Senior Project Manager

Leidos; Arlington (VA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Leidos seeks a Senior Project Manager to lead strategic IT modernization and network infrastructure projects for the Air Force National Capital Region IT Services program. This role embeds at the Pentagon, directing lifecycle activities and coordinating with JSP NOC to align with mission goals.

You will mentor a small team of project specialists, manage risk, and deliver executive-ready briefings, dashboards, and reports to COR and leadership.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree with 10+ years of PM experience or Master’s with 8+ years.
• Active DoD Secret clearance or eligibility.
• DoD 8140 / 8570 baseline qualifications at hire or within program.
• PMP certification required or achievable within 6 months.
• Experience leading enterprise IT/infrastructure projects for DoD or Air Force.
• Strong executive communication and stakeholder management.

Responsibilities

• Lead complex Air Force IT modernization initiatives from concept through delivery.
• Direct planning, scheduling, resource allocation, and execution to meet contract scope.
• Represent the PMO to senior Air Force and DoD stakeholders.
• Mentor a small team of project specialists supporting task orders.
• Manage JSP NOC operations and risk mitigation within core hours.
• Prepare executive briefings and dashboards for COR and leadership.

Skills

PMP Certification

DoD 8140 / 8570

Security Clearance

Project scheduling

MS Project

Excel

PowerPoint

SharePoint

ServiceNow

Remedy

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

Tools

MS Project

Excel

PowerPoint

Teams

SharePoint

ServiceNow

Remedy

Job description

Description

The Leidos Digital Sector is seeking an experienced Senior Project Manager to lead and execute strategic IT modernization and network infrastructure projects supporting the Air Force National Capital Region Information Technology Services (AFNCR ITS) program. In this high-visibility leadership role, you will serve as the principal Air Force project management authority embedded directly at the Pentagon to drive project delivery across the 844th Communications Group (844 CG), Headquarters Air Force (HAF), Air Force District of Washington (AFDW), and the Joint Service Provider (JSP).

This position requires 100% on-site presence at the Pentagon and associated NCR customer sites, with full compliance under DoD Directive 8140 workforce qualification standards.

If this sounds like an environment where you can thrive, keep reading!

The Mission

As a Senior Project Manager for the Air Force customer, you will manage projects through the entire lifecycle—from concept and requirements definition through cutover and operational handover—while directly operating within the JSP Network Operations Center (NOC) environment to advocate for Air Force equities, mitigate implementation risks, and ensure seamless mission alignment. You will also lead and mentor a small, dedicated team of project specialists supporting task order execution.

The Leidos Digital Sector provides a diverse portfolio of systems, solutions, and services covering land, sea, air, space, and cyberspace for customers worldwide. Solutions for Defense include enterprise and mission IT, large-scale intelligence systems, command and control, geospatial and data analytics, cybersecurity, logistics, training, and intelligence analysis and operations support. Our team is solving the world’s toughest security challenges for customers with “can’t fail” missions.

The Challenge: Project Management Leadership & Execution

• Air Force Project Lifecycle Ownership: Lead complex, enterprise-level Air Force IT infrastructure and modernization initiatives from inception through delivery. Direct planning, scheduling, resource allocation, and execution to satisfy contract scope, customer delivery deadlines, and Leidos business/P&L commitments.
• Customer Representation & Strategic Advocacy: Serve as the primary Air Force Project Management Office (PMO) representative to senior Air Force and DoD stakeholders. Represent 844 CG and AFDW equities in JSP daily operational stand-ups, project integration meetings, and customer briefings to influence schedule execution and avoid negative impacts on mission users.
• Complex Infrastructure Project Delivery: Manage cross-functional technical teams executing critical infrastructure deployments and migrations, including Joint Regional Security Stack (JRSS) transitions, voice/phone switch migrations, Government-Owned Quarters (GOQ) network installations, network node expansions, and enterprise routing reconfigurations.
• Operational Integration & Pentagon NOC Presence: Maintain embedded, on-site project oversight and operational synchronization within the JSP NOC during core hours (0700–1600L), establishing a direct communication link between project implementation teams, the Pentagon Communications Focal Point (CFP), and Air Force operations leadership.
• Risk & Outage Mitigation Management: Monitor real-time operational conditions, network tickets, and impending outages across HAF and NCR customer sites. Proactively initiate and elevate JSP service tickets on behalf of the 844 CG GSO and adjust project schedules to prevent maintenance-driven outages in mission-critical environments (such as the Arnold Corridor).
• Cross-Organizational Resource & Milestone Governance: Coordinate technical subject matter experts (SMEs), subcontractors, functional support groups, and DoD peer-review boards across task orders to ensure synchronized milestones and deliverables.
• Executive Communication & Quality Assurance: Author, evaluate, and present executive briefings, project dashboard metrics, status reports, and comprehensive After-Action Reports (AARs) to the Contracting Officer's Representative (COR), 844 CS/SCO leadership, and Leidos program management.
• Continuous Process Improvement: Establish, maintain, and champion standard project management methodologies, quality control gates, and process improvement frameworks across the AFNCR footprint (Pentagon, Joint Base Andrews, and Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling).

What Sets You Apart:

• Education & Experience: Bachelor’s degree with 12+ years of prior relevant project management experience, or Master’s degree with 10+ years of prior relevant experience. Additional years of direct experience will be accepted in lieu of a degree.
• Work Location Requirement: Must be willing and able to work 100% on-site at the Pentagon and designated AFNCR customer facilities during core operational hours.
• Cybersecurity / DoD 8140 Compliance: Active compliance with DoD 8140 / 8570 baseline qualification requirements at hire or within program requirements (e.g., CompTIA Security+ CE, Cyber 101 foundational qualification, or equivalent approved cyber baseline credential).
• Team Leadership & Supervisory Experience: Proven track record supervising or leading small teams of project managers, project coordinators, or technical staff, including resource scheduling and performance oversight.
• Air Force / DoD PM Acumen: Demonstrated track record leading enterprise IT or communications infrastructure projects within the U.S. Air Force, DoD, or large-scale federal defense programs.
• Security Clearance: Active DoD Secret clearance with eligibility to obtain and maintain higher program accesses as required.
• Operational Awareness: Experience executing projects within or alongside operational entities such as Network Operations Centers (NOCs), Communications Focal Points (CFPs), or Base Communications Squadrons.
• Project Management Credentials: Project Management Professional (PMP) certification required (or ability to achieve certification within 6 months of hire).
• Executive Stakeholder Engagement: Proven ability to interface with military flag officers, senior DoD civilians, and program directors to negotiate schedules, manage risk, and resolve cross-organizational roadblocks.
• Tools & Software Proficiency: Advanced proficiency in MS Project, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, SharePoint, and enterprise ticketing systems (e.g., ServiceNow, Remedy).
• Flexibility & Tempo: Ability to operate in a high-tempo, deadline-driven Pentagon environment and adjust schedules to meet evolving mission priorities.