What are the responsibilities and job description for the Satellite Program Office Lead position at Jobs via Dice?
Job ID: 2610669
Location: Chantilly, VA, US
Date Posted: 2026-03-26
Category: Engineering and Sciences
Subcategory: Systems Engineer
Schedule: Full-Time
Shift: Day Job
Travel: Yes - 10% of the time
Minimum Clearance Required: TS.SCI
Clearance Level Must Be Able to Obtain: TS/SCI with Poly
Potential for Remote Work: ORA_ON_SITE
Description
Join a winning team!! SAIC's Air Force, Space and Intelligence Business Group (AFSI BG) is currently hiring to advance space capabilities supporting our Department of Defense (DOD) customers. Ten miles from the SAIC headquarters, our Chantilly, VA team supports systems acquisition & development, targeting & intelligence analysis, systems engineering & integration and more.
This position is for a Satellite Program Office Lead for a large, multi-year contract supporting cutting-edge and innovative space programs. The Satellite Program Office Lead partners with the Government Program Manager to lead a proven technical team of acquisition leads, system engineers, satellite subject matter experts, and operations staff. In partnership with the Government and SAIC Program Management Team, the Satellite Program Office Lead advises on programmatic, strategic, technical, and staffing decisions to guide the successful acquisition and operations of a critical space program.
Role Responsibilities:
Partner with the Government Military Leader and Program Managers to strategically and tactically guide nationally-critical satellite programs through acquisition, engineering, and operational trades to achieve on-time launch and on-orbit performance.
Partner with SETA PM/DPM to proactively plan staffing and team assignments to meet dynamic customer needs.
Be a servant leader to team leads and individual contributors. Be the voice of the team, collaborate with Govt and SETA mission leadership to recruit, interview, and apply staff to critical acquisition, SE and SME roles across multiple satellite missions, and implement PM guidance to execute the program.
Develop decision briefings for senior leadership reflecting deep analysis of alternative views and options. Facilitate meetings with SMEs across the program to collect input and develop selectable options.
Liaise with Prime Developer leadership to maximize information flow with Government leadership. Communicate Government priorities and concerns to Developers. Respond to help needed requests from Developers to cultivate win-win relationships.
Foster communication and alignment among team members to identify challenges and corresponding solutions.
Identify and manage risks throughout the acquisition and systems engineering lifecycle by conducting risk assessments, developing mitigation strategies, and monitoring potential impacts on mission objectives.
Qualifications
Must possess an active TS/SCI clearance.
Experience with the Intelligence Community or the Department of Defense Satellite Program Office best practices.
Bachelors and 14 years of relevant experience; OR Masters and 12 years of relevant experience.
At least 6 years experience working on a Government or Commercial satellite program as a program manager, Program Office Lead or lead system engineer.
3 years experience as a manager supervising staff including coordinating with Contract PM and Corporate leadership.
Effective interpersonal skills (across multiple groups, offices, and organizations) and strong briefing and writing skills. Ability to facilitate technical discussions with SMEs.
Ability to communicate with a diverse audience of senior decision makers with varying levels of programmatic and technical expertise.
Effective communication, coordination, and customer engagement skills.
Ability to work in a fast paced, dynamic, and team environment with no supervision.
Desired Qualifications:
PMI PMP or DAWIA Level 3 certification. Project Management Institute (PMI) Project Management Professional (PMP) and/or Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) Program Management Level III certifications.
Government or Commercial experience as a COTR, PM, PEM or acquisition leader.
SAIC is a premier technology integrator providing full life cycle services and solutions in the technical, engineering, intelligence, and enterprise information technology markets. SAIC is Redefining Ingenuity through its deep customer and domain knowledge to enable the delivery of systems engineering and integration offerings for large, complex projects. SAIC's approximately 15,000 employees are driven by integrity and mission focus to serve customers in the U.S. federal government. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, SAIC has annual revenues of approximately $4.5 billion. For more information, visit saic.com. For information on the benefits SAIC offers, see .
