Senior Program Manager

TRS Staffing Solutions; Saginaw (MI); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Trs Staffing Solutions, Inc. in Saginaw, MI is seeking a Senior Program Manager to lead complex programs within the PMO.

You will oversee planning, governance, and financial performance while mentoring PMO staff and ensuring rigorous EVMS discipline across multiple initiatives. You will manage relationships with customers, OEMs, and prime contractors, driving on-time delivery, risk mitigation, and effective communication with senior leadership.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business, Engineering, Finance, or related field; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 10-15 years of progressive program management or project management experience, with leadership.
• Experience in manufacturing or production environments; PMP certification preferred.
• Advanced knowledge of program management, including scheduling, risk management, and cost/schedule integration.

Responsibilities

• Lead planning, execution, and governance of high-complexity programs with cross-functional needs.
• Oversee program financial performance, EVMS, EACs, forecasting, and cost control.
• Direct supervision of PMO staff, coaching and performance feedback.
• Represent the company in program reviews with customers, OEMs, and prime contractors.
• Manage scope, change control, risk management, and program reporting.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Earned Value Management

Cost and Schedule Integration

Forecasting

Risk Management

Cross-functional Coordination

Mentoring PMO staff

Multi-program management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in business, Engineering, Finance, or related field

Tools

IFS ERP

MS Project

Excel

PowerPoint

Smartsheet

Power BI

Job description

Title: Senior Program Manager

Location: Saginaw, MI

Industry: Defense Manufacturing (industry experience required)

Employment: Full time/Direct hire

Summary

The Senior Program Manager provides leadership, execution oversight, and people management within the Program Management Office (PMO). This role leads high complexity programs that have expanded scope, significant financial impact, cross functional dependencies, or challenging customer environments while also supervising a portion of the PMO staff including assigned Program Managers, Project Managers, and Project Coordinators. The Senior Program Manager functions with a high degree of autonomy, driving successful program delivery, developing PMO talent, and ensuring consistent application of program management standards. The Senior Program Manager manages program level customer, OEM, and prime contractor relationships with autonomy, ensuring effective communication, alignment, and issue resolution. The Senior Program Manager is accountable for advanced program financial performance including EVMS discipline, EAC forecasting, variance analysis, and mentoring PMO staff in cost and schedule integration.

Responsibilities

High Complexity Program Leadership:

• Leads the planning, execution, and governance of programs with elevated complexity, budget or P&L impact, technical challenge, or customer sensitivity. Owns program performance metrics including schedule, cost, risk, and technical outcomes, providing structured updates to the Director as required. Drives resolution of complex program issues and leads recovery plans when performance challenges arise. Ensures strong cross-functional integration with engineering, operations, supply chain, quality, and finance.

Financial Management, EVMS, and Forecasting:

• Oversees program financial performance through disciplined use of Earned Value Management, ensuring accurate measurement of cost and schedule status and maintaining control of the performance baseline. This role develops and updates EACs, analyzes variances, and partners with Finance to align program data with corporate reporting needs. Identifies emerging financial risks early and drives mitigation actions to protect cost, schedule, and margin commitments while also mentoring Program Managers and Project Managers in EVMS fundamentals, forecasting discipline, and cost and schedule integration.

People Leadership:

• Directly supervises assigned Program Managers as designated, Project Managers, and Project Coordinators. Provides coaching, performance feedback, objective setting, development planning, and workload balancing. Participates in hiring and termination decisions alongside the Director. Ensures consistent application of PMO processes, tools, and standards across supervised personnel.

Communication and Executive Reporting:

• The Senior Program Manager serves as an authoritative communicator for assigned programs, representing the companywith clarity and professionalism in all external interactions. This role ensures timely, accurate communication of program status, risks, financial performance, and key decisions to both customers andsenior leadership. Establishes consistent communication rhythms across internal and external stakeholders, drives alignment through transparent and structured updates, and models high quality written and verbal communication standards for the PMO team.

Customer, OEM, and Prime Contractor Engagement:

• Manages program level relationships with customers, OEMs, and prime contractors ensuring clarity of expectations, alignment of deliverables, and timely issue resolution. Represents the company in program reviews and technical discussions. Handles most customer or OEM challenges autonomously, involving the Director only when issues exceed program level authority or carry contractual or enterprise risk. Supports Director led activities related to audits, milestone reviews, and high-level contractual engagements.

Scope, Cost, and Change Control:

• Oversee program work orders, change requests, invoicing coordination, and adherence to financial and contractual requirements. Identifies potential scope expansion and value creation opportunities. Ensures disciplined baseline management and change control practices.

Risk Management and Continuous Improvement:

• Identifies and manages program level risks and leads structured problem solving. Drives continuous improvement within assigned teams. Ensures accurate documentation, configuration control, and technical data management.

Program Reporting and Documentation:

• Oversees preparation of dashboards, communications, and program reviews. Ensure all supervised PMO personnel maintain accurate documentation.

Performs other related duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in business, Engineering, Finance, or related field; or equivalent combination of education and experience. (Advanced degree preferred.)
• Minimum 10-15 years of progressive program management or project management experience, with at least 5 years in a leadership or supervisory capacity.
• Experience in manufacturing or production environments required; heavy plate fabrication or welding-related industries strongly preferred.
• PMP certification preferred.
• Advanced knowledge of program management, including scheduling, risk management, financial oversight, and cross functional coordination.
• Proven ability to lead, develop, and coach PMO staff across multiple levels.
• Track record of driving programs to successful, on time, high-quality delivery.
• Strong communication skills for technical, financial, customer facing, and executive engagement.
• Advanced proficiency in EVMS, including development of EACs, ETCs, variance analysis, and integration of cost and schedule data.
• Ability to teach and mentor others in financial performance management, forecasting discipline, and earned value concepts.
• Proficiency with ERP systems such as IFS and tools such as MS Project, Excel, PowerPoint, Smartsheet, and Power BI.
• Ability to manage multiple high impact programs simultaneously.
• Strong organizational skills and exceptional attention to detail, with proven ability to manage multiple complex initiatives in a fast-paced environment.
• Knowledge of welding processes, NDT methods, and AWS codes preferred.