Senior Technical Program Manager

Capella Space; Louisville (CO); On-site; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Capella Space is seeking a Technical Program Manager to oversee cross-functional teams and deliver on complex space projects. You will manage schedules, budgets, risks, and ensure alignment with technical and strategic goals for Capella's next-gen spacecraft design.

The ideal candidate has 5+ years in program management, strong communication skills, and experience with project management tools. This role involves working on critical, fast-paced initiatives with high impact and collaboration

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, science, or related technical field.
• 5+ years of program or project management experience.
• Proficiency with MS Project, Smartsheet, Jira, and Confluence.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• ITAR/compliance awareness and ability to work in secure environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead technology projects through full program lifecycle with planning and closure.
• Maintain a project portfolio aligned with business objectives and technology roadmaps.
• Prioritize programs based on strategic importance and resources.
• Manage budgets including labor, materials, and subcontractors.
• Mentor team members and communicate clearly with diverse stakeholders.
• Translate technical requirements into actionable work plans.

Skills

Program management

Cross-functional leadership

Budget management

Stakeholder management

Documentation & communication

Agile / Scrum

Strategic thinking

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering/science

Tools

MS Project

Smartsheet

Jira

Confluence

Job description

Capella, an IonQ company, spans national security, advanced sensing, and next-generation compute to deliver secure, mission-ready intelligence. Capella's culture is built on collaboration, rigorous engineering, and a shared commitment to delivering solutions that strengthen global stability and security. Team members work side-by-side with some of the most innovative minds in space systems, quantum-enabled technologies, and mission-critical operations.

Capella values curiosity, resilience, and a willingness to tackle hard problems with precision and creativity. Capella welcomes and encourages applicants whose perspectives are historically underrepresented in technology, national security, and aerospace. No prior space experience is required. Diverse viewpoints strengthen Capella's ability to innovate and deliver meaningful impact for partners worldwide.

The Role

We are seeking a Technical Program Manager to help manage, plan, and deliver on exciting projects. You will oversee cross-functional teams, create and manage project schedules, budgets, risks/opportunities, and ensure alignment with technical and strategic goals. Ongoing efforts span from component level upgrades to component design and integration with NextGen into Capella's current and next generation spacecraft design. This is an exciting opportunity to join a dedicated, collaborative, and supportive team to achieve novel on-orbit capabilities. This role will directly contribute to large scale and high impact efforts within the company.

Responsibilities

• Experience leading technology projects through full program lifecycle including planning, execution, project closure, stakeholder management and issue/dependency management
• Experience developing and maintaining a comprehensive project portfolio, ensuring alignment with business objectives and technology projects, and tracking and maintaining schedules and status across multiple development projects
• Ability to prioritize projects and programs based on strategic importance, resource availability and business impact
• Experience managing complex budgets including labor forecasts, actuals, material, and subcontractors
• Mentor and knowledge share with project resources ensuring accountability for project deliverables
• Strong, clear and concise documentation and communication skills with broad range of technical/non-technical resources, internal/external audiences, and all levels of the organization
• Ability to translate technical requirements into work delivery plans.
• Strong Problem-solving and proven data driving-decision making abilities, proactively identifying critical-path actions, risks, and opportunities to accelerate progress
• Experience with varying project management methodologies (ie. Waterfall, agile, scrum)
• Proven self-starter with experience in a fast-paced, nimble environment

Requirements

• 5+ years of program or project management experience
• Bachelor's degree or higher education in engineering, science, or a related technical field. Business degree acceptable with aerospace experience
• Proficiency in project management software tools and collaboration platforms such as MS Project, Smartsheet, Jira, and Confluence
• Proven ability to manage technical development and/or R&D scope
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), Capella Employees must be a U.S. citizen, lawful U.S. permanent resident (i.e., current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State and/or the U.S. Department of Commerce, as applicable.