Program Manager

Who Are We?

Groundswell is a premier technology integrator and solution provider, resolutely committed to solving the most complex challenges facing federal agencies today. Our name, Groundswell, represents our commitment to be an unstoppable, seismic change in government. Ours is a small company culture with big company reach and results. Are you ready to be audacious, be bold and drive change at a rapid pace? Join us, where we’ll make a greater impact together.

What You'll do:

Groundswell is seeking an experienced Program Manager to lead the day-to-day management and execution of a flagship Intelligence Community modernization program. Reporting to the Executive Program Director, this individual will serve as the program’s operational leader, with responsibility for contract execution, program controls, customer coordination, financial performance, integrated schedule management, risk and dependency management, subcontractor performance, and coordination with OEM and government stakeholders. While the Executive Program Manager provides executive oversight, strategic direction, and senior customer engagement, the Program Manager will be responsible for the daily operation and execution of the program. This individual will ensure Groundswell meets contractual requirements, Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) performance standards, milestones, deliverables, financial commitments, and customer expectations. The Program Manager will work closely with the OEM Program Management Office (PMO) to manage cross-program dependencies, schedules, risks, and decisions that could impact Groundswell's delivery commitments. The Program Manager will also provide leadership and oversight to Groundswell's Workday Delivery Lead and other functional and technical workstream leaders, ensuring individual delivery efforts remain aligned with the overall program plan. This role is designed to assume increasing program leadership responsibility as the program matures and transitions from initial implementation and establishment into steady-state program execution.

Key Responsibilities:

• Program & Contract Execution Lead the day-to-day execution and management of the task order under the strategic direction and executive oversight of the Executive Program Manager. Manage compliance with contract terms, requirements, performance standards, and customer commitments. Manage contractual deliverables, milestones, reporting requirements, and Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) performance measures. Establish and maintain the program's operating cadence, governance processes, performance reporting, and management controls. Ensure contract deliverables are completed, reviewed, submitted, and tracked through customer acceptance. Coordinate across technical and functional workstreams to ensure execution remains aligned with contractual requirements and program objectives. Serve as the primary escalation point for day-to-day program execution issues.
• Integrated Schedule, Risk & Dependency Management Develop, maintain, and manage the program Integrated Master Schedule (IMS), incorporating Groundswell, subcontractor, OEM, customer, and other external milestones and dependencies. Lead program-level risk, issue, dependency, action, and decision management processes. Identify cross-workstream and external dependencies that could affect program milestones, contractual commitments, cost, or performance. Develop and drive mitigation and contingency plans for program-level risks and schedule impacts. Coordinate with the Workday Delivery Lead and other workstream leaders to incorporate detailed delivery plans and milestones into the overall IMS. Escalate significant risks, issues, decisions, and potential contractual impacts to the Executive Program Manager and government leadership as appropriate.
• OEM & External Dependency Management Serve as the primary day-to-day program management interface with the OEM PMO. Coordinate schedules, milestones, dependencies, risks, issues, and decisions between Groundswell and the OEM program. Assess changes to OEM plans and schedules for potential impacts to Groundswell's scope, IMS, resources, deliverables, and contractual milestones. Drive timely resolution of cross-organizational dependencies and issues involving Groundswell, the OEM, subcontractors, and government stakeholders. Maintain clear visibility into external dependencies and proactively communicate potential impacts to program leadership and the customer.
• Financial & Contract Performance Manage day-to-day program financial performance, including budgets, forecasts, staffing plans, burn rates, and cost performance. Coordinate and oversee program invoicing activities to ensure accurate and timely billing in accordance with contractual requirements. Monitor actual and forecasted performance against program financial objectives and identify potential variances. Partner with Groundswell contracts, finance, and corporate leadership to address financial and contractual issues. Provide the Executive Program Manager with regular visibility into program financial health and areas requiring executive action.
• Customer & Program Governance Serve as a primary day-to-day interface with government program leadership and stakeholders. Lead recurring program status reviews, schedule reviews, risk reviews, performance reviews, and other program governance forums. Prepare and deliver program-level reporting covering schedule, contractual performance, financials, staffing, risks, dependencies, deliverables, and required decisions. Support the Executive Program Manager in executive-level customer engagements, strategic discussions, and escalations. Build trusted relationships with government stakeholders through transparency, responsiveness, and disciplined program execution.
• Team, Subcontractor & Delivery Oversight Provide operational leadership across Groundswell's technical, functional, cybersecurity, program management, and operational workstreams. Provide management oversight to the Workday Delivery Lead and other workstream leaders while maintaining clear accountability for their respective areas of delivery. Manage subcontractor performance at the program level, including contractual commitments, staffing, schedules, deliverables, dependencies, and overall performance. Coordinate with subcontractor leadership to resolve performance issues and maintain alignment with program requirements. Ensure delivery teams have the priorities, resources, decisions, and support necessary to meet program commitments. Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, transparency, customer focus, and delivery excellence.
• Executive Program Manager Partnership Serve as the principal deputy to the Executive Program Manager and act on their behalf for day-to-day program execution. Maintain continuous visibility for the Executive Program Manager into program health, customer concerns, financial performance, contractual matters, risks, and decisions requiring executive attention. Translate executive program direction into actionable plans and ensure execution across the program organization. Assume program leadership responsibilities when delegated by the Executive Program Manager. Support the evolution of program governance, operating models, and leadership responsibilities as the program matures.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in information systems, Engineering, Business, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification required.
• Equivalent certification, such as DAWIA Level Three in Program Management, may be acceptable.
• 10+ years of experience managing complex Federal technology programs, task orders, or enterprise system implementations.
• Experience supporting Intelligence Community (IC) and/or Department of Defense (DoD) programs.
• Demonstrated experience managing Federal contract requirements, deliverables, performance measures, and customer commitments.
• Demonstrated experience developing and managing Integrated Master Schedules (IMS), program-level risks, issues, dependencies, and corrective actions.
• Experience managing program financials, including budgets, forecasts, staffing, cost performance, and invoicing.
• Experience coordinating complex dependencies across government customers, OEMs, subcontractors, and delivery organizations.
• Experience managing subcontractor and vendor performance in Federal or other highly regulated environments.
• Strong leadership, communication, executive presentation, organization, and relationship management skills.
• Demonstrated ability to operate independently, make sound program decisions, and appropriately escalates risks, issues, and decisions in a complex customer environment.
• Must be a US Citizen per contract requirements.
• Active Top Secret (TS) clearance required with the ability to obtain and maintain TS/SCI access and Counter Intelligence (CI) Polygraph. Candidates who currently hold an active TS/SCI clearance with CI Polygraph will receive priority consideration.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience managing large-scale enterprise ERP or HCM implementations, preferably Workday.
• Experience supporting Intelligence Community programs within highly secure customer environments.
• Experience coordinating program schedules, milestones, risks, and dependencies with an OEM or external Program Management Office (PMO).
• Experience managing contract performance against Quality Assurance Surveillance Plans (QASPs), Service Level Agreements (SLAs), or similar performance standards.
• Experience with Earned Value Management (EVM), cost and schedule performance analysis, and program forecasting.
• Experience supporting programs through Risk Management Framework (RMF) and Authority to Operate (ATO) processes.
• Familiarity with the Workday implementation lifecycle and methodology.

