Key Responsibilities- Set direction for the portfolio and make the call early, before analysis turns into delay.
- Tell your team what you know, what you don't know yet, and when you'll know more. Keep the information moving; that's how trust is built here. Explain the why behind changes, especially the ones you didn't choose.
- Face problems directly, with customers, your team, and leadership. Early, honest conversations keep trust intact.
- Spot delivery risk early (resourcing, technical debt, cross-team dependencies) and clear it so programs stay on schedule.
- Give your team air cover: back their good bets and defend their judgment up the chain.
- Make AI part of how your programs work: reporting, status tracking, cost and schedule tracking, backlog tools. Model it yourself, and bring your Program Managers, Portfolio Managers, and Product Owners along.
- Spend your first 60 days learning each program. Every program is different, so let what you learn shape how you lead it.
- Own execution of Bluestaq's full program portfolio: plan it, coordinate it, deliver it, and review it regularly against budget, schedule, and contract deliverables.
- Be the visible leader in high-stakes customer conversations. Build trust that holds under pressure, and make it stronger with every interaction.
- Coach your team members so they can run their own programs and teams well: real feedback, and the authority to act on it.
- Hold a high bar and keep your team energized, not exhausted. High standards, high trust.
- Build shared playbooks for how programs plan, report, and escalate, and standardize where it helps each program run better.
- Connect programs that share opportunities or overlapping work, especially across engineering and product, so good ideas spread instead of staying siloed.
- Make sure every program has real financial forecasting and cost visibility, so leadership always knows where spend stands.
- Partner with the Contracts Lead, Finance, and your Program and Portfolio Managers to keep contract documentation current: contracts, subcontracts, NDAs, Teaming Agreements, mods, and CPAR responses.
- Partner with the Growth Team on RFIs, proposal input, and pursuit strategy for existing programs. Growth leads capture; you bring the program insight and customer access.
- Partner with the Program Operations Director on cross-program process and tooling, and with the Engineering Director on delivery alignment and technical risk.
- Brief the executives ahead of customer and stakeholder engagements, and keep leadership current on program performance.
- Find subcontractors and delivery partners who make the portfolio more resilient.
- Own hiring, training, time charging, performance, and advancement for your team.
Required Qualifications- 14+ years leading complex, high-stakes Defense and Intelligence Community programs.
- Working knowledge of US government acquisition: FAR/DFARS, funding cycles, and contract types.
- Comfortable owning high-pressure customer escalations and rebuilding trust for follow-on work.
- Strong in front of customers: able to brief and connect with audiences from engineers to senior executives.
- Proven mentor to Program Managers: direct feedback and real coaching, not just oversight.
- Decisive under ambiguity. Makes the call early instead of letting it sit.
- Direct, frequent communicator. Explains decisions, including the ones you didn't make, instead of letting silence fill the gap.
- Ability to travel up to 20%.
Preferred Qualifications- Experience scaling programs from prototype to sustainment at a federal contractor or similar.
- Experience with military and civilian space community.
- Experience with international partner programs (manning, time zone, and control considerations).
Required Experience and Education- Bachelor's degree in engineering, computer science, systems engineering, business administration or a related field and 14+ years of Program Management and Systems Engineering experience, OR
- Associate degree in a related field and 18+ years of combined military or civilian analysis/operations experience, OR
- High School Diploma/GED and 26+ years of combined engineering and space operations experience.
Salary Range (US)
$250,000-$350,000 USD
Clearance Requirement: This position may require an active TS/SCI Clearance. Current clearance holders are strongly encouraged to apply. If you don't currently hold one, Bluestaq will sponsor eligible candidates through the clearance process based on program needs.
Relocation: Relocation assistance is available for full-time positions.
