Senior Program Manager

Job ID: 115323

DRS Space Systems in Cypress, CA develops advanced space mission payloads, leveraging cutting edge electro-optical and infrared space sensors, instruments, and software for key domestic and international allied customers. As part of DRS’s Electro Optical Infrared Systems (EOIS) line of business, we offer an exciting and challenging work environment, a competitive salary and benefits package, and a business culture that rewards performance.

Employing the world’s brightest. Supporting the world’s bravest.

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Business Unit: Electro-Optical and Infrared Systems (EOIS)
Location: Cypress, CA
Career Functional Area: Program Management
Telework Type: Onsite with potential for hybrid
Relocation Available: Yes
Type: Exempt
Schedule: 9/80
Shift: 1st

Job Summary

The Senior Program Manager leads the planning, execution, and delivery of multiple technology-development and flight-hardware programs supporting next-generation electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) space-sensing capabilities. Programs may range from Internal Research and Development (IRAD) efforts through customer-funded development, qualification, and flight-hardware delivery programs.

This role is accountable for achieving established technical, cost, schedule, quality, and contractual objectives. The Senior Program Manager leads integrated product teams from program initiation through closeout; maintains an executable integrated master schedule; manages program risks, opportunities, resources, and financial performance; and ensures timely decisions and issue resolution across engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, quality, test, contracts, finance, and other functional organizations.

The Senior Program Manager serves as a primary internal and external program interface and works under the general guidance of senior leadership, including the Director of Programs and/or Line of Business Lead.

Job Responsibilities

• Lead the daily execution of assigned technology-development, EO/IR sensor, and flight-hardware programs in accordance with contractual, technical, cost, schedule, quality, and regulatory requirements.
• Establish, lead, and maintain the integrated product team structure from program kickoff through closeout. Drive alignment among engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, quality, test, finance, contracts, and other functional stakeholders.
• Develop, maintain, and execute integrated master schedules and associated program plans. Ensure that technical activities, material availability, manufacturing, integration, test, qualification, and delivery milestones are logically linked, adequately resourced, and actively managed.
• Lead technical and programmatic integration across system, subsystem, payload, optical, sensor, electronics, mechanical, software, manufacturing, and test functions. Identify and resolve interface issues, integration constraints, technical dependencies, and readiness gaps.
• Establish and manage program baselines for scope, schedule, budget, staffing, and technical performance. Control changes through appropriate program, engineering, configuration-management, and contractual processes.
• Allocate and control contract budgets for labor, material, travel, subcontracts, and purchased services. Monitor financial performance and provide accurate, timely program status to senior management.
• Perform formal and informal schedule and cost variance analysis, including earned value management system (EVMS) reporting where applicable. Develop and implement corrective-action and recovery plans when performance deviates from approved plans.
• Proactively identify, assess, document, monitor, and mitigate program risks and opportunities throughout the program lifecycle. Escalate material technical, cost, schedule, quality, or contractual risks to senior management in a timely manner.
• Lead program reviews, including internal management reviews, customer reviews, technical reviews, design reviews, readiness reviews, and milestone decision meetings. Ensure action items, decisions, and commitments are documented, assigned, and closed.
• Serve as the primary customer interface for matters related to program execution. Coordinate internally to resolve customer issues, communicate program status, and manage customer expectations.
• Coordinate with Contracts Administration on contract requirements, interpretations, modifications, deliverables, and customer correspondence. Support contract and subcontract negotiations while ensuring compliance with applicable regulations and Company policies.
• Partner with Engineering leadership to resolve technical execution barriers, establish priorities, manage resource needs, and ensure that engineering work products support program commitments.
• Support material execution and supply-chain performance, including long-lead material planning, supplier coordination, subcontractor performance, material availability, and mitigation of supply risks.
• Lead or support bid and proposal activities, including proposal planning, requirements analysis, schedule and cost development, risk assessment, technical coordination, and preparation of compliant proposal content.
• Collaborate with Business Development to identify follow-on work, customer needs, and new business opportunities that align with organizational strategy.

