Technical Project Manager

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc.; Herndon (VA); Hybrid; USD 155,000 - 175,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Life/ADD & Short/Long Term Disability

401(k) Savings Plan

Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP)

Paid Time-Off (PTO)

Holidays

Education Reimbursement

Job summary

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. in Herndon, VA seeks a Technical Project Manager to lead highly technical teams delivering satellite ground systems for international and domestic customers.

You will manage schedules, cost, and quality, align with customer requirements, and mentor project staff while coordinating with product managers and leadership. The role requires experience in space/satellite systems, 4G/5G technologies, and travel up to five to seven weeks annually.

Qualifications

• BS in Aerospace Engineering or Electrical Engineering, or equivalent experience.
• 5+ years of directly related technical program management experience, preferably in space/satellite systems.
• Proven experience in 4G/5G technology (Core, RAN, transport, slicing, orchestration, standards).
• Hands-on experience with network design, RF concepts, or cloud-hosted 5G solutions.
• Basic understanding of satellite related networks; familiarity with Windows and Linux.
• Proficient in Microsoft Project, Microsoft Office and Visio.
• Willingness and ability to travel outside the United States for five to seven weeks a year.

Responsibilities

• Lead highly technical engineering teams in designing, developing, integrating, testing, and delivering new ground systems for international and domestic customers in the Space market segment.
• Manage technical, schedule, quality, and cost objectives for multiple satellite ground system projects.
• Develop project management plans and resource definitions.
• Track and maintain customer-coordinated schedules and ensure contract deliverables.
• Interface with customers regularly to assess progress and risks; coordinate with leadership for resource allocation.
• Supervise hardware and software integration in the factory lab and at customer sites.
• Oversee factory/site acceptance testing and system qualification for customer acceptance.
• Provide mentorship and produce formal management/technical documentation.
• Travel to customer sites for reviews, tests, and business development.

Skills

Confidential information handling

Team management

Multi-tasking

Organizational skills

Presentation skills

Verbal communication

Written communication

Public interaction

Workplace compliance

Troubleshooting

Issue reporting

Education

BS in Aerospace or Electrical Engineering

Tools

Microsoft Project

Microsoft Office

Visio

Job description

Readiness Delivered. Kratos is a leader in assured aerospace communication solutions and services. We are cutting-edge innovators and creative problem solvers working collaboratively to solve our customers’ toughest challenges. Our culture is fast-paced and innovative. We are a trusted global partner—driven by doing the right thing and achieving maximum success for our customers, our partners and ourselves. We have an exciting, hybrid opportunity for a Technical Project Manager at our Kratos Herndon, VA office. The Project Manager works with our customers and internal engineering teams to ensure the successful design, development, integration, testing, and delivery of commercial satellite ground systems used by operators around the world. Prior technical management experience in aerospace and extensive knowledge of the international satellite industry, as well as 5G technologies to support Kratos’s strategic 5G initiatives is the skillset highly desirable for this position. Our project managers have a detailed technical understanding of the work being performed to deploy satellite ground systems and may be required to perform technical tasks as part of the project execution. They are expected to be self-starters, and have ownership of project performance.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES:

Lead highly technical engineering teams in designing, developing, integrating, testing, and delivering new ground systems for international and domestic customers in the Space market segment, including commercial satellite manufacturers and operators:

• Manage the technical, schedule, quality, and cost objectives for multiple satellite ground system projects simultaneously.
• Develop comprehensive project management plans to define project details and assign resources.
• Develop, track, and maintain project schedules which are coordinated with the customer.
• Evaluate customer statements of work, system specification requirements, and interface documentation to determine compliance and contract deliverables.
• Coordinate regularly with Kratos Directors and other Project Managers to ensure efficient allocation of resources to meet requirements across the organization.
• Coordinate regularly with software Product Managers to identify and track progress of new software development.
• Interface directly with customers regularly to assess progress, identify risks, and ensure that necessary customer data is provided to meet schedule.
• Direct project personnel resources to accomplish job milestones on schedule and within budget.
• Provide guidance and mentorship to project team members, and continually assess progress to ensure successful deliveries.
• Develop, review, and conduct customer presentations (design reviews, status reports, kickoff meetings, technical interchange meetings, test reviews, system training) demonstrating an ability to communicate comfortably at a system level.
• Produce, review, and deliver written sets of formal management and technical project documentation.
• Generate/review contract modifications and purchase orders.
• Supervise the hardware and software integration of the ground system in the factory lab, and the subsequent shipment / delivery of equipment to the customer site.
• Organize, plan, and conduct the factory and site acceptance testing of the system for customer acceptance, and the spacecraft compatibility testing before launch.
• Direct the engineering team in troubleshooting issues identified on the system during testing, and performing root cause analysis to resolve problems.
• Travel to visit domestic and/or international customer sites for review meetings, site surveys, test activities, training, on-site support, and business development.
• Coordinate with the Kratos Quality Management System team on regular basis to ensure that projects are compliant with ISO 9001 standard requirements.

Experience and Skills

• Ability to maintain sensitive and confidential information as required by government standards.
• Ability to manage a technical engineering team to meet project schedule and budget requirements.
• Ability to multi-task on a daily basis and adapt to quickly changing priorities as needed.
• Excellent organizational skills to effectively track project progress, maintain required records, and ensure on-time delivery.
• Excellent presentation skills needed for both internal project meetings and formal customer review meetings.
• Excellent verbal communication skills to clearly explain technical information to engineering team members and international/domestic customers.
• Excellent writing skills to develop formal management and technical documentation for customer deliverables.
• Ability to interact appropriately with the public when necessary.
• Ability to adhere to workplace rules.
• Creative mind to troubleshoot, find, and resolve problems.
• Ability to report prototype or product flaws diplomatically and suggest necessary changes in a positive manner.

EDUCATION AND WORK EXPERIENCE:

• BS in Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering (or equivalent experience in related technology field).
• 5+ years of directly related technical program management experience, preferably in space/satellite systems area.
• Proven experience in 4G/5G technology (Core, RAN, transport, slicing, orchestration, standards).
• Hands-on experience with network design, RF concepts, or cloud-hosted 5G solutions.
• Basic understanding of satellite related networks and Microsoft Windows, familiarity with Linux is preferred.
• Proficient in Microsoft Project, Microsoft Office and Visio.
• Requires willingness and ability to travel outside the United States for five to seven weeks a year.

Competitive salary based on experience and education
Salary Range: $155,000-$175,000

Kratos is valued for our ability to design and deliver leading edge, resilient solutions for aerospace communication, control, awareness and mission success across a continuum of offerings—from commercial to tailored custom solutions and integrated programs. Customers trust us to stay relevant and know we are in it for the long-haul. We bring both the capability and confidence that our customers value and depend on. And we always deliver.

This posting will close within 90 days from the Posting Date.

• Life/ADD & Short/Long Term Disability Insurance
• 401(k) Savings Plan
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP)
• Paid Time-Off (PTO)
• Holidays
• Education Reimbursement

Kratos Defense is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race,color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, pregnancy, genetic information, disability, status as aprotected veteran, or any other protected category under applicable federal, state, and local laws.

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