Location: Chantilly, VA, US
Date Posted: 2026-03-26
Category: Engineering and Sciences
Subcategory: Systems Engineer
Schedule: Full-Time
Shift: Day Job
Travel: Yes - 10% of the time
Minimum Clearance Required: TS.SCI
Clearance Level Must Be Able to Obtain: TS/SCI with Poly
Potential for Remote Work: ORA_ON_SITE
Description
Join a winning team!! SAIC's Air Force, Space and Intelligence Business Group (AFSI BG) is currently hiring to advance space capabilities supporting our Department of Defense (DOD) customers. Ten miles from the SAIC headquarters, our Chantilly, VA team supports systems acquisition & development, targeting & intelligence analysis, systems engineering & integration and more.
This position is for a Satellite Program Office Lead for a large, multi-year contract supporting cutting-edge and innovative space programs. The Satellite Program Office Lead partners with the Government Program Manager to lead a proven technical team of acquisition leads, system engineers, satellite subject matter experts, and operations staff. In partnership with the Government and SAIC Program Management Team, the Satellite Program Office Lead advises on programmatic, strategic, technical, and staffing decisions to guide the successful acquisition and operations of a critical space program.
Role Responsibilities:
Partner with the Government Military Leader and Program Managers to strategically and tactically guide nationally-critical satellite programs through acquisition, engineering, and operational trades to achieve on-time launch and on-orbit performance.
Partner with SETA PM/DPM to proactively plan staffing and team assignments to meet dynamic customer needs.
Be a servant leader to team leads and individual contributors. Be the voice of the team, collaborate with Govt and SETA mission leadership to recruit, interview, and apply staff to critical acquisition, SE and SME roles across multiple satellite missions, and implement PM guidance to execute the program.
Develop decision briefings for senior leadership reflecting deep analysis of alternative views and options. Facilitate meetings with SMEs across the program to collect input and develop selectable options.
Liaise with Prime Developer leadership to maximize information flow with Government leadership. Communicate Government priorities and concerns to Developers. Respond to help needed requests from Developers to cultivate win-win relationships.
Foster communication and alignment among team members to identify challenges and corresponding solutions.
Identify and manage risks throughout the acquisition and systems engineering lifecycle by conducting risk assessments, developing mitigation strategies, and monitoring potential impacts on mission objectives.
Qualifications
Must possess an active TS/SCI clearance.
Experience with the Intelligence Community or the Department of Defense Satellite Program Office best practices.
Bachelors and 14 years of relevant experience; OR Masters and 12 years of relevant experience.
At least 6 years experience working on a Government or Commercial satellite program as a program manager, Program Office Lead or lead system engineer.
3 years experience as a manager supervising staff including coordinating with Contract PM and Corporate leadership.
Effective interpersonal skills (across multiple groups, offices, and organizations) and strong briefing and writing skills. Ability to facilitate technical discussions with SMEs.
Ability to communicate with a diverse audience of senior decision makers with varying levels of programmatic and technical expertise.
Effective communication, coordination, and customer engagement skills.
Ability to work in a fast paced, dynamic, and team environment with no supervision.
Desired Qualifications:
PMI PMP or DAWIA Level 3 certification. Project Management Institute (PMI) Project Management Professional (PMP) and/or Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) Program Management Level III certifications.
Government or Commercial experience as a COTR, PM, PEM or acquisition leader.
SAIC is a premier technology integrator providing full life cycle services and solutions in the technical, engineering, intelligence, and enterprise information technology markets. SAIC is Redefining Ingenuity through its deep customer and domain knowledge to enable the delivery of systems engineering and integration offerings for large, complex projects. SAIC's approximately 15,000 employees are driven by integrity and mission focus to serve customers in the U.S. federal government. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, SAIC has annual revenues of approximately $4.5 billion. For more information, visit saic.com. For information on the benefits SAIC offers, see .