Principal Program Manager (TS/SCI)
$160,000–$245,000 year
On-siteLong Beach, California, United States
Job Summary
Command the lifecycle of highly maneuverable, time-critical mission platforms from blank-sheet prototypes through flight qualification and responsive production. Lead multiple active programs, make architectural calls on closed-loop guidance, on-board autonomy, and propulsion, and personally resolve program-threatening problems. Build an engineering culture where strong people take smart risks and coach the next generation of program leaders. Own the program P&L on a firm fixed-price basis by building accurate forecasts, hitting revenue and margin milestones, and making defensible make-or-buy decisions. Manage high-stakes subcontracts as strategic partners to protect schedule and margin. Synchronize cross-functional teams across hardware, software, GNC, and mission assurance to clear roadblocks quickly. Serve as the primary contact for U.S. Government national security customers and partner on proposals defining next-generation mission systems.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in physics, math, science, or other technical discipline
- 12+ years of experience in the aerospace/space industry
- 8+ years of technical program management experience
- Active TS/SCI clearance
- U.S. citizen, lawful U.S. permanent resident (i.e., current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State and/or the U.S. Department of Commerce, as applicable
Desired Qualifications
- To excel in this role, you bring depth in at least one of the following domains: Prototype‐to‐flight transition — A proven record of taking integrated hardware/software systems from early prototypes to fully qualified, flight‐ready platforms.
- EO/IR and optical payloads — Understanding the nuances of EO/IR sensing, optical payload architectures, or focal plane arrays.
- Production engineering — Familiarity with takt time, line‐of‐balance, design‐for‐manufacturing principles, and learning‐curve economics.
- Manufacturing risk reduction — Experience identifying tooling, supply‐chain, or yield risks and neutralizing them before they impact throughput.
- Advanced sensing and comms — Understanding of RADAR, SAR, or advanced communication system architectures.
- Experience identifying technical, schedule, or supply-chain risk and neutralizing it before it impacts the mission
- Production Velocity: A playbook for transitioning low-volume prototypes into responsive production without sacrificing mission reliability.
- Domain Authority: Deep experience navigating National Security Space (NSS) and the most time-critical mission sets.
- Capture & Customer: Demonstrated success negotiating, capturing, and executing large U.S. Government contracts.
- Advanced Technical Credibility: A master's degree in engineering or a related field that lets you peer-review technical roadmaps.
- Systems & Toolchain Fluency: You speak Systems Engineering — trade studies, interface control, requirement integrity — and use Jira, Confluence, and ERP to keep program health visible at speed.
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