Head of Project Management

Job Title: Project Manager

We are seeking a Project Manager to join a rapidly expanding Navy sustainment and lifecycle support organization. The successful candidate will play a vital role in supporting post-delivery sustainment programs for naval assets, as vessels enter service and require ongoing operational support globally. This role demands a highly autonomous professional adept at managing complex government programs and relationships with Navy customers in a startup-like environment.

Lead sustainment and lifecycle support activities for Navy and DoD assets.

• Manage scope execution, cost performance, schedule management, risk mitigation, and customer satisfaction.
• Oversee global fleet sustainment requirements.
• Maintain project performance metrics and develop recovery plans for schedule, cost, and performance risks.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for government stakeholders and lead Integrated Product Team (IPT) meetings with Navy and DoD customers.
• Present program status, risks, corrective actions, and financial performance.
• Communicate technical issues to engineering teams and government customers.
• Manage a network of subcontractors supporting global sustainment operations.
• Coordinate with repair and maintenance providers, marine service contractors, logistics providers, OEM equipment suppliers, and consulting firms.
• Ensure vendors meet cost, schedule, quality, and performance requirements and resolve supplier performance issues.
• Manage programs under Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee (CPFF) contracts, monitor financial aspects, and ensure compliance with government contract regulations.
• Develop forecasts, EACs, variance analyses, and management reporting.
• Support program audits and financial reviews.
• Work closely with scheduling teams to maintain detailed project-level schedules using Microsoft Project.
• Track milestones, resources, and dependencies, and monitor Earned Value Management (EVM) performance indicators.
• Coordinate engineering investigations, support reliability assessments, and manage engineering changes impacting sustainment.
• Coordinate ABS inspections and certifications, manage purchase orders, and track corrective actions from inspections.

Experience in program or project management within U.Navy, Department of Defense, defense contractors, military sustainment programs, or aerospace (Ideally 10-15+ years demonstrated).

• Proven experience managing Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee (CPFF) contracts.
• Experience managing subcontractors, service providers, logistics vendors, and technical suppliers.
• Experience with Earned Value Management (EVM), cost management, budget forecasting, schedule management, variance analysis, and risk management.
• Experience leading discussions with Navy customers, government program offices, and defense stakeholders.

Strong preference for candidates from naval shipbuilding, ship repair, marine fabrication, fleet sustainment, or naval maintenance programs.

• Acceptable transferable industries include aerospace sustainment, defense aviation, military vehicle programs, heavy defense manufacturing, defense logistics operations, and large government service programs.
• Nice-to-have experience includes Integrated Logistics Support (ILS), provisioning and spares management, technical publications/maintenance manuals, and American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) certifications.

Candidates must be local and open to walking ships or the manufacturing floor when necessary. The role offers the opportunity to be part of a growing team related to a recently won Navy contract. Non-local talent will be given consideration if supremely qualified and ready to relocate.

#This is a Permanent position based out of Vancouver, WA.

holiday PTO 12% bonus 401k match

Application Deadline

We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email View email address on click.appcast.io of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.