Senior Technical Program Manager II - Space Sensing & Domain Awareness (TS/SCI)
$134,000–$201,000 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 flight qualification and scalable production. Lead multiple active programs, making architectural calls on pointing stability and jitter while personally resolving the most program-threatening risks. Build a high-performance bench that coaches next-generation leaders and manages high-stakes subcontracts as strategic partners. Synchronize cross-functional teams across optics, electronics, and software to clear roadblocks, and serve as the primary government contact for tracking, warning, and surveillance customers. Own the technical roadmap and strategic make/buy decisions to turn operational realities into concrete milestones.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in physics, math, science, or other technical discipline
- 8+ 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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