Work Location & Travel Requirements

Must be local to the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area and willing to work onsite within customer SCIF environments a minimum of four (4) days per week. Approximately 5% travel within the Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) region is required. Occasional non-standard work hours may be required to support mission and program needs.

Skills:

Certification: Project Management Professional (PMP)® Certification - PMI

Why You’ll Never Want to Leave:

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans
• Flexible Spending Account 4% 401K Match (immediate vesting)
• Paid Time Off
• Tuition reimbursement, certification programs, and professional development
• Flexible work schedule
• On‑site gym and childcare option

The salary range for this role takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions, including but not limited to skill sets, experience and training; licensure and certifications; and other business and organizational needs. The disclosed range estimate has not been adjusted for any applicable geographic differential associated with the location at which the position may be filled. At Groundswell, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their role, and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current range is: $183,760.00 - $308,181.00 NOTE: Groundswell does not accept unsolicited resumes through or from search firms or staffing agencies. All unsolicited resumes will be considered the property of Groundswell, and Groundswell will not be obligated to pay a placement fee.

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 a protected veteran, or any other protected category under applicable federal, state, and local laws. Read a copy of the Company’s Non-Discrimination Policy Statement.

Additional Resources: EO 13496 Notification of Employee Rights under NLRA Know your rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal Disability Accessibility Accommodation: If you are an individual with a disability and would like to request a reasonable accommodation as part of the employment selection process, please contact us at View email address on click.appcast.io or View phone number on click.appcast.io. Dedicated to seismic change We creating a modern, digital government through next-generation technology and a deep understanding of the Federal space. Challenge yourself and grow We are leading the technological revolution to modernize and transform government—which is why we are recruiting the smartest, most skilled people to work at our company. Find out how our company is nurturing, challenging, and investing in our employees.