Senior Program Director

Rainier Recruiting; Denver (CO); On-site; USD 200,000 - 250,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Base salary and incentives

Equity opportunities

Medical, dental and vision coverage

401(k) with company match

Parental leave

Paid time off

Company holidays

Life and disability insurance

Groundbreaking technology programs

Job summary

Rainier Recruiting seeks a Program Director to lead a large-scale engineering program from concept through deployment, coordinating engineering, operations, supply chain, and construction to ensure on-time and on-budget delivery.

The role demands a track record in regulated, capital-intensive environments, strong stakeholder communication, and a strategic yet hands-on leadership style. Denver onsite with relocation available and a competitive package.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Physics, or a related technical discipline.
• 10+ years of experience leading large, complex engineering programs.
• Experience with substantial capital investment and multidisciplinary teams.
• Knowledge of systems engineering principles and large-scale project execution.
• Experience in regulated or safety-critical industries.

Responsibilities

• Lead the overall strategy, planning, and execution of a large-scale engineering program.
• Provide day-to-day leadership for cross-functional teams including engineering, operations, manufacturing, supply chain, and project management.
• Direct the development of complex system architectures from concept definition through integration and deployment.
• Establish technical requirements, execution plans, schedules, and performance metrics.
• Manage program budgets, forecasting, resource planning, and capital expenditures.
• Oversee procurement activities and vendor relationships for critical-path equipment and long-lead components.
• Guide projects through conceptual design, detailed engineering, fabrication, construction, assembly, testing, and commissioning.
• Partner with safety, quality, regulatory, and compliance teams to ensure adherence to applicable industry standards and requirements.
• Identify program risks and implement mitigation strategies to maintain schedule and budget objectives.
• Communicate program status, challenges, and opportunities to executive leadership and key stakeholders.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on program execution, quality, and operational efficiency.

Skills

Leadership

Systems engineering

Stakeholder management

Regulated environments

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Physics, or related field

Master’s degree or PhD (preferred)

Job description

Program Director — Advanced Engineering Systems

Location: Denver, CO (Onsite, relocation available)

Compensation & Benefits

• Base Salary: $200,000–$250,000
• Performance incentives and long-term equity opportunities
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
• 401(k) with company match
• Paid parental leave
• Flexible paid time off
• Company-paid holidays
• Life and disability insurance
• Opportunity to contribute to groundbreaking technology programs with significant real-world impact

About the Opportunity

A well-funded, rapidly growing advanced technology company is seeking a Program Director to lead the development and execution of a highly complex, large-scale engineering program. This is a rare opportunity to oversee a transformative technology initiative from concept through deployment while leading multidisciplinary teams across engineering, science, operations, supply chain, and construction.

The ideal candidate will bring a strong background managing large technical programs within highly regulated, engineering-intensive environments and a proven ability to deliver complex projects involving significant capital investment.

Position Summary

The Program Director will be responsible for defining, planning, and executing a large-scale engineering program with budgets ranging from hundreds of millions to over a billion dollars. This individual will provide leadership across technical and operational functions, ensuring successful delivery of critical systems while maintaining quality, schedule, budget, and safety objectives.

This role requires a strategic leader capable of managing complex stakeholder relationships, guiding technical decision-making, and driving programs from early-stage development through commissioning and operational readiness.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the overall strategy, planning, and execution of a large-scale engineering program.
• Provide day-to-day leadership for cross-functional teams including engineering, operations, manufacturing, supply chain, and project management.
• Direct the development of complex system architectures from concept definition through integration and deployment.
• Establish technical requirements, execution plans, schedules, and performance metrics.
• Manage program budgets, forecasting, resource planning, and capital expenditures.
• Oversee procurement activities and vendor relationships for critical-path equipment and long-lead components.
• Guide projects through conceptual design, detailed engineering, fabrication, construction, assembly, testing, and commissioning.
• Partner with safety, quality, regulatory, and compliance teams to ensure adherence to applicable industry standards and requirements.
• Identify program risks and implement mitigation strategies to maintain schedule and budget objectives.
• Communicate program status, challenges, and opportunities to executive leadership and key stakeholders.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on program execution, quality, and operational efficiency.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Physics, or a related technical discipline.
• 10+ years of experience leading large, complex engineering programs within highly technical industries.
• Demonstrated success managing programs involving substantial capital investment and multidisciplinary teams.
• Experience guiding products, systems, or technologies from concept through prototype and production/deployment.
• Strong understanding of systems engineering principles and large-scale project execution.
• Experience working in regulated or safety-critical industries.
• Exceptional leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Technical expertise in one or more engineering disciplines such as mechanical, electrical, aerospace, energy, industrial, or systems engineering.
• Ability to balance strategic planning with hands-on program execution.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree or PhD in Engineering or a related technical field.
• Experience leading the design, construction, or deployment of first-of-a-kind systems or infrastructure.
• Familiarity with large-scale energy, aerospace, defense, industrial, advanced manufacturing, or research programs.
• Experience working with regulatory, compliance, safety, or licensing requirements for major engineering projects.
• Proven track record delivering technically complex projects under aggressive timelines.

Rainier Recruiting is an equal opportunity employer and service provider and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, gender, gender identity, national origin, citizenship status, sexual orientation, disability, political affiliation or belief, or any other protected class. We are committed to the principles of Equal Opportunity Employment and are dedicated to making employment decisions based on merit and value, for ourselves, our client companies, and for the candidates we represent. We engage in socially conscious business practices and believe that diverse, equitable, inclusive, and non-biased talent and recruitment processes are foundational to the success of every organization that we partner with.