Senior Technical Program Manager I - Space Sensing & Domain Awareness (TS/SCI)
$115,000–$160,000 year
On-siteLong Beach, California, United States
Job Summary
Command the lifecycle of EO/IR sensing payloads and optical systems from blank-sheet prototypes through qualification, scalable production, and flight. Lead multiple active programs while making architectural trade-offs on pointing stability, jitter, and sensitivity, and personally dive into program-threatening problems. Build a high-ownership culture where bold technical risks are encouraged and the best ideas win, coaching the next generation of program leaders. Forge strategic partnerships with high-stakes subcontracts and suppliers to protect schedule and margin, and synchronize cross-functional teams across optics, electronics, software, and the data chain to unblock excellence. Serve as the primary point of contact for U.S. Government tracking, warning, and surveillance customers, partnering on proposals that define the next generation of space domain awareness.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in physics, math, science, or other technical discipline
- 5+ years of program management experience
- A demonstrated track record of owning a technical program, product, or team end to end and carrying it across the finish line under real pressure
- Evidence you've moved real hardware and software from prototype toward scalable, flight-ready production
- Understanding of the nuances of EO/IR sensing, optical payloads, or focal plane arrays
- Experience identifying technical, schedule, or supply-chain risk and neutralizing it before it impacts the mission
- 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
Desired Qualifications
- A proven playbook for transitioning low-volume prototypes into scalable production without sacrificing mission reliability
- Deep experience navigating National Security Space (NSS) or large sensing and tracking constellations
- Demonstrated success negotiating, capturing, and executing large U.S. Government contracts
- A Master's degree in Engineering, Optics, or a related field that lets you peer-review sensing roadmaps
- Systems Engineering, trade studies, interface control, requirement integrity
- Use of Jira, Confluence, and ERP to keep program health visible at speed
- Multiple program cycles or 8+ years in aerospace/defense
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