Sr Director, Program Management (Hybrid)

KBR Careers; Columbia (MD); Hybrid; USD 221,000 - 331,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401K with company match

Medical, dental, vision insurance

Flexible work schedule

Job summary

KBR is seeking a Sr. Director (Program Manager) for the Advanced Engineering and Operations division to lead execution of a large NASA contract, overseeing O&M, cybersecurity, modernization, and network operations.

This hybrid role requires strong program management and senior stakeholder engagement in a dynamic environment. Responsibilities include leading task orders, managing distributed teams, and ensuring risk, performance, and financial targets are met while transitioning to an integrated

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree and 15+ years related experience.
• Master's degree and 12+ years related experience.
• 10+ years leading performance of tasks on schedule, at cost and meeting requirements.
• 10+ years leading teams to achieve goals.
• Top Secret security clearance with ability to obtain SCI within 1 year.
• Experience with US Government contracts and NASA-related work.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day task order execution for safe, reliable, and uninterrupted communications and navigation services.
• Manage distributed personnel across operations, engineering, cybersecurity, logistics, mission interface, and modernization teams.
• Serve as senior customer-facing program leader for NASA and government stakeholders.
• Drive transition from legacy operations to an integrated network operating model.
• Oversee network management and continuous improvement across assets.
• Ensure operational performance with transparent NASA and leadership reporting.
• Chair or oversee governance forums including risk, performance reviews, and corrective actions.
• Lead cost, schedule, technical, staffing, and financial performance for orders.
• Onboard commercial providers and missions into operational baselines while preserving NASA visibility.
• Ensure deliverables, schedules, financials, and metrics are accurate and decision-useful.
• Recruit, coach, and retain a mission-focused workforce for 24x7 operations.

Skills

Strong engineering skills

Core engineering disciplines

Leadership and organizational skills

Verbal and written communication

Program management leadership

Self-motivated

Multi-tasking

Adaptability to change

Education

Bachelor's degree + 15 years

Master's degree + 12 years

Job description

Sr Director, Program Management (Hybrid)

Belong. Connect. Grow. with KBR! Around here, we define the future. We are a company of innovators, thinkers, creators, explorers, volunteers, and dreamers. But we all share one goal: to improve the world responsibly and safely.

THIS POSITION IS CONTINGENT UPON CONTRACT AWARD

Hybrid Role w/ 20% travel to DC Area

KBR is seeking a Sr. Director (Program Manager) for the Advanced Engineering and Operations (AEO) division, who will report to the AEO VP and lead execution of a large NASA Communications contract that will oversee O&M, commercial communication provider integration, mission interface functions, network operations, sustainment, cybersecurity, modernization, and performance management into a reliable, secure, efficient, and innovative operating model for NASA human spaceflight, science, exploration, non-NASA Government, commercial, and international missions. The Program Manager will be accountable for safe, uninterrupted mission service delivery; disciplined task order execution; cost, schedule, technical, and risk performance; customer intimacy; workforce readiness; subcontractor integration; and continuous improvement as NASA transitions from legacy network operations toward an integrated, performance-based communications and navigation services enterprise.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day execution of task orders, ensuring safe, reliable, secure, and uninterrupted communications and navigation services across the Network.
• Manage KBR, subcontractor, and partner personnel across geographically distributed operations, engineering, cybersecurity, logistics, mission interface, and modernization teams.
• Serve as the senior customer-facing program leader for NASA, mission-user communities, and other Government stakeholders, building trusted relationships and maintaining strong customer intimacy.
• Drive the transition from legacy network operations to an integrated Network operating model through disciplined management.
• Oversee integrated network management functions, and continuous improvement across Government-owned and commercial network assets.
• Ensure operational performance with transparent reporting to NASA and KBR leadership.
• Chair or oversee program governance forums, including risk and opportunity management, configuration control, performance reviews, corrective action boards, modernization decision gates, and subcontractor accountability reviews.
• Lead cost, schedule, technical, staffing, and financial performance for fixed-price and cost-type task orders, applying sound business judgment when making KBR-binding program decisions.
• Lead functional managers onboarding commercial service providers, new missions, new capabilities, and modernization initiatives into operational baselines while preserving operator authority, mission assurance, and NASA decision visibility.
• Ensure contract deliverables, integrated master schedules, financial reports, performance metrics, program management reviews, staffing plans, risk registers, and customer briefings are accurate, timely, and decision-useful.
• Recruit, coach, certify, and retain a mission-focused workforce capable of supporting 24x7 operations, critical mission events, geographically distributed activities, and evolving NASA requirements.

As a leader, you always act with integrity, and the highest ethical standards characterize everything you do. You enable your team to achieve predictable and balanced results, while satisfying the needs of internal and external partners. You treat all people with respect, and you model personal growth and continuous development. You know how to build an inclusive environment that attracts, retains, and inspires a diverse and engaged team. You develop trusted and valued customer relationships and communicate effectively, so that people throughout the organization feel engaged and connected to their work. You deliver excellence, strive for continuous improvement and respond vigorously to change. Requires a strong and reasonable personality to work with customers and industry partners.

Required Education/Experience

• Bachelor's Degree and 15 years of related experience, OR a master's degree and 12 years of related experience
• Related experience includes professional and/or military experience to include a background in supporting U.S. Government contracts and customers, aerospace manufacturing, project management, or program management
• 10+ years of experience leading the performance of tasks on schedule, at cost and achieving all requirements as a program manager.
• 10+ years of demonstrated success leading teams/and or organizations to achieve a common goal
• Top Secret Security Clearance with ability to obtain SCI within 1 year
• Experience working directly with government customers on O&M contracts in excess of $200M annually and managing relationships with commercial services vendors

Preferred Education/Experience

• NASA MSFC or HQ work and leadership experience, past SES leaders preferred
• NASA contractor work and leadership experience
• Knowledge of NASA's strategic agency directives, mission directorate initiatives and agency-wide communications systems.
• Communication: The ability to manage communications with stakeholders through organized processes to ensure that program information is defined, collected, shared, understood, stored and retrieved in a manner that effectively meets program and stakeholder needs
• Issue & Problem Resolution: The ability to identify and address program impacts through a systematic, proactive, approach to issue and problem resolution that identifies, communicates, monitors, and promptly resolves conflicts across all levels of the program
• Requirements: The ability to define, document, analyze, trace, prioritize, and confirm requirements throughout the entire program life cycle
• Risk & Opportunity: The ability to address program uncertainty through an organized and analytical forward-looking approach that identifies risks and opportunities, determines appropriate handling plans, and manages, controls, and communicates risks and opportunities throughout the lifecycle of the program
• Project Management Professional (PMP) or Program Management Professional (PgMP) certification

Core Skills

• Strong Engineering Skills
• Working knowledge of core engineering disciplines
• Strong leadership and organizational skills
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to lead and operate in a high value Firm-type Task Order environment
• Self-motivated, self-starter
• Ability to multi-task
• Ability to function in a dynamic environment with changing requirements and priorities

Basic Compensation

$220,800 - $331,200

The offered rate will be based on contract affordability and the selected candidate's working location, knowledge, skills, abilities and/or experience, and in consideration of internal parity

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 an ongoing journey toward being a People First company. That commitment is central to our team's philosophy and fosters an environment where everyone can Belong, Connect and Grow. We Deliver – Together.

KBR Benefits

KBR offers a selection of competitive lifestyle benefits which could include 401K plan with company match, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, AD&D, flexible spending account, disability, paid time off, or flexible work schedule. We support career advancement through professional training and development.

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'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.

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