PROGRAM MANAGER

DOE/NNSA Programs & Business Development

Location: Knoxville, Tennessee, Washington DC, or Aiken, South Carolina

Reports To: PMO Managing Director

Travel: Approximately 10–20%, as business and customer needs require

Clearance: Ability to obtain and maintain a DOE security clearance, as required by assigned programs

About Salas O’Brien

At Salas O’Brien, we are engineered for impact. As an employee-owned engineering and professional services firm, we partner with clients to solve complex challenges across science and technology, energy, infrastructure, and other critical industries. Our people-first culture emphasizes collaboration, accountability, innovation, and delivering lasting value for our customers.

Position Summary

The Program Manager – DOE/NNSA Programs & Business Development will lead the successful execution of Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), and other federal programs while supporting the growth of the company’s federal business portfolio.

This position combines hands-on program management, customer relationship development, operational oversight, and strategic business development. The successful candidate will be responsible for maintaining strong customer relationships, ensuring contract performance, managing multidisciplinary teams, and identifying opportunities to expand existing work and develop new business.

Based in Knoxville, Tennessee, Washington DC or Aiken, South Carolina, this individual will leverage established customer relationships, industry knowledge, and professional networks to identify emerging requirements and connect customer needs with the company’s engineering, technical, project management, and professional services capabilities.

The ideal candidate is an experienced DOE or federal program leader who understands how to deliver successful programs, build customer confidence, identify growth opportunities, and collaborate with internal leadership and business development teams to position the company for future awards.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the planning, execution, and oversight of assigned DOE/NNSA and other federal programs, ensuring contractual commitments, customer expectations, and performance objectives are met.
• Serve as a primary point of contact for assigned customers, maintaining strong working relationships with government representatives, prime contractors, subcontractors, and other stakeholders.
• Develop and maintain program execution plans, schedules, budgets, staffing plans, performance metrics, and resource forecasts.
• Monitor contract performance, deliverables, milestones, cost, schedule, quality, and customer satisfaction; identify issues early and implement corrective actions.
• Manage program risks, scope changes, emerging requirements, and resource constraints in coordination with customers and company leadership.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary teams across engineering, technical services, project management, environmental management, nuclear operations support, and administrative functions, as applicable.
• Provide regular program updates, executive briefings, performance reports, and recommendations to internal leadership and customers.
• Support contract transitions, task order execution, workforce planning, and the development of scalable delivery strategies as customer requirements evolve.

Customer Relationship Management

• Establish and maintain trusted relationships with existing DOE/NNSA customers, federal program stakeholders, national laboratories, site contractors, and other organizations supporting federal missions.
• Maintain regular engagement with customer contacts to understand current priorities, identify challenges, and anticipate future program requirements.
• Identify opportunities to expand existing contracts, support additional task orders, and introduce complementary company capabilities to established customers.
• Leverage professional relationships and industry knowledge to develop new customer connections and expand the company’s presence across the DOE and federal contracting environment.
• Represent the company professionally at customer meetings, industry events, technical forums, and other relevant engagements.
• Coordinate with operational leaders to ensure customer feedback is addressed and that business growth remains aligned with successful program execution.

Business Development & Growth

• Partner with executive leadership and business development teams to identify, qualify, and pursue opportunities within existing DOE/NNSA accounts and new customer organizations.
• Develop and maintain a pipeline of potential opportunities based on customer relationships, upcoming requirements, market intelligence, and industry engagement.
• Identify opportunities to expand the company’s scope of services through existing contracts, new task orders, teaming arrangements, and strategic partnerships.
• Contribute to capture planning, opportunity assessments, customer engagement strategies, and bid/no-bid recommendations.
• Support proposal development by providing technical and operational input, staffing strategies, management approaches, past-performance information, and customer insight.
• Build relationships with potential teaming partners, prime contractors, subcontractors, and other organizations that complement the company’s capabilities.
• Collaborate with internal technical and business development teams to align customer needs with company capabilities and develop practical growth strategies.
• Track opportunity progress, customer engagement, and business development activities, communicating priorities and potential investments to leadership.

