Senior Program Manager

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc.; Herndon (VA); On-site; USD 225,000 - 275,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Life/ADD & Short/Long Term Disability

401(k) Savings Plan

Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP)

Paid Time-Off (PTO)

Holidays

Education Reimbursement

Job summary

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc is seeking a Sr. Program Manager to lead the integration of a Satellite Ground Resource Management system, including transition, recovery, and multi-orbit deployments.

Based in Herndon, VA, the role requires TS/SCI clearance with polygraph. You will oversee budget, schedule, risk, and subcontractor management across a complex, multi-vendor program.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience managing large federal/defense aerospace programs with schedule and budget challenges.
• Extensive experience designing, deploying or modernizing Satellite Ground Resource Management systems.
• 10+ years of leadership managing multi-TPs and subcontractors in complex development programs.
• Experience with multi-orbit/multi-mission GRM architectures and integration.
• Proven ability to manage subcontractors, customer relationships, and contract scope.
• Strong AVI/IMS scheduling, EV metrics, and what-if analysis skills (Monte Carlo).
• Bachelor of Science in a STEM field; TS/SCI with IC polygraph.
• PMP/Scrum/SAFe certifications preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead transition, recovery, integration, and execution of a multi-orbit Satellite GRM system.
• Manage budget, schedule, and risks; drive ECPs and scope control.
• Coordinate with customers, subcontractors, and internal teams to meet mission objectives.
• Develop and present briefings to executives and customers; maintain IMS baseline.
• Ensure high-quality system integration and testing across multiple products and vendors.

Skills

Program recovery & Turnaround

Satellite GRM architecture

Team leadership & management

Multi-orbit/multi-mission integrations

Subcontractor management

Customer management

Contractual & scope management

Program transition planning

IMS baseline recovery & EV

Systems integration & V&V

Risk & opportunity management

Agile & SAFe/DevOps

Budget forecasting & EV metrics

Stakeholder briefings

Education

Bachelor of Science in STEM

Tools

Jira, Bitbucket, Confluence, Gitlab, Artifactory

Job description

Readiness Delivered. Kratos is a leader in assured aerospace communication solutions and services. We are cutting-edge innovators and creative problem solvers working collaboratively to solve our customers’ toughest challenges. Our culture is fast-paced and innovative. We are a trusted partner—driven by doing the right thing and achieving maximum success for our customers, our partners and ourselves. Kratos is seeking an elite, mission driven, seasoned Sr. Program Manager (PM) to take the lead of a critical, high profile Satellite Ground Resource Management architecture integration effort. This Sr PM will lead a transition, recovery, integration, and execution of a complex, multi-orbit Satellite Ground Resource Management System from its current contract owners. This program will have elements of sustainment, modifications, discrepancy resolution, system enhancement, and new development for future system utilization.

This role will be based out of Herndon VA and requires the candidate to have a current TS/SCI, with an Intelligence Community Polygraph.

