Program Director

Job Description BAE Systems is seeking a strategic and highly technical leader to serve as Director of Modeling and Simulations in Huntsville, Alabama. This role is responsible for technical direction, operational outcomes, and financial oversight of a high-impact program portfolio with annual P&L responsibility between $10M and $15M. The Director will lead a team of approximately 20 senior engineers to strategically align Modeling and Simulation (M&S) capabilities with broader business unit objectives, specifically driving growth and technical excellence within the Missile Defense Agency (MDA), Navy, and International market.
The successful candidate will act as a primary technical liaison, interfacing with Senior Vice Presidents and executive leadership to ensure the successful execution of critical programs.

Required Education, Experience, & Skills Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Technical Governance: Establish and oversee the standards, tools, and governance frameworks required to capture, model, and deliver complex enterprise data. You will define the technical roadmap and technology stack, ensuring that M&S capabilities are scalable, secure, and aligned with long-term corporate goals.
• Operational Leadership & P&L Management: Direct the execution of multiple concurrent programs and tasks, managing budgets and resource allocation to ensure profitability and on-time delivery. You will be accountable for the financial and technical posture of your portfolio, where decisions will have an extended impact on work processes and organizational outcomes.
• Market Expansion & Business Development: Partner with business leaders to identify and capture new opportunities within the MDA market. You will translate complex engineering capabilities into strategic business value, leveraging a deep understanding of Ballistic Missile Defense architectures to differentiate BAE Systems' offerings.
• Enterprise Architecture Optimization: Lead the development of high-level data models and conceptual sub-architectures. You will optimize information flow across the enterprise by reducing redundancy and ensuring accessibility within strict security boundaries.
• Executive Liaison & Representation: Serve as a Subject Matter Expert consultant to top management on long-range planning and act as a prime external spokesperson for the organization. You will lead high-level briefings for senior customer representatives and internal stakeholders regarding operational decisions, contractual clarifications, and advanced technical strategies.

Required Qualifications

• Clearance: Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret clearance.
• Education: Master of Science in Engineering (Required).
• Experience:
  • Minimum of 10 years of professional experience in Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE), Systems Performance Modeling, and Ballistic Missile Defense Architectures.
  • At least 5 years of proven experience in business development, specifically within the defense sector.
  • Demonstrated experience scaling technical capabilities from conceptual design through operational deployment.
• Technical Proficiency: Expert-level knowledge of digital engineering implementation, including the integration of physics-based modeling with digital twins and simulation pipelines.
• Leadership: Proven track record of managing multi-disciplinary teams of senior engineers and overseeing significant P&L portfolios.

Preferred Education, Experience, & Skills Preferred Education, Experience, Skills

• Proven track record of managing multi-disciplinary teams of senior engineers and overseeing P&L portfolios of at least $10M.
• Professional Certifications:
  • INCoP (Integrated Product Team Lead) or PMP (Project Management Professional).
  • OCMP (OMG Certified Model driven Architecture Professional) or similar MBSE certifications.
  • DAU (Defense Acquisition University) Level II or III certification in Engineering or Program Management.
• Strategic Leadership: 8+ years of experience, with at least 5 years in a formal leadership role managing multi-disciplinary teams of senior engineers.
• P&L Ownership: Proven experience managing a budget/portfolio of $5M+ where they were accountable for financial performance, variance analysis, and resource optimization.
• MDA Ecosystem Expertise: Direct experience navigating the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) landscape, including a deep understanding of the Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) architecture and the specific technical challenges of the SSP, Aviation, or AEGIS programs.
• Digital Transformation: A documented history of transitioning a program from traditional document-based systems engineering to a Digital Engineering (DE) or Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) environment.
• Business Development: Experience leading the technical volume of winning proposals (Capture Management) for high-value government contracts.
• Technical Mastery (Solution Architecture):
  • MBSE Toolsets: Expert proficiency in Cameo Systems Modeler, MagicDraw, or Sparx Enterprise Architect.
  • Digital Twin Integration: Ability to architect the integration of high-fidelity physics-based simulations with system-level behavioral models.
  • Data Governance: Expertise in developing enterprise data schemas and ontology standards that allow for interoperability across disparate defense programs.
  • Security Architecture: Knowledge of implementing secure data exchange within classified environments (SIPR/JWICS).
• Executive Leadership:
  • Executive Communication: The ability to "translate" deep technical complexity into strategic business risks and opportunities for SVPs and Government Executives.
  • Strategic Planning: Ability to develop 3-to-5-year technical roadmaps that align with corporate growth targets.
  • Conflict Resolution & Negotiation: Advanced skills in negotiating technical baselines and Statement of Work (SOW) boundaries with government customers to prevent scope creep.
  • Mentorship: A proven ability to develop senior engineers into future technical leaders.

Pay Information
Full-Time Salary Range: $153377 - $260743

Please note: This range is based on our market pay structures. However, individual salaries are determined by a variety of factors including, but not limited to: business considerations, local market conditions, and internal equity, as well as candidate qualifications, such as skills, education, and experience.


Employee Benefits: At BAE Systems, we support our employees in all aspects of their life, including their health and financial well-being. Regular employees scheduled to work 20+ hours per week are offered: health, dental, and vision insurance; health savings accounts; a 401(k) savings plan; disability coverage; and life and accident insurance. We also have an employee assistance program, a legal plan, and other perks including discounts on things like home, auto, and pet insurance. Our leave programs include paid time off, paid holidays, as well as other types of leave, including paid parental, military, bereavement, and any applicable federal and state sick leave. Employees may participate in the company recognition program to receive monetary or non-monetary recognition awards. Other incentives may be available based on position level and/or job specifics.

About BAE Systems Intelligence & Security BAE Systems, Inc. is the U.S. subsidiary of BAE Systems plc, an international defense, aerospace and security company which delivers a full range of products and services for air, land and naval forces, as well as advanced electronics, security, information technology solutions and customer support services. Improving the future and protecting lives is an ambitious mission, but it’s what we do at BAE Systems. Working here means using your passion and ingenuity where it counts – defending national security with breakthrough technology, superior products, and intelligence solutions. As you develop the latest technology and defend national security, you will continually hone your skills on a team—making a big impact on a global scale. At BAE Systems, you’ll find a rewarding career that truly makes a difference.

Intelligence & Security (I&S), based in McLean, Virginia, designs and delivers advanced defense, intelligence, and security solutions that support the important missions of our customers. Our pride and dedication shows in everything we do—from intelligence analysis, cyber operations and IT expertise to systems development, systems integration, and operations and maintenance services. Knowing that our work enables the U.S. military and government to recognize, manage and defeat threats inspires us to push ourselves and our technologies to new levels.

This position will be posted for at least 5 calendar days. The posting will remain active until the position is filled, or a qualified pool of candidates is identified.