Senior Project Manager

InvestedintheMission; Berthoud (CO); On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Unlimited PTO

Paid parental leave

Medical, Dental, Vision

Job summary

Ursa Major is seeking a Senior Project Manager to drive internal project scope, scheduling, resource allocation, and execution for defense/aerospace initiatives. You will coordinate across engineering, operations, and leadership to ensure on-time delivery of milestones and alignment with strategic priorities.

You will lead cross-functional teams, manage budgets and schedules, and prepare review materials for executive leadership, while optimizing workflows and mitigating risks.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant engineering or technical field (e.g., Aerospace, Mechanical, or Systems Engineering)
• 5+ years of experience in technical project management, engineering project leadership, or internal initiative delivery
• Must be able to perform work subject to ITAR/EAR regulations and internal security requirements
• Proven track record of managing complex technical projects within defense, national security, aerospace, or high-tech hardware environments
• Demonstrated experience leading cross-functional teams of technical peers to bring integrated products/systems from concept to operational readiness
• Adaptive and introspective, willing to learn, teach, lead, and follow within a fast-paced environment

Responsibilities

• Drives internal project progress, from initiation, scope definition, and planning through execution, integration, and project closure
• Manages internal stakeholder relationships, ensuring alignment across engineering, operations, and leadership teams
• Defines project objectives, success metrics, and aligns necessary cross-functional resources required to execute successfully
• Responsible for project budget, timeline, and Key Results (KRs); regularly monitors and reports on project health, including preparing and presenting operational Project Reviews to internal leadership
• Owns the baseline project schedule, continuously coordinating cross-departmental inputs and managing change control as priorities evolve
• Identifies, tracks, and evaluates technical and operational risks and opportunities, driving mitigation plans and optimizing workflows
• Identifies process improvements, resource efficiencies, and technical opportunities to strengthen company capability and execution speed
• Drives technical and operational objectives while holding teams accountable to project milestones and deliverables
• Serves as the primary internal point of contact (POC) for cross-functional initiatives, coordinating team deliverables, action items, and regular syncs
• Collaborates with technical lead engineers and subject matter experts to write, review, and deliver internal technical documentation and reports
• Supports resource planning, capital expenditure requests, and trade studies with technical cost and schedule estimation

Skills

Project management

Engineering leadership

Cross-functional coordination

ITAR/EAR compliance

Technical documentation

Budget & scheduling

Education

Bachelor's degree (Aerospace/Mechanical/Systems Engineering)

PMP (preferred)

Tools

Jira

MS Project

Earned Value Management

Agile/Kanban

Job description

The future of aerospace and defense starts here.

Ursa Major was founded to revolutionize how America and its allies access and apply high-performance propulsion, from hypersonics to solid rocket motors, satellite maneuvering and launch. We design and deliver propulsion and defense systems that solve the most urgent and critical national security demands.

The Senior Project Manager is an operational leader who drives internal project scope, schedules, resource allocation, and execution to ensure business and strategic success. The Senior Project Manager owns on-time delivery of key internal milestones, excels as an interdepartmental technical liaison, and brings together complex technical, operational, and cross-functional inputs to align team execution with organizational priorities.

Responsibilities:

• Drives internal project progress, from initiation, scope definition, and planning through execution, integration, and project closure
• Manages internal stakeholder relationships, ensuring alignment across engineering, operations, and leadership teams
• Defines project objectives, success metrics, and aligns necessary cross-functional resources required to execute successfully
• Responsible for project budget, timeline, and Key Results (KRs); regularly monitors and reports on project health, including preparing and presenting operational Project Reviews to internal leadership
• Owns the baseline project schedule, continuously coordinating cross-departmental inputs and managing change control as priorities evolve
• Identifies, tracks, and evaluates technical and operational risks and opportunities, driving mitigation plans and optimizing workflows
• Identifies process improvements, resource efficiencies, and technical opportunities to strengthen company capability and execution speed
• Drives technical and operational objectives while holding teams accountable to project milestones and deliverables
• Serves as the primary internal point of contact (POC) for cross-functional initiatives, coordinating team deliverables, action items, and regular syncs
• Collaborates with technical lead engineers and subject matter experts to write, review, and deliver internal technical documentation and reports
• Supports resource planning, capital expenditure requests, and trade studies with technical cost and schedule estimation

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant engineering or technical field (e.g., Aerospace, Mechanical, or Systems Engineering)
• 5+ years of experience in technical project management, engineering project leadership, or internal initiative delivery
• Must be able to perform work subject to ITAR/EAR regulations and internal security requirements
• Proven track record of managing complex technical projects within defense, national security, aerospace, or high-tech hardware environments
• Demonstrated experience leading cross-functional teams of technical peers to bring integrated products/systems from concept to operational readiness
• Adaptive and introspective, willing to learn, teach, lead, and follow within a fast-paced environment

Preferred Experience:

• Advanced degree in a technical field or Project Management Professional (PMP) certification
• Experience managing internal capital projects, R&D development initiatives, or internal infrastructure upgrades
• Strong leadership and informal influencing skills, with a track record of fostering collaborative culture across interdisciplinary engineering teams
• Expertise in project management tools, frameworks, and methodologies (e.g., Jira, MS Project, Earned Value Management, Agile/Kanban)
• Excellent oral and written communication skills with the ability to summarize complex technical status for executive leadership

Colorado law requires us to tell you the base compensation range of this role, which is $120,000 - $150,000, determined by your education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities. What we can't quantify for you are the exciting challenges, supportive team, and amazing culture we enjoy.

Classification: Full-time Exempt

Benefits Include: (Please note, Interns are not eligible for benefits)

• Unlimited PTO - Vacation, Sick, Personal, and Bereavement
• Paid Parental and Adoptive Leave
• Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance
• Tax Advantage Accounts (HSA/FSA)
• Employer Paid Short and Long Term Disability, Basic Life, AD&D
• Additional Benefit Options Including Voluntary Life and Emergency Medical Transport
• EAP Program
• Retirement Savings Plan - 401k with Company Match
• Equity Grants in the Company

NOTE: Research suggests that women and BIPOC individuals may self-select out of opportunities if they don't meet 100% of the job requirements. We encourage anyone who believes they have the skills and the drive necessary to succeed here to apply for this role.

Must be a U.S. Person (this includes U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents).

Eligibility to obtain and maintain a U.S. Security Clearance.

We’re an equal-opportunity employer. You will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status.