Ensure program execution complies with applicable Company policies, procedures, export-control requirements, Federal Acquisition Regulation requirements, and other customer or regulatory obligations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, Finance, Supply Chain, or a related discipline; equivalent combination of education and relevant experience may be considered.
• Minimum of 7 years of relevant program-management, project-management, engineering, or technical leadership experience, preferably supporting EO/IR sensor development, space systems, airborne systems, terrestrial sensing systems, or comparable aerospace/defense products.
• Demonstrated experience leading technical development programs from proposal or program startup through design, integration, test, delivery, and sustainment or follow-on support.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams and integrate work across engineering, manufacturing, quality, supply chain, test, finance, and contracts.
• Experience developing, maintaining, and executing integrated master schedules, resource plans, budgets, and program performance reporting.
• Experience with earned value management, cost and schedule performance measurement, variance analysis, estimate-at-completion forecasting, and corrective-action planning.
• Experience with risk and opportunity management, including identification of technical, cost, schedule, supply-chain, quality, and contractual risks; development of mitigation plans; and escalation of material issues.
• Working knowledge of proposal development, requirements decomposition, statements of work, subcontractor management, and customer/contractual deliverables.
• Familiarity with aerospace and defense program execution requirements, including contract compliance, export-control considerations, and applicable government regulations.
• Strong leadership, judgment, problem-solving, presentation, written communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated ownership, initiative, and ability to resolve complex problems in a fast-paced, technically demanding environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• • Program Management Professional (PMP), Defense Acquisition University (DAU), or comparable program-management certification.
  • Experience managing aerospace or defense programs as a prime contractor or subcontractor supporting domestic or international military, civil-space, or commercial-space customers.
  • Experience with EO/IR payloads, optical systems, focal-plane arrays, sensors, precision mechanical systems, electronics, software, environmental qualification, or flight-hardware integration.
  • Experience leading programs with significant hardware integration, qualification, manufacturing readiness, and test execution requirements.
  • Experience with government and commercial contracting, subcontract management, and export-control compliance.

U.S. Citizenship required. This position requires an active DOD security clearance or the ability to obtain such clearance within a reasonable time after commencement of employment.

The salary range for this position is $134,332/year-$208,551/year. This range reflects the good faith estimate of pay the employer is willing to offer at the time of posting. Several factors can influence the pay scale, including but not limited to: Federal contract labor categories and contract wage rates, collective bargaining agreements, geographic location, business considerations, scope, and responsibilities of the position, local or other applicable market conditions, and internal equity. Other factors include the candidate’s qualifications such as prior work experience, specific skills and competencies, education/training, and certifications. In addition to base pay, employees may be eligible for: annual performance-based bonuses, equity awards, and overtime pay (for non-exempt employees as applicable. Our benefits package includes comprehensive health insurance (medical, dental, vision), employer matching 401(k) retirement plan, paid time off including vacation, holidays, and sick leave (including ant state-mandated paid sick leave), parental leave benefits, tuition reimbursement, professional development support, and life and disability insurance coverage.

Taking care of our people is a top priority at Leonardo DRS. We are proud to offer competitive salaries and comprehensive benefits, including medical, dental, and vision coverage, a company contribution to a health savings account, telemedicine, life and disability insurance, legal insurance, and a 401(k) savings plan. We champion wellness programs that focus on physical, emotional, and financial well-being. We develop our talent by offering programs and activities to support career-growth, professional development, and skill enhancement. And we understand there is more to life than work, and the importance of offering flexible work schedules with our 9/80 program, competitive vacation, health/emergency leave, paid parental leave, and community service hours.
*Some employees are eligible for limited benefits only

Leonardo DRS, Inc. and its subsidiaries provide equal opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibit discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.