Technical Program Manager, Smart Utilities

US Ignite, Inc.; Washington (District of Columbia); Remote; USD 100,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive benefits package

Job summary

US Ignite, Inc. in Washington, DC, seeks a Technical Program Manager, Smart Utilities to lead utility modernization projects across military bases and commercial applications.

You will guide the delivery of electric, gas, and water utility solutions and help expand digital tooling within the SICD program. The role emphasizes cross‑functional collaboration with USACE customers, product ownership, and agile execution, including planning, risk management, and stakeholder communications.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, computer science, construction, or engineering management.
• 2+ years in an agile product or software development‑related role.
• Experience with ThingWorx and/or Kepware.
• Working‑level knowledge of control systems, networking, cybersecurity, power systems/metering, edge computing, IoT, software engineering, analytics, and system design/development.
• Applicants must have or be able to obtain a DoD Common Access Card (CAC), and be able to access Army networks/systems including Vantage, which requires US citizenship.

Responsibilities

• Lead US Ignite projects related to electric, gas, and water utilities across smart base and commercial applications.
• Lead project planning and execution, including scope, schedule, budget, stakeholder engagement, subcontractor management, risk management, and reporting.
• Serve as product owner over requirements, communication materials, stakeholder engagements, and user acceptance testing/operations plans, in coordination with technical scrum teams, as related to utility projects.
• Leverage utility industry expertise to guide the vision/direction for US Ignite’s utility‑related products and services.
• Fully own product direction, define requirements, and develop clear, effective communication materials.

Skills

Agile experience

DoD CAC access

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering, computer science, construction, or engineering management

Tools

ThingWorx

Kepware

BAS products (Niagara/N4)

Job description

US Ignite, a smart technology nonprofit based in Washington, DC, seeks a Technical Program Manager, Smart Utilities to lead utility modernization projects across military bases and commercial applications. This role will help expand how US Ignite supports communities in modernizing their electric, gas, and water utilities to lower costs and increase resilience.

This role will primarily support the Smart Installation and Community Dashboard (SICD) program, which US Ignite is executing at Fort Benning, GA, in support of the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). The program aims to create a digital toolbox that centralizes siloed installation data and provides a platform to build new apps to modernize installation functions rapidly. The platform is primarily based on the low/no-code industrial Internet of Things platform ThingWorx, though mission‑specific tools are also a priority. The focus of this role will be to lead the delivery of utility and facility‑related apps within this toolbox.

Salary range: $100,000-$140,000, commensurate with experience, education, and other qualifications. US Ignite also offers a competitive benefits package.

Role Responsibilities

The Technical Program Manager, Smart Utilities will lead multiple projects, including a Common Operating Picture of utility infrastructure, facility/work management system integration, support for our USACE customers’ energy and water projects, mapping and AI tools, and potential commercial applications like coal mine methane capture. This role will report to the Senior Technical Program Manager, Smart Bases.

Primary responsibilities include:

• Lead US Ignite projects related to electric, gas, and water utilities across smart base and commercial applications
• Lead project planning and execution, including scope, schedule, budget, stakeholder engagement, subcontractor management, risk management, and reporting
• Serve as product owner over requirements, communication materials, stakeholder engagements, and user acceptance testing/operations plans, in coordination with technical scrum teams, as related to utility projects
• Leverage utility industry expertise to guide the vision/direction for US Ignite’s utility‑related products and services

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, computer science, construction, or engineering management, or related field
• 2+ years in an agile product or software development‑related role
• Experience with ThingWorx and/or Kepware
• Working‑level knowledge of related technical domains including control systems, networking, cybersecurity, power systems/metering, edge computing, IoT, software engineering, analytics, and system design/development
• Applicants must have or be able to obtain a DoD Common Access Card (CAC), and be able to access Army networks/systems including Vantage, which requires US citizenship

Preferred Qualifications

• 3+ years in a utilities‑related field, and 3+ years in a management role
• Experience with EcoStruxure, GE Vernova, and BAS products like Niagara N4 or JCI Metasys
• Prior experience supporting defense/government missions
• Experience with system architecting/design

What You’ll be Doing

First 30 Days

• Onboarding, including cybersecurity training and administrative tasks to obtain access to required systems
• Learning US Ignite’s smart base capability delivery process, the technical architecture and capabilities of the Smart Installation and Community Dashboard, and our previous and planned utility‑related projects
• Listening to ongoing design workflows, initially led by the SICD program manager and held with our USACE customer and installation users, to begin designing the next phase of our utility‑related applications

First 60 Days

• Designing user experience with our new utility‑related applications, including development of clear, easy‑to‑understand wireframes, process flow diagrams, user stories, and technical requirements
• Start managing tasks that contribute to utility project execution, with guidance and feedback from the SICD program manager, to begin contributing and building wins on projects.

First 90 Days

• Fully own product direction, define requirements, and develop clear, effective communication materials.
• Representing the utilities efforts in engagements with our customer and user base
• Leading software development, including task definition, prioritization, and functional review for the technical implementation team in alignment with the SICD program manager and parallel development workstreams

Location/Travel

• Remote Teleworker, with preference for DC- or Southeast US‑based applicants
• This position requires up to 10% travel, including up to quarterly visits to Fort Benning, GA, and Washington, DC

Notices

US Ignite is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, color, disability, ethnicity, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, national origin, pregnancy, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or status as a U.S. veteran. We welcome diversity and positive attitudes.