Experience and Skills

• Program recovery & Turnaround – Minimum 8 years of experience managing large ($100M+) federal/defense aerospace programs, with a proven track record of successfully taking over, restructuring, and executing programs enduring significant schedule delays, and budget overruns
• Satellite Ground Segment Architecture – Extensive experience leading the design, deployment, and/or modernization of Satellite Ground Resource Management (GRM) systems
• Team Development, Leadership, & Management – Minimum 10 years of experience, leading and managing a development project/program that has multiple technical and administrative leaders and managers, with multiple Integrated Product Teams, and subcontractors, developing and delivering Satellite GRMs
• Multi-Orbit/Multi-Mission Integrations – Demonstrated experience managing the design, development, and deployment of scalable GRM architectures supporting multi-mission or multi-constellation architectures
• Subcontractor management – Proven ability to effectively manage subcontractors on relevant type aerospace development projects/programs, assessing their design and performance, while building a collaborative and teammate environment
• Customer management – Proven ability to build a collaborative working relationship with the customer, earning their trust, and being able to guide them to solutions and requirement definitions required to meet the intent of their missions, including bridging gaps in the requirements they have provided
• Contractual & Scope Management – Proven ability to prevent scope creep, leverage opportunities for Engineering Change Proposals (ECPs) to enhance the deliverable solution, properly map Statement of Work requirements, and handle the requirements of Cost-Plus and Firm-Fixed Price contracts and modifications
• Project/Program Transition – Experience in defining and successfully executing a transition plan for inheriting an aerospace program, preferably one that has GFE, GFI, product licenses, and sustainment/operation efforts that must be sufficiently maintained during transition
• Integrated Master Schedule (IMS) Baseline Recovery – Proven effective Earned Value implementation skills, and project/program action/tasking scheduling skills. Able to effectively manage critical path, conduction what-if analysis and mitigation strategies (like Monte Carlo Simulations) to ensure project deliveries are accomplished on time
• Systems Integration & Cross-subcontractor Testing – Proven strong project/program management skills, with sufficient technical acumen in software-intensive systems integration, verification and validation (V&V), ensuring software and systems integration between the various products (including crypto), systems, and subcontractors effectively integrate.
• Risk & Opportunity Management – Proven effectivity in ability to establish Risks, Assumptions, Issues, Dependencies (RAID) registries and implementing effective and aggressive risk burn down and mitigation plans. Proven ability to capitalize on project/program opportunities to improve the project/program cost, schedule and or technical solution
• Scheduling & Execution Methods – Proven experience in executing projects/programs with an Agile methodology, having Sprints, and the associated reviews, and Program Increment planning cycles, effectively integrated with a Waterfall schedule to meet key deliveries/milestones
• Briefings & Presentations – Seasoned and skilled in developing and presenting effective briefings, for customers, executives, subcontractors, and the project/program team.
• Budget Management & Forecasting – Extensive experience in estimating, tracking, and forecasting project/program budgets, using Estimates-At-Complete (EACs), Estimates-To-Complete (ETCs), Cost-At-Complete (CAC), and implementing an adequate level of Earned Value to effectively manage the project’s execution versus its plan
• Education – Bachelor of Science Degree in a STEM field or equivalent in combination with experience in directly relatable project/program management experiences
• Have and able to maintain a TS/SCI with an Intelligence Community Polygraph

Preferred Skills/Experience

• Experience implementing and/or executing a DCMA approved Earn Value Management System
• Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification
• SCRUM Master execution experience and/or Certification
• SAFe execution experience and/or Certification
• Experience with satellite Command & Control (C2) and/or Telemetry, Tracking, & Control (TT&C)
• Experienced with GRMs supporting various orbits (LEO, MEO, GEO, …)
• Master of Science Degree in a STEM field
• Master of Art Degree in Business Administration
• Experienced in Agile/Dev/Sec/Ops methodologies
• Satellite Ground Operations experience
• Secure Cloud implementation of Satellite GRM or similar
• Ground Entry Point connection/function/integration to GRM system
• Knowledge of various C2 software/solutions
• Knowledge of various GRM solutions
• Experience with Atlassian Tools (Jira, Bitbucket, Confluence), Gitlab, and Artifactory
• Experienced with Qualified Backup Data for Earned Value

#LI-Onsite

Competitive salary based on experience and education

Salary Range: $225,000-$275,000

Kratos is valued for our ability to design and deliver leading edge, resilient solutions for aerospace communication, control, awareness and mission success across a continuum of offerings—from commercial to tailored custom solutions and integrated programs. Customers trust us to stay relevant and know we are in it for the long-haul. We bring both the capability and confidence that our customers value and depend on. And we always deliver.

• Life/ADD & Short/Long Term Disability Insurance
• 401(k) Savings Plan
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP)
• Paid Time-Off (PTO)
• Holidays
• Education Reimbursement

Kratos Defense is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race,color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, pregnancy, genetic information, disability, status as aprotected veteran, or any other protected category under applicable federal, state, and local laws.

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Kratos Defense is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race,color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, pregnancy, genetic information, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other protected category under applicable federal, state, and local laws.

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