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Program Manager and Operations Lead SM

Arlington, VA

The Role:

The Maritime Domain Applications (MDA) Group is seeking a Program Manager (PM) with a technical or engineering background to oversee efforts across a portfolio of research and development programs, and to serve as the Group’s liaison on internal operations matters, such as staffing, financial planning, contracting and security.

The PM will manage multi-disciplinary teams of researchers, scientists, and engineers across geographically separated sites. Projects will cross all levels of maturity, requiring the PM to actively participate in all phases of acquisition including marketing, proposal development, contraction initiation, execution, program close-out, and transition. Responsibilities as the Operations Lead will require organization of supporting activities, and coordination of these functions across staff in other STR divisions, sectors, and groups.

A successful candidate will have demonstrated significant management experience within several of the following areas: naval aviation, electronic warfare, radar systems, modeling and simulation, advanced processing, artificial intelligence, machine learning, signal processing, test & evaluation, and resource management. Candidates should have significant experience collaborating on complex matters to reach mutually beneficial ends among diverse stakeholders. Strong interpersonal, communication, mentorship, and peer-leadership skills are essential for this position.

What you will do:

  • Oversee all aspects of multiple technical programs, ensuring cost, schedule and progress metrics are completed and tracked within plan
  • Engage with project stakeholders to communicate status and plan future efforts
  • Organize efforts of multi-functional teams to meet program objectives
  • Monitor progress against goals: anticipate risks, resolve issues, and initiate corrective actions as appropriate
  • Provide regular program updates for internal and external audiences
  • Develop and lead proposal efforts for new initiatives
  • Manage and track subcontractor efforts to ensure proper execution
  • Create and maintain an environment that fosters collaboration with clear direction and constructive feedback
  • Coordinate on staff planning with project leaders and finance staff
  • Identify resources required for program execution and coordinate on processes to obtain and sustain those resources

Who you are:

  • Active Security Clearance at the Secret or Top-Secret level with eligibility to support special access programs, for which U.S. citizenship is needed by the U.S. Government
  • BS or MS degree in engineering, science, mathematics, or a closely related field
  • 5-7+ years relevant work experience depending on degree 
  • Experience managing technical programs within research & development or systems acquisition for defense-related programs
  • Experience managing projects larger than $10M
  • Excellent interpersonal and communications skills
  • Experience in leading and managing multi-disciplinary teams
  • Strong presentation and organizational skills

Even Better:

  • Advanced degree in engineering, science, mathematics, or a closely related field
  • Experience managing complex technical projects for Defense Department Science and Technology (S&T) and Research & Development (R&D) programs
  • Experience with:
    • U.S. Naval Aviation platform and systems, especially in operations, training, and tactics development
    • Defense systems acquisition, particularly in development of advanced sensor systems and their associated capabilities
    • Defense applications of RF technologies, particularly in radar and electronic warfare specialties
    • Advanced processing, such as emerging computer architecture, artificial intelligence, and machine learning disciplines
    • Testing and Evaluation (T&E)
    • Modeling and Simulation (M&S)
    • Proposal Management, such as technical writing, project planning, and cost estimation
    • Accounting and/or Financial Management for technical work
    • Risk and Opportunity Management
  • Direct work experience with government, FFRDC, and/or defense industry companies & sponsors
  • Proficiency managing concurrent efforts of technically diverse teams working on interrelated projects
  • PMP and/or DAWIA PM Certification

STR is a growing technology company with locations near Boston, MA, Arlington, VA, near Dayton, OH, Melbourne, FL, and Carlsbad, CA. We specialize in advanced research and development for defense, intelligence, and national security in: cyber; next generation sensors, radar, sonar, communications, and electronic warfare; and artificial intelligence algorithms and analytics to make sense of the complexity that is exploding around us.

STR is committed to creating a collaborative learning environment that supports deep technical understanding and recognizes the contributions and achievements of all team members. Our work is challenging, and we go home at night knowing that we pushed the envelope of technology and made the world safer.

STR is not just any company. Our people, culture, and attitude along with their unique set of skills, experiences, and perspectives put us on a trajectory to change the world. We can't do it alone, though - we need fellow trailblazers. If you are one, join our team and help to keep our society safe! Visit us at www.str.us for more info.


STR is an equal opportunity employer. We are fully dedicated to hiring the most qualified candidate regardless of race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation and pregnancy), marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

If you need a reasonable accommodation for any portion of the employment process, email us at appassist@str.us and provide your contact info.

Pursuant to applicable federal law and regulations, positions at STR require employees to obtain national security clearances and satisfy the requirements for compliance with export control and other applicable laws.

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