings, reviews, facilities, security, schedules, and other program activities to ensure milestones and commitments are achieved.

Contractual Deliverables and Performance Management

• Manage contractual and programmatic deliverables by tracking schedules, milestones, and stakeholder inputs to ensure commitments are met.
• Help identify potential execution risks and recommend corrective actions to maintain schedule, quality, and sponsor satisfaction.

Technical Support and Reporting

• Develop sufficient understanding of program technical efforts to effectively communicate objectives, impacts, and accomplishments to multiple audiences.
• Support project kickoff activities, task planning, Statements of Work (SOWs), execution reviews, and operational reporting to ensure alignment with sponsor requirements and project objectives.

Proposal Development

• Collaborate with PMs and FMs to support proposal development activities, facilitate technical information flow, assist with review processes, and help ensure proposal quality and compliance with customer requirements.

Additional Responsibilities

Perform other duties as assigned in support of program, sector, and organizational objectives.

Minimum Qualifications

• Have a Bachelor's Degree and 3+ years of relevant experience coordinating project operations, or 10+ years of relevant experience coordinating project operations in lieu of a degree.
• Proven ability to review and organize technical information and provide a critical review of documents for technical content and style while also being able to create presentations from existing material for high‑level briefings.
• Possess strong communication skills with demonstrated experience in effectively communicating with all levels of management, military and government officials.
• Proven ability to be a self‑starter with a high level of initiative and can effectively prioritize competing efforts and independently solve moderately complex problems.
• Are willing to travel occasionally and work in a closed area as needed.
• Hold an active Top Secret (TS) security clearance and can ultimately obtain a TS/SCI level clearance. If selected, you will be subject to a government security clearance investigation and must meet the requirements for access to classified information. Eligibility requirements include U.S. citizenship.

Preferred Qualifications

• An Active TS/SCI security clearance.
• A demonstrated proficiency in tracking, monitoring and updating program schedules, milestones and/or contract deliverables.

Benefits

APL offers generous benefits, including a robust education assistance program, unparalleled retirement contributions, and a healthy work/life balance. The comprehensive benefits package includes retirement plans, paid time off, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short‑term disability, long‑term disability, flexible spending accounts, education assistance, and training and development. APL may offer additional compensation such as bonuses, sign‑on bonuses, relocation benefits, locality allowances or discretionary payments for exceptional performance.

Equal Employment Opportunity

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, creed, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, occupation, marital or familial status, political opinion, personal appearance, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. APL is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals of all abilities, including those with disabilities. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate in any part of the hiring process, please contact [e-mail].

Compensation

Minimum Rate: $62,900 Annually
Maximum Rate: $180,300 Annually