New Jersey Transit

4407 Senior Program Manager

New Jersey Transit$100K — $130K *
Aerospace & Defense
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 7+ years of relevant experience managing government contracts in acquisition, technology integration, or operational support.
  • Proven management of government contracts, especially DoD, with strong understanding of OTAs, CSOs, and IDIQs.
  • Familiarity with technology scouting, evaluation, and integration in complex operational environments.
  • Exceptional stakeholder engagement and communication skills, including experience briefing senior leaders.
  • Strong problem-solving ability in fast-paced environments, with a capacity to deliver under pressure.
  • Understanding of agile project management methodologies.

Responsibilities

  • Lead high-priority initiatives and operational structures to address capability gaps.
  • Manage daily delivery of high-tempo capability ensuring actionable solutions are identified and implemented.
  • Translate strategic objectives into clear plans with measurable metrics to track progress.
  • Apply Agile and Scrum methodologies for project planning and execution to ensure quick results.
  • Develop innovative strategies to enhance governmental operations in policy, acquisitions, and processes.
  • Collaborate across organizations to ensure alignment of objectives and priorities.
  • Monitor progress, assess risks and adapt plans to suit changing operational needs.

Benefits

  • Active Top Secret clearance requirement indicates a role of significant responsibility and trust.
  • Position within the defense sector, providing opportunities to work on impactful, mission-driven projects.
  • Focus on continuous improvement and innovation, allowing for professional growth and contributions to the field.
  • Engagement with senior defense leaders fosters professional networking and career advancement.
  • Collaboration with diverse technical contributors leads to a multifaceted learning environment.
Full Job Description
4407 Senior Program Manager
4407 | Top Secret

Job Description:

OVERVIEW:

We are seeking a mission-driven, results-oriented Senior Program Manager to lead the execution of high-priority initiatives for a defense sector client. In this role, you'll help launch and operate a function that can rapidly identify needs, scout technologies, integrate solutions, and scale what works. This means building structure, workflows, and processes that overcome legacy constraints to ensure speed, precision, and measurable impact. You will be responsible for leading daily client engagements and navigating complex stakeholder relationships. Success in this role means navigating ambiguity, moving with urgency, and producing results that have a tangible mission impact. This role requires exceptional program leadership skills, knowledge of DoD acquisition and contracting pathways, and the ability to translate complex operational requirements into actionable strategies and repeatable processes.

GENERAL DUTIES:

Client & Mission Success

  • Serve as a trusted partner to DoW stakeholders operating within the corps and acquisition ecosystems.
  • Support operational commands in identifying capability gaps and translating needs into actionable, rapid solutions.
  • Help design and stand up agile operational structures that enable fast delivery and experimentation.
  • Facilitate collaboration across multiple organizations.
  • Lead workshops, write assessments, and convert complex operational and technical challenges into clear recommendations.
  • Continuously collect feedback and refine delivery approaches to improve outcomes and user experience.

Program Leadership & Delivery

  • Lead the launch and sustained operation of a high-tempo capability that rapidly connects identified needs to fielded solutions.
  • Manage day-to-day delivery for assigned workstream(s), producing high quality deliverables and measurable outcomes for your clients.
  • Translate strategic objectives into actionable plans, workflows, and performance metrics to evaluate progress towards objectives, ensuring support drives outsized mission and organizational value.
  • Apply Agile and Scrum methodologies to plan, execute, and adapt projects based on real-time feedback to ensure progress is visible and measurable in weeks, not months.
  • Provide creative, novel perspectives and approaches to how the government operates in the areas of policy, acquisitions, finance, culture, and processes, in order to drive innovation and agility inside their missions.
  • Serve as a trusted partner to senior defense leaders, providing clear, and data-backed recommendations.
  • Facilitate alignment across diverse stakeholder groups to ensure priorities, timelines, and objectives are synchronized.
  • Work closely with technical contributors and Systems Developers to ensure requirements, timelines, and dependencies are aligned.
  • Coordinate closely with leadership and Field Experts to bring the right expertise into projects at the right time.
  • Support rapid prototyping and experimentation efforts tied to software-enabled capabilities.

Technical Performance & Continuous Improvement

  • Establish mission-relevant performance metrics and implement tracking mechanisms to assess progress and impact.
  • Drive continuous improvement by capturing lessons learned and refining processes for future application.
  • Monitor risks, resolve issues quickly, and adapt plans to changing operational realities.
  • Manage resourcing to ensure profitability targets are met.
  • Partner with Systems Developers and technical teams supporting technical capability efforts.
  • Lead the planning and oversight of technical development and integration activities, including testing, deployment, and sustainment considerations.
  • Maintain awareness of emerging technologies and software development best practices to inform planning and decision-making.
  • Help ensure interoperability, security, and compliance with DoD/DoW regulations throughout delivery efforts.
  • Lead documentation efforts, including requirements, design artifacts, user guidance, and lessons learned.

Operational & Contract Management

  • Understand and manage contract requirements to ensure compliance and effective delivery.
  • Identify risks early and work with leadership to mitigate issues quickly.
  • Capture lessons learned and recommended improvements to processes, tools, and workflows.
  • Support efforts to remove policy, acquisition, and operational barriers to innovation.
  • Implement solutions that make delivery more efficient and scalable.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

  • 7+ years of relevant work experience, including leadership of government-facing contracts in acquisition, technology integration, or operational support.
  • Proven experience managing government contracts (DoD preferred), with strong understanding of contracting mechanisms such as OTAs, CSOs, and IDIQs.
  • Strong familiarity with technology scouting, evaluation, and integration into complex environments.
  • Exceptional communication and stakeholder engagement skills, including the ability to brief senior leaders and produce decision-ready materials.
  • Strong problem-solving skills, with the ability to operate in a fast-paced, evolving environment and deliver results under pressure.
  • Understanding and comfort with agile project management.


CLEARANCE:

  • Active Top Secret clearance required


Job Details

City : Tacoma

State : Washington

About New Jersey Transit

New Jersey Transit Corporation, branded as NJ Transit, is a state-owned public transportation system that serves the US state of New Jersey, along with portions of New York State and Pennsylvania. It operates bus, light rail, and commuter rail services throughout the state, connecting to major commercial and employment centers both within the state and in the adjacent major cities of New York and Philadelphia. NJ Transit also provides bus service to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan. NJ Transit is headquartered in Newark, New Jersey.
Learn more about New Jersey Transit
Size
11,900 employees
Industry
Net Income
-$100 million
Founded
1979
5 Year Trend
-2%
Revenue
$2.4 billion
NASDAQ

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