The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory

Program Manager 1 - Strategic Systems

Aerospace & Defense
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in engineering, computer science, business, or related field preferred.
  • 5 years of project/program management experience in commercial or defense industries.
  • Knowledge of program management tools like Earned Value Management (EVMS).
  • Experience with government projects and direct customer interfaces.
  • Ability to build strong relationships and influence stakeholders effectively.

Responsibilities

  • Own overall program execution, ensuring cost, schedule, and technical performance targets are met.
  • Establish project performance measurement baselines and manage resource allocations.
  • Oversee programs from inception through completion, controlling all phases effectively.
  • Act as the primary customer contact, managing program teams and leading review sessions.
  • Identify and mitigate risks, applying appropriate actions to project opportunities and issues.

Benefits

  • Workplace flexibility and programs to improve work-life balance.
  • Access to health and finance workshops, and employee clubs (e.g., photography, yoga).
  • Participation in off-site social events and discounts to local museums and cultural activities.
  • A positive, inclusive work environment aimed at maintaining high team morale.
Full Job Description

Job Description Summary:

Responsible for leading cross-functional coordination across engineering, production, supply chain, quality, and customer stakeholders in support of current and future production programs within the Strategic Systems Program Office. Drive program execution by coordinating with integrated master schedule, identifying and mitigating risks, and ensuring alignment between technical, cost, and schedule objectives in fast-paced environment.

Responsible for overseeing the execution of the full lifecycle of small to medium sized projects/program(s) of moderate complexity.

Job Description:

Duties and Responsibilities:

  • Own overall program execution, to include meeting cost, schedule, technical performance targets and exceeding customer expectations
  • Establish project/program performance measurement baseline.   
  • Develop, implement and update resource allocation plans.  Work with functional organizations to effectively recruit, retain and develop key talent for the business.       
  • Manage and control all phases of programs from inception through completion, ensuring cost, schedule, and technical performance. 
  • Act as primary customer contact for program activities, managing program teams, and leading review sessions to ensure all work scope and technical requirements are met. 
  • Work closely with the supporting functions to enable and monitor ongoing performance
  • Identify, assess and apply appropriate actions for project opportunities, risks, and issues in terms of cost, schedule, technical elements and deliverables.  
  • Establish strong customer partnerships and balance ongoing needs and expectations against plans.  Develop new business or expand existing products/technologies with customers.  
  • Provide leadership oversight for the team creating an open, positive, inclusive environment to maintain high team morale. 
  • Participate in contract negotiations, reporting, deliverables and changes.  
  • Deploy appropriate quality control and quality assurance processes and ensure adherence to the Quality Management System and customer requirements.  
  • Coordinate win strategy, competitive captures, and compliant proposals to support current and future growth of the business portfolio.   
  • Manage all phases of the business cycle in accordance with the company's financial policies and processes.  
  • Ensure impactful, effective oral and written communications to internal and external stakeholders.

Skills and Abilities:

  • Knowledge of program management tools and processes such as Earned Value Management (EVMS), Integrated Master Plan (IMP)/Integrated Master Schedule (IMS) and/or Risk/Opportunity/Issue Management.
  • Experience working government projects/programs with direct customer interfaces, both internal and external.
  • Able to work with functional organizations to achieve project/program execution and business goals.
  • Able to implement continuous improvement across projects/programs and balance priorities in a dynamic, matrixed environment. 
  • Ability to travel on an as needed basis. 
  • Ability to quickly learn new technologies and/or new applications.
  • Prior exposure to all product lifecycles
  • Ability to be persuasive and a strong relationship builder.
  • Possess excellent communications, presentation and networking skills. 
  • Proficiency with Microsoft Office Applications

Education:

  • Bachelor’s degree (major in engineering, computer science, business, or related technical field preferred)

Experience:

  • 5 years professional experience in project/program management in commercial or defense industry required

Additional Job Description:

Applicants selected for this position will be required to obtain and maintain a government security clearance. Active Secret Clearance is required.

Job Location - City:

Cambridge

Job Location - State:

Massachusetts

Job Location - Postal Code:

The US base salary range for this full-time position is

$95,000.00 - $245,000.00

Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. The range displayed on each job posting reflects the minimum and maximum target salaries for the position across all US locations. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Union ranges will be in compliance with the collective bargaining agreement's approved rates by location and role. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your preferred location during the hiring process.  Please note that the compensation details listed in US role postings reflect the base salary only, and does not include bonuses or benefits.

Our work is very important to us, but so is our life outside of work. Draper supports many programs to improve work-life balance including workplace flexibility, employee clubs ranging from photography to yoga, health and finance workshops, off site social events and discounts to local museums and cultural activities. If this specific job opportunity and the chance to work at a nationally renowned R&D innovation company appeals to you, apply now www.draper.com/careers.

About The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory

Draper Laboratory is an American non-profit research and development organization, headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts; its official name is The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc. The laboratory specializes in the design, development, and deployment of advanced technology solutions to problems in national security, space exploration, health care and energy. The laboratory was founded in 1932 by Charles Stark Draper at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to develop aeronautical instrumentation, and came to be called the MIT Instrumentation Laboratory. During this period the laboratory is best known for developing the Apollo Guidance Computer, the first silicon integrated circuit based computer. It was renamed for its founder in 1970, and separated from MIT in 1973 to become an independent, non-profit organization. The expertise of the laboratory staff includes the areas of guidance, navigation, and control technologies and systems; fault-tolerant computing; advanced algorithms and software systems; modeling and simulation; and microelectromechanical systems and multichip module technology.
Learn more about The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory

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