Senior Defense Program Manager: Capacity & Execution

Jobtailor; Arizona; On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Jobtailor in the United States is seeking a senior Program Manager to lead defense programs, ensuring cost, schedule, and technical performance are aligned with government standards. The role requires active secret clearance and U.S.

citizenship, with extensive experience in large-scale production and complex development programs. You will manage risk, coordinate cross-functional teams, and develop capacity expansion strategies while maintaining governance and enterprise-level reporting.

Qualifications

• Must have program/project management experience across large-scale defense programs.
• Experience leading production programs and/or complex development programs with parallel production.
• Experience managing cost, schedule, and technical performance for large-scale programs.
• Experience with EVMS or similar tools.
• Active and transferable U.S. government-issued security clearance required prior to start date.
• U.S. citizenship required to be eligible for clearance.
• Program Management certification level 4 or ability to achieve within 6 months preferred.

Responsibilities

• Serve as accountable and responsible leader for program cost, schedule, and technical performance.
• Maintain financial integrity through CAS, EVMS, and FAR/DFARS provisions.
• Drive program execution through risk management, schedule analysis, and continuous improvement.
• Align resource planning and internal capacity allocation with strategic business priorities.
• Coordinate interactions between Capacity Growth Office, stakeholders, and programs.
• Develop and implement strategies to expand production-line capacity and capability.
• Establish program governance structures following CORE and RLPM.
• Maintain consolidated metric dashboards, integrated master schedules, and enterprise-level progress reporting.
• Identify and implement program metrics and actions across the Internal Capacity portfolio.
• Manage risk, opportunity, cost, quality, and schedule performance.
• Communicate, influence, and present to leadership levels.
• Travel domestically as needed.
• Partner with the CGO and program senior leadership to set strategy, vision, and direction.
• Respond to customer performance feedback and actions/requests in a timely, comprehensive, and accurate manner.

Skills

Program Management

Cost Management

Risk Management

Schedule Analysis

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Strategic Planning

Communication

Influencing Stakeholders

Relationship Building

Production Capacity Expansion

Technical Performance Management

Metric Dashboard Maintenance

Integrated Master Schedules

Program Governance Structures

Complex Development Programs

Education

Advanced Degree in related field

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Program Management Certification Level 4

Active Security Clearance (US)

Current Secret security clearance

Tools

Earned Value Management Systems (EVMS)

Job description

Jobtailor in the United States is seeking a senior Program Manager to lead defense programs, ensuring cost, schedule, and technical performance are aligned with government standards. The role requires active secret clearance and U.S.

citizenship, with extensive experience in large-scale production and complex development programs. You will manage risk, coordinate cross-functional teams, and develop capacity expansion strategies while maintaining governance and enterprise-level reporting.