Sr Program Manager

Afognak Native Corporation; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 235,000 - 290,000; Full time

Job summary

Afognak Native Corporation seeks a Senior Program / Operations Manager to lead contractor support for a key U.S. Space Force missile warning program. Located in El Segundo, California, this role requires managing a multi-disciplinary team and interfacing with senior government officials, while ensuring mission success and operational efficiency.

The ideal candidate will possess a Bachelor's degree in Engineering or a related field, along with a Top Secret clearance and a minimum of 10 years in DoD program management. Salary range is $235,000 to $290,000 per year.

Qualifications

• Minimum 10 years of relevant experience in defense or intelligence.
• Experience managing teams of 20+ under various contract structures.
• Working knowledge of DoD acquisition processes.

Responsibilities

• Lead the contractor team for missile warning mission area.
• Manage workforce assignment and ensure operational stability.
• Participate in government program reviews and meetings.

Skills

Active Top Secret clearance with SCI eligibility

Leadership in Department of Defense programs

Strong communication skills

Program management experience

Technical personnel management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related field

Job description

Description

McCallie Associates, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Alutiiq, LLC, is accepting applications for a Senior Program / Operations Manager to lead contractor support for one of the U.S. Space Force's most strategically important mission areas: missile warning, tracking, and defense. You will sit at Space Systems Command's Space Sensing directorate at Los Angeles AFB, leading a multi‑disciplinary team of aerospace, electrical, electronics, and industrial engineers supporting the acquisition, development, and sustainment of next‑generation missile warning satellite and ground systems — including Next‑Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared (Next‑Gen OPIR) and modernization of Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS) capabilities.

This is the senior contractor leadership position on the mission area and will be the day‑to‑day face of the contractor team to the Government Mission Director, the integrator across 30+ engineers and analysts, and the accountable manager for performance, cost, schedule, and personnel decisions. The mission is operationally significant: the systems your team supports are how the United States detects, tracks, and characterizes ballistic missile and hypersonic threats globally, in real time, 24/7.

• Lead the contractor team supporting a Space Force missile warning mission area; integrate engineering, operations, cybersecurity, and acquisition support across multiple satellite and ground programs.
• Serve as the senior contractor point of contact for the Government Mission Director, Division Chief, Contracting Officer's Representative (COR), and Contracting Officer.
• Manage workforce assignment, surge support, leave coverage, and personnel substitutions; maintain workforce stability and minimize turnover impact.
• Participate in and lead Government program reviews, technical interchange meetings, integrated product team (IPT) sessions, and working groups.
• Provide senior input to Space Force planning and budgeting cycles, including Program Objective Memorandum (POM) exercises, annual POM updates, execution and spend plan reviews, and out‑year funding profile development.
• Optimize cross‑program resource use — direct functional experts across multiple missile warning programs to maximize cost, schedule, and performance efficiency.
• Forecast, manage, and control task order costs including travel, ODCs, and labor utilization.
• Oversee preparation and quality of monthly status reports, trip reports, and the data accession list; lead corrective action on any non‑conforming deliverables.
• Manage subcontractor relationships and work distribution; ensure no organizational conflicts of interest; enforce non‑disclosure agreements.
• Verify all team personnel maintain required clearances, CAC access, and information system compliance.
• Lead phase‑in transition and onboarding for the mission area; execute weekly transition reviews during the first three months of performance.

This opportunity is for a POTENTIAL CONTRACT award and is contingent upon the contract being awarded. Consideration for a potential contract may require a signed letter of intent. If the contract is awarded, another position posting will be available on the Company Careers portal.

Requirements

• Active Top Secret clearance with SCI eligibility at start of employment.
• U.S. Citizenship.
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Physics, Mathematics, Computer Science, Business Administration, Program Management, or a closely related discipline from an accredited institution.
• Minimum 10 years of progressively responsible experience managing or leading Department of Defense or Intelligence Community space, missile, or sensor system programs, with at least 5 years in a contractor program management, deputy PM, IPT lead, mission area manager, or equivalent senior leadership role on a DoD professional services or SETA contract.
• Direct programmatic, engineering, or operational experience with at least one of: missile warning satellite systems (DSP, SBIRS, Next‑Gen OPIR); missile tracking and defense systems; overhead persistent infrared (OPIR) sensors; or strategic/tactical missile warning ground systems.
• Demonstrated experience managing teams of 20+ technical personnel under firm‑fixed‑price, time‑and‑materials, or cost‑plus‑fixed‑fee contract structures.
• Working knowledge of DoD acquisition processes (DoDI 5000.02, AFI 63‑101/20‑101), the USSF acquisition pathways, and the PPBE/POM/APOM cycle.
• Strong written and verbal communication, including comfort briefing general officers, Senior Executive Service civilians, and senior contracting officials.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in a technical, management, or acquisition discipline.
• Prior direct support to SSC/SN, SMC, or predecessor Space Force / Air Force space organizations.
• Familiarity with Space Systems Engineering Plan (SEP) frameworks and SSC standards (SSC‑G‑1201, SSC‑S‑001).
• Experience supporting OASIS+, GSA Schedule, or other IDIQ task order management.

Expected salary range: $235,000 to $290,000 per year