Senior DoD Systems Development Program Lead

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc.; Birmingham (AL); On-site; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) Savings Plan

Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP)

Paid Time-Off (PTO)

Holidays

Education Reimbursement

Disability Insurance

Job summary

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in Birmingham, Alabama, seeks a Senior Program Manager to lead an active early-phase DoD systems development program within the Weapons and Defense Solutions Group. You will drive technical, schedule, cost, and contractual performance across IPTs, suppliers, and DoD stakeholders.

You must have 12+ years in program management, DoD experience, and the ability to obtain a DoD SECRET clearance.

Qualifications

• 12+ years of experience in project/program management.
• Direct experience managing programs with TAGM, DEVCOM, C5ISR, or other U.S. Army R&D organizations.
• Experience managing DoD OTA contracts (CPFF and FFP).
• Familiarity with DoD acquisition processes, requirements flow-down, and configuration management.
• Strong financial management skills, including earned value management (EVM).
• Experience coordinating development and test activities across contractor facilities and government ranges/labs.

Responsibilities

• Lead execution of an early-phase DoD systems development program already in progress, ensuring alignment with technical, schedule, cost, and contractual objectives.
• Manage all lifecycle phases including requirements refinement, detailed design, integration, ground test, flight test, transition to production, and sustainment planning.
• Direct internal engineering teams and oversee subcontractors and key suppliers; ensure coordinated performance across integrated product teams (IPTs).
• Serve as the primary program interface with DoD customers, delivering regular technical, financial, and schedule reports.
• Monitor technical maturity, risks, opportunities, and evolving capability needs; drive corrective actions and strategic planning as required.
• Support proposal development including requirements analysis, technical content, cost estimates, and customer-facing documentation.
• Coordinate with senior leadership on program status, resource needs, and strategic decisions.
• Ensure compliance with DoD processes, contractual obligations, and internal Kratos program management standards.
• Experience overseeing low-rate and full-rate production of complex defense hardware, including coordination across manufacturing, quality, supply chain, and government stakeholders.
• Experience leading Production Readiness Reviews (PRRs), Manufacturing Readiness Assessments (MRAs), First Article Testing (FAT), and quality assurance processes.
• Demonstrated ability to manage aggressive production schedules and mitigate manufacturing risks.

Skills

Program management

DoD program management

SECRET clearance

Earned value management

Hardware development

Production planning

Contract management

Risk management

Cross-functional leadership

Leadership of IPTs

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s in engineering/physics

PMP certification

Job description

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in Birmingham, Alabama, seeks a Senior Program Manager to lead an active early-phase DoD systems development program within the Weapons and Defense Solutions Group. You will drive technical, schedule, cost, and contractual performance across IPTs, suppliers, and DoD stakeholders.

You must have 12+ years in program management, DoD experience, and the ability to obtain a DoD SECRET clearance.