What are the responsibilities and job description for the Program Manager position at DES?
The Program Manager (PM) is responsible for developing and leading engineering programs, including projects and team members, to successful completion. This role will report to the Managing Principals and oversee program budgets, schedules, staffing, and tasking. The Program Manager creates and promotes an environment of autonomy and collaboration among project teams resulting in high levels of efficiency, quality, and technical excellence. This role requires successful management of client relationships leading to increased business opportunities and profitability.
The Program Manager is committed to act as a brand representative of Defense Engineering Services and portray our values of technical excellence, integrity, teamwork (rugby team mentality), efficiency, service, and community. They recognize and use our mission and higher purpose as a guide in every decision made on behalf of the organization.
Responsibilities:
- Lead the engineering and prototype projects with technical know-how and experience including effective requirements analysis and decomposition, systems engineering, and technical management.
- Manage project teams through scrums, design reviews, and planning meetings to ensure all projects are completed on time and within budget.
- Create value-added engineering products and prototypes for the customer (internal and external).
- Effectively keep project teams on target and efficiently utilized on billable projects.
- Create design/project plans with the customer, track the design/project plan, and communicate status in the customer’s preferred method.
- Actively identify and mitigate project risks both technically and operationally.
- Manage internal and external relationships with team members, customers, and vendors.
- Support and direct the tasking and development of team members.
- Manage and direct bid and proposal processes including basis of estimate (BOE) and rough order of magnitude (ROM).
- Actively engage in business development with clients, vendors, and industry partners.
- Document systems engineering, requirements decomposition, and tracking and risk management to effectively deliver good engineering products and prototypes.
- Coordinate and manage the release of drawings, engineering documentation, reports, and other technical work products.
- Act as a double check and take active measures to reduce errors and improve continuously.
- Support project teams by offering help and assistance, communicating effectively, and being flexible and accommodating to necessary changes.
- Act without direction and watch for opportunities to improve and reduce waste while understanding the intricacies of our industry and proper conduct.
- Contributes to team effort by performing other assigned duties as needed.
Leadership Responsibilities:
- Facilitates and encourages a culture of cross-collaboration, open communication, and solutions-oriented approaches to challenges.
- Collaborates with senior leadership to understand the organization’s goals and strategy related to staffing, recruiting, and retention.
- Participates in the hiring and training of departmental managers.
- Works with the organization’s departments to collaborate on organizational timelines to ensure all are working effectively toward our mutual goals.
- Works closely with Human Resources to lead the team with integrity and to establish and maintain a trusting, inclusive, and productive environment. Leadership of employees may include compensation and benefits, recognition and morale, occupational health and safety, and training and development.
- Identifies staffing and recruiting needs; develops and executes best practices for hiring and talent management.
- Acts as a key player in the development of goals, strategic initiatives, and planning efforts for the organization.
- Coaches, teaches, mentors, and advises the Engineering Project Managers (EPMs) in the fundamentals of project management to ensure the proper development of the EPMs and successful completion of projects.
Desired Skills:
- Ability to travel for business related reasons as required.
- Knowledge of Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and Department of Defense (DoD) procurement policies and procedures is preferred.
- Ability to obtain security clearance.
Qualifications and Requirements:
- Bachelor of Science in Engineering, Physical Sciences, Mathematics, Management Information Systems or Business.
- Certified Project Management Professional (PMP) is preferred.
- Fifteen (15) years of technical experience in support of relevant technical field to include Equipment Support, System Support, and Programmatic Support.
- Eight (8) years of Program Management experience to include technology assessments, systems design, systems analysis, programmatic support, acquisition planning, and budget planning, and scheduling.
- Five (5) years as a manager of task specific project(s).