Sr. Program Scheduler

Location: Longmont, CO (onsite)

Experience: 10+ years of experience

Minimum Education: Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, Engineering, Finance or related field. Advanced degree preferred

Compensation: $120,000-$160,000 depending on experience

Who We Are

nLIGHT-DEFENSE Systems, Inc. is one of the nation's leading developers of Directed Energy systems, which is a top modernization priority of the Department of Defense.  Our High Energy Laser (HEL) systems, Adaptive Optical (AO) systems, and Acquisition / Pointing / Tracking (APT) solutions are designed to overcome the most difficult challenges facing the deployment of high energy laser solutions to the United States military and our allies.  Located in Longmont, Colorado, nLIGHT-DEFENSE Systems, Inc. is a vertically integrated business that leverages internal capabilities - from semiconductor device through target identification - to develop systems that are both high-performance and cost-effective.  We continue to invest in capabilities, facilities and technology to bring leading edge HEL solutions to the warfighter. This is a great opportunity to work at a company that is on the leading edge of the HEL industry and provides a culture of excellence and commitment to delivering solutions to the warfighter and our country.

Headquartered in Camas, Washington, nLIGHT is a publicly listed company (NASDAQ: LASR).

Summary:

nLIGHT DEFENSE Systems is seeking a Senior Program Scheduler with 10+ years of experience to drive the execution of complex defense programs. This is a highly visible role in a fast-growing organization. This person will drive program execution through proactive ownership of the Integrated Master Schedule (IMS), schedule risk management, critical path analysis, and recovery planning. This person will identify and remove execution barriers, integrate cross-functional activities, enable the quantification of schedule impacts to cost and program objectives, and provide actionable recommendations that enable the program team to meet customer commitments. In addition to providing direct schedule support on major programs, this person will partner with Executive Leadership, Finance and Program Controls to ensure visibility across nLIGHT's entire portfolio of programs to ensure the resolution of critical conflicts across programs.

All applicants must possess or be qualified to obtain a U.S. DoD Personnel Security Clearance. Preference will be given to candidates with an existing U.S. DoD Personnel Security Clearance.  Further information on requirements to obtain a security clearance is available at: https://www.dcsa.mil/mc/pv/mbi/gicp/.  Please review this information before applying.

Responsibilities:

• Drive schedule-driven decision making across the organization by owning the critical path and bringing alternatives that force corrective actions.

• Develop and maintain Integrated Master Schedules (IMS) and Work Breakdown Structures (WBS) based on program contract requirements, supporting Earned Value Management (EVM).

• Conduct regular reviews with Program Management, CAMs, IPT Leads, Engineering, Operations, Finance to monitor risks & opportunities and to develop recovery plans.

• Ensure schedules reflect reality by requiring task owners to provide objective evidence for schedule. Escalate optimistic or unsupported forecasts before they result in missed milestones.

• Perform regular schedule health assessments by identifying broken logic, excessive constraints, missing dependencies, negative float, and other indicators of poor schedule quality.

• Perform rolling look-ahead analyses to identify upcoming decision points, long-lead procurements, staffing gaps, test readiness issues, and customer dependencies to drive early intervention.

• Serve as the program's early-warning system. Schedule surprises should not reach the customer, program manager, or executive team without first being identified, analyzed, and accompanied by a recovery recommendation.

• Support new business proposals and Integrated Baseline Reviews (IBRs), including development of compliant schedules

• Ensure schedule is compliant with internal standards and customer requirements.

• Lead improvement projects and audits to further develop scheduling processes, tools, and reporting to drive better results and more insightful reporting.

Required Experience / Capability:

• Commitment to Excellence.  Attention to Detail.  Pride in Workmanship.
• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Engineering, Finance, or related field from an accredited institution (or equivalent experience). Advanced degree preferred but not required.
• Minimum of 7 years of directly related experience in program/project scheduling
• Ability to communicate complex information clearly and effectively across technical and non-technical teams
• Demonstrated ability to take lead in executing on improvement initiatives.
• Strong experience with Integrated Master Scheduling (IMS) and schedule management, including a demonstrated ability to integrate cost and schedule data within a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
• Experience with Earned Value Management (EVM)
• High level of proficiency with Microsoft Project (including resource management) and strong understanding of industry scheduling standards (e.g., DCMA 14-point assessment)
• Experience supporting defense development and manufacturing projects through lifecycle of program

Benefits Summary:

• 4 weeks of Paid Time Off per year
• 11 paid Holidays
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan
• Tuition Assistance Program
• Health (ACA Gold Plan), Vision and Dental Care paid by employer 100% for Employee and 75% for Dependents
• Paid Family Leave, Short and Long Term Disability paid by employer 100%
• Competitive 401k with company match and immediate vesting

Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or age. For more information about our commitment to equal employment opportunity, please see this government poster: Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal. If you are an individual with a disability and need a reasonable accommodation in the application or hiring process, please contact Human Resources at HR@nlightdefense.com.