Hypersonics Program Manager

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At Leidos, we deliver innovative solutions through the efforts of our diverse and talented people who are dedicated to our customers’ success. We empower our teams, contribute to our communities, and operate sustainably. Everything we do is built on a commitment to do the right thing for our customers, our people, and our community. Our Mission, Vision, and Values guide the way we do business.

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Leidos’ Defense Systems Strategic Hypersonics Systems Division is seeking a Hypersonics Program Manager to join our team.  Reporting to the Senior Director, Glide Vehicles, the Hypersonics Program Manager will have overall responsibility for profit & loss, growth, technical execution, staffing and programmatic execution for a team of professionals that develop and produce Hypersonic Systems. This position has the responsibility to deliver on the financial commitments to the business and mission commitments to our customers along with personnel responsibilities including oversight of hiring, project staffing, career development, and performance evaluation/accountability.

The position will also have responsibility for developing proposals, participating in negotiations with the customer and once awarded, planning, tracking, and execution of complex tasking within technical, schedule, and budget constraints. The program involves design and prototyping of Hypersonics vehicles to meet mission parameters.  Efforts will include leading a team of engineers and manufacturing SME’s in the design, analysis, prototype development and testing of the proposed solution. The program also involves management complexity related to performance by subcontractors, interactions with our government customers.

If this sounds like the kind of environment where you can thrive, keep reading!

Leidos Defense Systems Sector provides a diverse portfolio of systems, solutions, and services covering land, sea, air, space, and cyberspace for customers worldwide. Solutions for Defense include enterprise and mission IT, hypersonic weapon system solutions, large-scale intelligence systems, command and control, geospatial and data analytics, cybersecurity, logistics, training, and intelligence analysis and operations support. Our team is solving the world’s toughest security challenges for customers with “can’t fail” missions. To explore and learn more, click here!

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Primary Responsibilities.  

• A strong technical background in weapon systems with at least 5 years of experience in managing testing, planning, and scheduling in support of complex technical programs.
• Evaluate and guide daily execution activities
• Lead IPT meetings and set expectations for project team
• Routinely evaluate program technical and programmatic metrics to ensure successful execution
• Manage risk and identify opportunities at the IPT level including working with the IPT to develop mitigation strategies and plans to realize opportunities
• Identify capability or process gaps and provide recommendations for improvement
• Actively lead the Change Control Board, evaluating changes for cost and schedule impacts
• Coordinate program activities across multiple functional activities.
• Foster intra-project coordination and communication
• Mitigate cost, schedule, and technical risks related the program
• Plan and execute the program
• Creates program plans
• Maintains program objectives
• Define tasks and required resources
• Assist with assembling and managing project team
• Work with program schedulers to maintain schedule
• Oversight of the technical scope under the assigned control accounts
• Oversight of the control account budgets and schedules:
  • Variance analysis (SPI/CPI/TCPI)
  • Schedule analysis (BEI/CEI)
  • BCR submittals
  • Status of work package tasks under assigned control account
  • Validation of actual costs charged to the assigned control accounts
  • Development and implementation of corrective actions
  • Generation of timely Estimated to Completes (ETC)
• Coordinating release of work authorizations to team members
• Development, management, and coordination of various informational products to support:
  • Weekly Program Management Reviews (PMRs)
  • Weekly senior management meetings
  • Monthly internal and external programmatic reviews
  • Customer IPT meetings
  • Tracking and providing status of internal and external action items

Basic Qualifications.  

• BA degree in Engineering or Business (with a technical focus) or equivalent and 12-15 years of prior relevant experience or Masters with 10-13 years of prior relevant program management experience.
• Experience with Flight and Missile Systems.

Preferred Qualifications.

• Experience supporting a multi-year development/production program valuing more than $100M.
• Flight Programs (Aircraft, Missile, Space Launch or Rocket launch systems)
• Cost estimating and Budget management
• Organizational/IPT development
• Leading a large and diverse team including suppliers and subcontractors
• Disciplined metric-driven program management
• Proven experience managing and meeting tight schedules
• Effective communication of information between various functional disciplines as well as strong briefing skill with Sr. Gov’t customers (SES, General Staff) and C level leadership.
• Proficient using Microsoft Excel, Word, Project, and PowerPoint
• Strong understanding of hardware development, manufacturing, procurement, production, and integration
• Experience successfully leading in an IPT organizational structure focused on engineering design, manufacturing and/or supply chain activities desirable
• Project management qualification (PMP) or equivalent is desirable
• Experience in strategic and tactical planning is desirable
• Proven leadership skills
• Proven history of working in a team environment, fostering communication, listening to teammate concerns and reconciling internal issues or differences
• Proven ability to solicit and process complex information and data to solve complex problems and make sound decisions
• Strong interpersonal skills with measured and articulate communication skills
• Analytical and strong organizational skills, with excellent verbal and written ability

If you're looking for comfort, keep scrolling. At Leidos, we outthink, outbuild, and outpace the status quo — because the mission demands it. We're not hiring followers. We're recruiting the ones who disrupt, provoke, and refuse to fail. Step 10 is ancient history. We're already at step 30 — and moving faster than anyone else dares.

Original Posting:

Pay Range:

The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.