Program Manager II

Description

The company builds complete rockets, spacecraft, and critical subsystems for space missions.

The Space Systems team builds full spacecraft, precision payloads, and components such as solar panels, flight software, star trackers, optical systems, separation systems, and radios.

The team has supported more than 1,700 missions, including interplanetary exploration, in-space manufacturing, and national security and defense work.

The team has built spacecraft, payloads, and components for Moon and Mars missions and works with partners including NASA, the Space Development Agency, and the U.S. Space Force.

This Program Manager II role is based at the company's new site in Albuquerque, NM, which came through an acquisition. The role owns the full program lifecycle for assigned programs, from definition and planning through execution and closeout, and manages scope, schedule, budget, revenue forecasts, margin, and profit and loss in line with customer and company goals and internal policies. You will keep the program compliant with contract terms and work with management, engineering, manufacturing, test, and quality assurance to get there.

Responsibilities

• Act as the main point of contact for customers and keep them informed about every aspect of program performance.
• Own the whole program lifecycle, from definition and planning through execution and closeout.
• Keep projects on time, on budget, and to specification.
• Anticipate customer needs and handle changes to scope, schedule, budget, and staffing so customers stay satisfied.
• Hold authority over overall compliance with the company's program requirements across management, engineering, manufacturing, test, and quality assurance.
• Set program tasks and schedules with manufacturing and assign a budget to each task.
• Work with functional managers to make sure enough people and other resources are assigned to meet cost, technical, and schedule targets.
• Own the program's profit and loss and work with Finance to prepare monthly reports.
• Spot likely problems early and deliver practical fixes using sound methods and knowledge.
• Recommend leadership actions, set project objectives, and define each team member's role.
• Actively manage and communicate project risks and issues.
• Propose solutions to bottlenecks and conflicts between teams and functions.
• Track delivery from internal, external, local, and remote resources and hold team members to their commitments.
• Share project progress often and clearly with staff and executives, and review project results with the wider organization.
• Apply sharp critical thinking to complex, high-impact, cross-functional problems.
• Keep a broad view while staying precise and juggling several efforts at once.
• Work well with every level of the organization, from staff and business stakeholders to management.

Requirements

• A bachelor's degree in engineering, business administration, project management, or a related field.
• At least 2 years of related experience, including project or program management or management of large-scale, cross-functional technology projects.
• Program management experience, ideally in solar or wind, especially running Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) contracts.
• Demonstrated success planning, directing, and delivering complex projects on time, within budget, and with the required functionality.
• Experience applying a project management methodology.
• Ability to manage several projects at the same time.
• Familiarity with ERP systems and WBS structures.
• Strong written and verbal communication, including for executive audiences.
• Strong negotiation and influence skills, and the ability to resolve conflict.
• Comfort in fast-paced, shifting, and unclear environments.
• Highly organized and detail-oriented.
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally.
• Nice to have: experience with space-based solar projects and technologies.
• Nice to have: experience with DoD and/or NASA programs.
• Nice to have: experience with a range of contract types, such as firm fixed price and cost-plus.
• Nice to have: strong communication and presentation skills.
• Nice to have: strong conflict resolution, negotiation, and influence skills.
• Nice to have: highly organized and detail-oriented.
• A plus: experience in energy project management, financial analysis, or project financing in the solar industry, along with a solid grasp of energy project economics, including capital cost, variable cost, and IRR calculations.

Conditions

The role is based at the company's Albuquerque, NM site.

The job may involve long periods of sitting, standing, walking, and computer work, plus occasional exposure to moderate noise, dust, and fumes in production areas.

For US offices only: to meet US Government space technology export rules, including ITAR, you must be a US citizen, a lawful US permanent resident (current Green Card holder), lawfully admitted to the US as a refugee or granted asylum, or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the US Department of State and/or the US Department of Commerce, as applicable.

For New Zealand offices only: background checks, including nationality checks, will be run before any offer is made, and you must be eligible to access equipment and data regulated by ITAR. You may be ineligible if you do not hold citizenship of Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland, the European Union, or a NATO member country, or if you hold ineligible dual citizenship or nationality.