Principal Program Manager

Principal Program Manager

Blue Canyon Technologies, RTX's small satellite manufacturer and mission services provider, is solving some of the toughest challenges in space. Our components and bus platforms have completed missions ranging from very-low Earth orbits to lunar and interplanetary journeys at a fraction of the cost of traditional space systems. We support premier defense, commercial and civil organizations including the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, NASA, MIT Lincoln Lab, the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, University of Colorado and more. Join our innovative and dynamic company as we build, test and operate the small spacecraft of the future.

Position Purpose: The Principal Program Manager is responsible for leading the planning, execution, and successful delivery of large, complex spacecraft programs. This role requires balancing technical execution, customer relationships, financial performance, and strategic business growth.

Position Type: Full Time

Pay Range: $170,000 - $260,000

On-site position at our Lafayette, CO location (work locations are subject to change based on business need).

Benefits:

• Employer sponsored health, dental, and vision benefits effective the first of the month following hire date
• Life insurance
• 401k (matching 4% with a minimum 5% contribution)
• Generous PTO (3 weeks of vacation + 3 floating holidays, 2 weeks of sick time, 7 paid holidays throughout the year) and parental leave

Job Responsibilities:

• Serve as the primary interface with government, commercial, and defense customers, ensuring program objectives and contractual requirements are met.
• Lead large, complex space programs from proposal through design, manufacturing, integration, test, launch, and handovers to mission operations.
• Present program status, financial health, and risk assessments to executive leadership and customers.
• Lead program reviews from System Requirements Review (SRR) to Pre-ship Review (PSR) and customer milestone reviews.
• Identify, assess, and mitigate technical, schedule, cost, and programmatic risks. Monitor program performance using earned value management (EVM), key performance indicators (KPIs), and financial forecasting (EACs/LREs).
• Ensure compliance with contractual obligations, regulatory requirements, and mission assurance standards.
• Manage/perform trade studies balancing cost, schedule and technical requirements and parametric
• Develop, review, and negotiate procurement documents (specification, SOW) and manage subcontracts and strategic partners to ensure successful delivery of hardware and services.
• Champion continuous improvement initiatives to enhance execution efficiency, product quality, and organizational performance.
• Develop and manage integrated master schedules, budgets, milestones, and resource plans that meet delivery and cost requirements.
• Direct cross-functional teams including systems engineering, software, hardware, manufacturing, supply chain, quality, mission assurance, and operations.
• Collaborate with business development, capture teams, and customers to develop innovative and competitive proposals, cost estimates, and technical strategies.
• Develop long-term customer relationships and identify opportunities for program growth and follow-on work.
• Mentor program managers and project leads while promoting best practices in program execution.
• May include personnel management responsibilities
• Other responsibilities as assigned

Required Qualifications/Education:

• 12+ years managing aerospace or defense programs with demonstrated success leading spacecraft, launch vehicle, or other related program types.
• Bachelor's degree in engineering, computer science, or a related technical field; master's degree or equivalent experience preferred.
• Excellent leadership, communication (verbal and written), negotiation, and customer engagement skills.
• Strong technical management skills and knowledge of systems engineering, spacecraft development lifecycles, and mission operations.
• Demonstrated ability to grow new business opportunities.
• Proven track record of success working with NASA, DOD, IC and with prime contractors/commercial customers to deliver operational systems.
• Expertise in program financial management, EVM, risk management, and schedule management.
• Ability to work rapidly with very minimal supervision on projects involving both small and large engineering teams.
• Related technical experience may be considered in lieu of

Working Conditions:

This job operates in a professional office environment, but in a manufacturing company. This role uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, scanners, filing cabinets and fax machines. BCT anticipates the application window closing approximately 40 days from the date the notice was posted. However, factors such as candidate flow and business necessity may require BCT to shorten or extend the application window.

Physical Demands and Work Environment:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit for long periods of time. The employee is occasionally required to stand, bend, reach, and walk. The position requires some light physical effort. This would require the ability to lift or move objects up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift or move objects up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities are required by this job which includes close vision, distance vision, and ability to adjust focus.

Blue Canyon Technologies is a drug-free workplace and an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO)/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, or any other protected factor. Colorado Residents: In any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifying information such as age, date of birth, or dates of school attendance or graduation. You will not be penalized for redacting or removing this information. Blue Canyon Technologies is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. To request a reasonable accommodation, contact Melissa Po at View email address on click.appcast.io.