Senior Program Manager

FWI (FedWriters, Inc.); San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

FWI (FedWriters, Inc.) in San Diego, CA, seeks a Senior Program Manager to lead day-to-day operations for the DCMA Blue UAS program. You will be the single point of contact for contract performance, direct a multidisciplinary team, and manage a resource-loaded IMS to keep milestones on track.

This on-site role requires a minimum of 10 years in PM, strong scheduling tooling (MS Project, Primavera P6), DoW/federal experience, active clearance, and PMP or PMI-SP certification.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Management, Systems Engineering, or a related operational field.
• Minimum 10 years of professional experience in project management, team leadership, and program scheduling.
• At least 4 years of experience supporting the DoW or another federal agency in a PM capacity.
• Active clearance and enrolled in CE.
• Master's degree in a related field.
• Active PMP or PMI Scheduling Professional (PMI-SP) certification.
• Hands-on expertise with Microsoft Project, Primavera P6, or equivalent enterprise scheduling tools.
• Direct experience presenting to senior military/civilian leadership.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the single point of contact for contract performance with authority to commit resources and direct personnel.
• Provide day-to-day oversight of operations and primary liaison between contractor team and DCMA leadership.
• Develop, maintain, and manage a resource-loaded Integrated Master Schedule (IMS) using CPM analysis.
• Oversee staffing activities including onboarding/offboarding, vacancy management, and certification/training compliance.
• Coordinate preparation, submission, and resolution of all contract deliverables.
• Maintain recurring management reports, performance status, action item logs, and risk/issue logs.
• Attend recurring program management meetings and coordinate with DCMA Blue List PM and CORs.
• Identify performance risks and communicate mitigation recommendations to DCMA leadership.

Skills

Project management

Team leadership

Scheduling experience

Security clearance

DoW/federal program experience

PMP/PMI-SP certification

Stakeholder communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in business/management/engineering or related field

Master's degree in related field

PMP or PMI Scheduling Professional certification

Tools

MS Project

Primavera P6

Job description

Join our team as a Senior Program Manager and support the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) by leading day‑to‑day operations for its high‑visibility Blue UAS (Blue List) unmanned systems program office. You will serve as the single point of contact for contract performance, direct a multidisciplinary team, and manage a resource‑loaded Integrated Master Schedule, ensuring program milestones stay on track and stakeholders stay aligned.

FWI is expanding rapidly and has been recognized as a 2024 and 2025 Top Workplace by the Washington Post, offering excellent growth opportunities in a collaborative environment.

**Position is contingent upon contract award**

Work Schedule and Location On‑Site This full‑time on‑site position will work Monday through Friday, standard duty hours 7am to 5pm Pacific Time at the DCMA facility in San Diego, CA.

• Serve as the single point of contact for all matters relating to contract performance, with authority to commit resources and direct personnel
• Provide day‑to‑day oversight of operations and serve as the primary liaison between the contractor team and DCMA leadership
• Develop, maintain, and manage a resource‑loaded Integrated Master Schedule (IMS), applying Critical Path Method (CPM) analysis to identify and mitigate schedule risk
• Oversee staffing activities including onboarding/offboarding, vacancy management, and certification/training compliance across a multi‑site team
• Coordinate preparation, submission, and resolution of all contract deliverables
• Maintain recurring management reports performance status, action item logs, and risk/issue logs
• Attend recurring program management meetings and coordinate execution activities with the DCMA Blue List Program Manager and Contracting Officer's Representatives (CORs)
• Identify performance risks and communicate mitigation recommendations to DCMA leadership

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Management, Systems Engineering, or a related operational field
• Minimum 10 years of professional experience in project management, team leadership, and program scheduling
• At least 4 years of experience supporting the Department of War (DoW) or another federal agency, in a program/project management capacity or other closely related professional role
• Active clearance and enrolled in CE
• Master's degree in a related field
• Active PMP or PMI Scheduling Professional (PMI-SP) certification
• Hands‑on expertise with Microsoft Project, Primavera P6, or equivalent enterprise scheduling tools
• Experience beyond the 4‑year minimum supporting DoW/federal programs
• Direct experience presenting to senior military/civilian leadership