BAE Systems

Dir II- Programs

BAE Systems$135K — $160K *
Aerospace & Defense
11 - 15 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree with 12+ years of relevant experience.
  • Proven ability to develop an engaged workforce and positive culture.
  • Strong communication skills for engaging with executives and frontline employees.
  • Experience with large, multi-disciplinary defense programs involving engineering and field services.
  • Demonstrated ability to influence diverse teams and support decision-making.
  • Advanced problem-solving skills for complex, undefined issues.

Responsibilities

  • Support leadership across project, engineering, logistics, production, and quality teams.
  • Lead a workforce of ~370 employees, promoting culture and performance.
  • Provide coaching and development to managers and team members.
  • Engage regularly with employees at all levels to maintain organizational clarity.
  • Assist in planning and managing program activities to meet objectives.
  • Monitor performance and support reporting to business leadership.
  • Collaborate with cross-functional partners to ensure program execution.

Benefits

  • Opportunity to lead a $131M C5ISR program portfolio.
  • Engagement with senior government leaders and executive briefings.
  • Professional development and career growth opportunities.
  • Involvement in process improvement initiatives.
  • Support for maintaining compliant and secure operational facilities.
Full Job Description
Job Description

The Deputy Program Director supports the Program Director in leading a complex C5ISR program portfolio valued at $131M annually, with direct management responsibility for approximately 370 employees across seven major programs. In addition, this role serves as deputy to the broader C5ISR enterprise of roughly 970 employees, helping ensure strategic alignment, unified execution, and a strong organizational culture across all CONUS and OCONUS locations. This position supports execution across programs involving systems engineering, system integration, test and evaluation, system delivery, and field services, and provides leadership engagement at multiple operating sites, including Lexington Park, MD, which has 72 assigned employees.

Key Responsibilities
  • Support leadership across project, engineering, logistics, production, and quality teams, ensuring aligned priorities and effective execution across complex program areas.
  • Lead a directly managed workforce of ~370 employees while supporting culture, engagement, and performance across the full C5ISR organization (~970 employees).
  • Demonstrate proven experience building and sustaining a highly engaged workforce and positive culture, promoting collaboration, accountability, ethics, and safety.
  • Provide coaching, development, and leadership support to managers and team members, enabling professional growth and strengthening organizational capability.
  • Maintain regular, meaningful engagement with employees at all levels-from senior leadership to frontline personnel-to reinforce organizational alignment and clarity.
  • Assist in planning, organizing, and managing program activities to meet technical, schedule, cost, and contractual objectives.
  • Apply BAE Systems Lifecycle Management (LCM) practices and support disciplined execution across the full portfolio.
  • Monitor performance using established metrics; support reporting to business leadership and customer stakeholders.
  • Participate in risk and opportunity management to protect program financial commitments and schedule performance.
  • Support recurring weekly, monthly, and quarterly program and financial reviews.
  • Engage with senior government leaders including GS-15 civilian executives and O-6 through O-9 military officers.
  • Communicate program priorities, risks, decisions, and progress clearly and effectively to executives and employees.
  • Support customer updates, coordination, and issue resolution across all program sites.
  • Collaborate closely with Contracts, Subcontracts, Finance, Supply Chain, HR, Engineering, and other functional partners to maintain integrated program execution.
  • Support cross-functional decision-making and ensure consistent adherence to program standards and requirements.
  • Participate in planning for follow-on work, including capture strategy development, proposal creation, program initiation, and competitive positioning.
  • Assist leadership in evaluating discretionary investment strategies and shaping strategic approaches.
  • Support process improvement initiatives and lessons-learned efforts to enhance performance, efficiency, and organizational learning.
  • Assist the Program Director in maintaining safe, secure, and compliant facility operations at Lexington Park, MD, which has 72 assigned employees.
  • Strengthen leadership presence and employee engagement at the site.


Required Skills and Education

  • Bachelor's degree with a minimum of 12+ years of relevant experience.
  • Proven experience developing a highly engaged workforce and cultivating a strong, positive culture.
  • Strong communication skills with the ability to brief senior executives and government leaders while engaging effectively with frontline employees.
  • Experience supporting large, multi-disciplinary defense programs involving engineering, integration, test, delivery, and field services.
  • Demonstrated ability to influence across diverse functional teams and support coordinated decision-making.
  • Advanced problem-solving skills for complex issues not explicitly governed by established processes.


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.

Preferred Skills and Education

  • PMP certification preferred.

About BAE Systems

BAE Systems plc is a British multinational arms, security, and aerospace company. It is among the world's largest defense contractors, with over 85,000 employees and operations in over 40 countries. BAE Systems is involved in the design, development, and manufacture of a wide range of products and services, including military aircraft, naval ships, and land vehicles. The company also provides a range of cybersecurity and intelligence services. BAE Systems has a long history, dating back to the 19th century, and has been involved in many major defense projects. Visit baesystems.com for more information.
Learn more about BAE Systems
Size
90,500 employees
Industry
Founded
1997
NASDAQ

Similar Jobs

More Jobs at BAE Systems

  • BAE Systems
    Eng Sr Prin - Test
    $120K — $145K *
    Hill Afb, UT 84056 (Davis County)
    Aerospace & Defense
    In-Person
  • BAE Systems
    Eng II - SW
    $95K — $115K *
    Boulder, CO 80302 (Boulder County)
    Aerospace & Defense
    In-Person
  • BAE Systems
    Eng Technologist Prin
    $95K — $115K *
    Louisville, KY 40214 (Jefferson County)
    Manufacturing & Automotive
    In-Person
  • BAE Systems
    Mgr II- Eng Aero
    $159K — $254K *
    Fort Worth, TX 76137 (Tarrant County)
    Aerospace & Defense
    In-Person
  • BAE Systems
    Master Planner Prin
    $110K — $130K *
    Remote
    Aerospace & Defense
    Remote in Nashua, NH

More Aerospace & Defense Jobs

Find similar Dir II- Programs jobs: