Program Manager, Government Affairs

Our client in the advanced technology industry is looking for a Program Manager focused on Government and Defense Contracts to join their team!

Location: Cincinnati, OH
Pay: $140,000 - $150,000 base salary

Here is what you will be doing:

• Lead cross-functional planning and execution for government and military programs, driving alignment across internal engineering, operations, finance, supply chain, and external partners.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for government program offices, contracting officers, and technical points of contact, keeping customer priorities reflected in program execution.
• Review solicitations, contracts, statements of work, and commitments to build detailed work plans, requirements matrices, integrated Gantt schedules, and acceptance criteria.
• Proactively track milestones, dependencies, risks, and spending, developing timely recovery plans for any schedule or delivery concerns.
• Lead the writing, editing, coordination, and submission of government proposals, including SBIRs, BAAs, white papers, and related requests.
• Partner with Finance to develop spend forecasts, monitor actual costs and commitments, manage rate proposals, and support FAR/DFARS processes and DCAA audit preparation.
• Oversee government contract administration tasks, including PIEE/WAWF workflows, SPRS, SAM.gov account administration, and annual representations and certifications.
• Collaborate directly with Tier 1 suppliers, primes, and key external stakeholders to resolve operational roadblocks and ensure delivery commitments are met.
• Coordinate with IT, security, and internal support teams to maintain compliance with government cybersecurity standards and contract obligations.

Here is what our ideal candidate has:

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business, or a related field; an Engineering degree is strongly preferred to communicate effectively with engineering teams, though non-engineers with exceptional hands-on engineering collaboration experience will be considered.
• 5-10+ years of experience in government program/project management, government contract execution, or proposal development.
• Strong understanding of Tier 1 and prime contractor contract structures and what operational terms and conditions require.
• Direct familiarity with project time tracking against government rules and CERT programs.
• Hands-on experience with government compliance, reporting, audit support (DCAA), and platforms such as WAWF, SPRS, and SAM.gov.
• Exceptional program management skills with proven ability to build Gantt charts, manage spend forecasts, and resolve complex programmatic issues.
• Clear, persuasive writing skills for high-quality proposal development and regular status reporting.
• Experience working in a technology environment; experience with high-voltage systems and safety protocols is a plus.
• PMP certification is preferred.