Senior Program Manager, Airborne Maritime ISR Systems

KBR, Inc; Lexington Park (MD); On-site; USD 170,000 - 207,000; Full time

Job summary

KBR, Inc. in Patuxent River, MD, is seeking a Senior Program Manager for ISR systems to lead program execution for airborne maritime ISR capabilities, coordinating with government customers, technical leaders, and partners.

The role oversees cost, schedule, technical performance, risk, staffing, and contractual deliverables across hardware and software development, testing, and lifecycle support.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, computer science, business administration, program management, or related field.
• Minimum 10 years of experience managing complex government or defense programs.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary teams in SE, R&D, integration, test & evaluation, or lifecycle support.
• Experience developing program schedules, resource plans, baselines, risk registers, and deliverables.
• Active Top Secret security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Lead overall program execution across cost, schedule, technical performance, quality, staffing, and risks.
• Serve as primary interface with government program leadership, contractors, and mission partners.
• Establish baselines including schedules, budgets, deliverables, and dependencies.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams in SE, digital engineering, rapid prototyping, and testing.
• Monitor performance, implement corrective actions, and report status in reviews.

Skills

Program management

Systems engineering

Multidisciplinary teams

Risk management

Customer liaison

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

PMP certification

Tools

Digital engineering

Model-based systems engineering

Job description

Title: Senior Program Manager, Airborne Maritime ISR Systems KBR is seeking a Senior Program Manager, ISR Systems to lead program execution supporting a PAE Aviation Program Office. This position provides leadership for research, development, integration, demonstration, and transition of innovative intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities for manned and unmanned maritime aviation systems. The Senior Program Manager oversees cost, schedule, technical performance, risk, staffing, quality, and contractual deliverables across rapid hardware and software development, digital engineering, test, and lifecycle-support activities. The role coordinates closely with government customers, technical leaders, functional organizations, subcontractors, and mission partners to align resources and execution plans with evolving operational priorities. Effective performance requires disciplined organization, clear communication, collaborative leadership, and careful attention to program data, commitments, and mission outcomes.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Lead overall program execution across cost, schedule, technical performance, quality, staffing, risk, and contractual requirements.
• Serve as the primary management interface with government program leadership, contracting representatives, technical stakeholders, subcontractors, and mission partners.
• Establish and maintain resource-loaded program and project baselines, including schedules, budgets, deliverables, dependencies, assumptions, risks, and other direct costs.
• Direct cross-functional teams supporting mission analysis, systems engineering, digital engineering, rapid prototyping, hardware and software integration, cybersecurity, test and evaluation, logistics, and technology transition.
• Coordinate the development and integration of responsive, interoperable ISR capabilities for manned and unmanned maritime aviation systems.
• Monitor program performance, analyze variances, implement corrective actions, and communicate status, decisions, risks, and forecasted outcomes through recurring customer and executive reviews.
• Oversee virtual modeling, laboratory integration, hardware-in-the-loop and software-in-the-loop activities, and virtual or live demonstrations used to reduce risk and evaluate mission capability.
• Manage capability-transition planning, including configuration control, technical data, training, airworthiness coordination, depot-maintenance development, sustainment, and government acceptance.
• Ensure program activities and deliverables comply with contract requirements, security controls, data-rights obligations, quality processes, and applicable government policies.
• Other duties as assigned in support of mission and business requirements.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, computer science, business administration, program management, or a related discipline.
• Minimum 10 years of experience managing complex government or defense programs with cost, schedule, and technical performance accountability.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary teams supporting systems engineering, research and development, systems integration, test and evaluation, or lifecycle support.
• Experience developing and managing program schedules, resource plans, financial baselines, risk registers, and customer deliverables.
• Experience supporting U.S. Navy, NAVAIR, naval aviation, ISR, C4ISR, or comparable defense acquisition programs.
• Active Top Secret security clearance.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in engineering, computer science, business administration, program management, or a related discipline.
• Project Management Professional certification.
• Experience supporting Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft or manned and unmanned maritime ISR systems.
• Experience with rapid prototyping, digital engineering, model-based systems engineering, modeling and simulation, or Modular Open Systems Approach implementation.
• Experience managing research, development, test and evaluation programs involving hardware, software sensors, communications, networking, data fusion, or autonomous systems.
• Experience transitioning prototype capabilities into operational use, depot maintenance, or lifecycle sustainment.

Work Environment

• Location: On-site in Patuxent River, Maryland
• Travel Requirements: Minimal 0-20%
• Working Hours: Standard
• Basic Compensation: $169,600.00 - $207,300.00 (This is for the Pax River, MD area only)
• Additional Compensation: KBR may offer bonuses, commissions, or other forms of compensation to certain job titles or levels, per internal policy or contractual designation.
• Additional compensation may be in the form of sign on bonus, relocation benefits, short-term incentives, long-term incentives, or discretionary payments for exceptional performance.

Belong, Connect and Grow at KBR

At KBR, we are passionate about our people and our Zero Harm culture. These inform all that we do and are at the heart of our commitment to, and ongoing journey toward being a People First company. That commitment is central to our team of team’s philosophy and fosters an environment where everyone can Belong, Connect and Grow. We Deliver – Together.

KBR is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, veteran status, genetic information, union status and/or beliefs, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

KBR — Delivering Solutions, Changing the World. KBR brings together the best and brightest to deliver science, technology and engineering solutions that help governments and companies around the world accomplish their most critical missions and objectives. In everything we do, we are guided by our ONE KBR Values: We Value Our People – We create diverse, inclusive environments in which each person can feel safe, respected and valued, and where everyone has opportunities to grow and reach their full potential. We Deliver – We are uncompromising in our commitment to deliver innovative, high-quality, technology-led solutions for our customers and exceptional, sustainable value for all our stakeholders. We Are People of Integrity – We value honesty, trust, courage, fairness, prudence and tenacity. We believe doing what’s right for the planet, the communities where we work, and our people is good for business. We Empower – We empower our people with a shared purpose, the right tools and the supportive culture they need to be proactive decision-makers, to be adaptive to change, and to succeed. We Are a Team of Teams – We have a will to succeed, but we value the achievements of our team of teams over individual accomplishments. Our collective focus makes us a better, stronger, and more effective company. We have also embedded environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles in every business operation and corporate function. Not only are we committed to operating safely, sustainably and equitably, but we are also committed to using our capabilities and expertise to help our customers accomplish their sustainability goals. Worldwide, KBR employs a diverse workforce approximately 29,000 people strong, with customers in more than 80 countries and operations in 40 countries. At KBR, We Deliver.