Operational Excellence, Safety & Compliance

• Ensure program execution aligns with applicable contract requirements, DOE/NNSA directives, federal regulations, site procedures, and company policies.
• Promote a culture of safety, quality, accountability, integrity, and continuous improvement.
• Support compliance with applicable Integrated Safety Management System (ISMS), quality assurance, environmental, security, and training requirements.
• Maintain awareness of contract‑specific security clearance, personnel qualification, training, and information‑handling requirements.
• Identify programmatic, operational, contractual, and organizational risks and implement mitigation strategies.
• Support audits, assessments, corrective actions, performance reviews, and other contract assurance activities as required.
• Apply appropriate DOE project management and controls practices, including cost and schedule management, risk assessment, change control, and earned value management when applicable to the program.
• Provide leadership, direction, mentoring, and performance oversight to assigned program and project personnel.
• Establish clear expectations for accountability, quality, customer service, and timely execution.
• Coordinate workforce planning, recruitment needs, employee development, succession planning, and resource allocation with company leadership.
• Foster collaboration across technical disciplines and business functions to ensure effective delivery of customer commitments.
• Identify opportunities to improve operating processes, strengthen program performance, and increase the value delivered to customers.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, physical sciences, business administration, project management, or a related field; equivalent relevant experience may be considered.
• Minimum of 5 years of progressive experience in program management, project management, operations, or contract leadership supporting DOE/NNSA, Department of Defense, national laboratories, or other federal customers.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience leading multidisciplinary technical, engineering, scientific, or professional services teams.
• Demonstrated experience managing complex federal contracts or programs, including responsibility for customer relationships, performance, staffing, budgets, schedules, and deliverables.
• Experience working in a regulated federal environment, preferably involving nuclear operations, environmental management, energy, national security, engineering, or technical support services.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain trusted customer relationships and communicate effectively with government and contractor leadership.
• Experience identifying opportunities for contract growth, expanding customer relationships, supporting capture activities, or contributing to business development.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to develop executive briefings, management reports, and customer presentations.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DOE security clearance when required by the assigned program.

Preferred Qualifications

• Active DOE Q clearance
• Previous experience supporting NNSA Headquarters, Savannah River and Oak Ridge Site contractors other DOE/NNSA Labs, Plants or sites.
• Experience with federal contract administration, project controls, risk management, budgeting, scheduling, and earned value management.
• Familiarity with applicable DOE project management directives, , quality assurance, and nuclear safety requirements.
• Demonstrated success expanding existing customer accounts, developing new customer relationships, or supporting federal capture and proposal efforts.
• Established professional relationships within the DOE/NNSA, national laboratory, federal contracting, or engineering services communities.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Strong program leadership and contract execution capabilities.
• Ability to balance operational responsibilities with strategic customer engagement and business development.
• Proven ability to build trust, understand customer needs, and identify opportunities that align with organizational capabilities.
• Strong financial, organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage competing priorities, changing requirements, and complex stakeholder relationships.
• Collaborative leadership style with a focus on accountability, customer satisfaction, and measurable results.
• Ability to work independently while coordinating effectively with executive leadership, technical teams, and business development personnel.

Measures of Success

• Consistent delivery of assigned programs against contractual scope, schedule, cost, quality, and performance objectives.
• Strong customer satisfaction, relationship retention, and positive customer feedback.
• Identification and development of qualified growth opportunities within existing accounts and new customer relationships.
• Meaningful contributions to contract expansions, task order awards, proposals, and new business pursuits.
• Effective workforce planning, resource utilization, and team performance.
• Strong compliance, risk management, and operational performance across assigned programs.

Working Conditions

The position will be based in Washington DC, Knoxville, Tennessee, or Aiken, South Carolina, with travel to DOE facilities, national laboratories, customer locations, and industry events as needed. Work arrangements and site access will depend on customer and contract requirements.

Salas O’Brien is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing a workplace free from discrimination and harassment in accordance with applicable law.

Third-Party Agency Notice

Salas O’Brien does not accept unsolicited resumes from external recruiters or agencies.

Qualifications

Education

Preferred

Bachelors or better in Business Administration or related field.

Experience

Required

5 years:

Minimum of 5 years of progressive experience in program management, project management, operations, or contract leadership supporting DOE/NNSA, Department of Defense, national laboratories, or other federal customers. Minimum of 5 years of experience leading multidisciplinary technical, engineering, scientific, or professional services teams.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.