Demo

Senior Principal Program Manager

Lensa
Cypress, CA Full Time
POSTED ON 1/4/2026
AVAILABLE BEFORE 2/2/2026
Lensa is a career site that helps job seekers find great jobs in the US. We are not a staffing firm or agency. Lensa does not hire directly for these jobs, but promotes jobs on LinkedIn on behalf of its direct clients, recruitment ad agencies, and marketing partners. Lensa partners with DirectEmployers to promote this job for Mercury Systems. Clicking "Apply Now" or "Read more" on Lensa redirects you to the job board/employer site. Any information collected there is subject to their terms and privacy notice.

Req. Number

25-574

Job Description

Mercury Systems is looking for the world’s best and brightest emerging talent. If you want to tell people WHY you do what you do, rather than simply WHAT you do, Mercury is calling. Our Purpose, Innovation That Matters, inspires our people in making trusted, secure, mission-critical solutions profoundly more accessible to aerospace and defense. We bridge the gap between commercial technology and defense applications to address the industry’s most pressing high-tech needs. Why? To help create a safer, more secure world.

Job Summary

As Sr. Principal Program Manager , you will b e responsible for the performance of one or multiple programs (family of programs), with an emphasis on new development/production . This role requires a broad understanding of all aspects of a program, from ideation to production as well as in-service support . Customer-facing, you will have great business acumen, making judicious decisions to achieve customer satisfaction while successfully executing your programs.

In this role, you  have the opportunity to lead highly diverse cross functional teams composed of contracts, program planning, finance, operations, and engineering, to develop next-generation mission critical avionics solutions.

You will be a part of a  world-class Engineering Team for the Mission Systems Business Unit, a leading provider of safety-certifiable avionics, mission-critical, and Electronic Warfare solutions.  You will be a part of our  Platforms Systems organization at Mercury. We design, develop, and produce the next generation of video data processing products ranging from high-definition video recorders to pilot display systems. We are an agile team focused on delivering innovative, high-quality products to our customers on time and on budget.

Responsibilities

  • Develop plans for the execution of Customers and internal programs, including schedules and estimates.
  • Execute Programs to scope, schedule, cost (development and products), and quality over their full lifecycle, by internal processes and contractual obligations, for customers worldwide .
  • Identify and manage Scope Changes through their approval and execution.
  • Ensure on-time delivery of deliverables (documentation and products).
  • Perform Risk and Opportunities Management, including definition and execution of action plans for risks mitigation to prevent adverse effects, and escalate issues promptly.
  • Provide details of reso urces required for successful progra m ’ s execution.
  • Lead Request for Proposals (RFPs), coordinate proposals and related d ocumentation, including schedules, estimates, compliance matrices, programmatic volume, and bid review material.
  • Create Statements of Work and perform Sub-Contract management, as required.
  • Present Programs status to the leadership team, weekly and monthly, including reporting on Programs’ KPIs and critical path.
  • Point of Contact for Customers, develop and execute action plans for Customers and Organization satisfaction, including problems solving, obsolescence management, and in-service support.
  • Contributes to and lead processes and tools improvements and deployment.
  • Conduct internal audits, as required.
  • Team with Operations, Engineering, and Business Development to ensure that all are informed and involved in decisions affecting their areas.
  • Manage all customer expectations and communicat es professionally.
  • Responsible for Programs P&L, ensuring budgeted Programs margins are met or exceeded.
  • Work with existing customers to determine needs, and requirements for follow-on/new business opportunities, direct the preparation of proposals, business plans, proposal work statements, and specifications to meet those needs.
  • Responsible of booking forecast and SaleForce update.
  • Solid knowledge of program scheduling tools, such as MS Project (IMS) resource loaded.
  • Mentor Jr Program Manager.

Required Qualifications

  • Typically requires Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering or a related field.
  • Typically requires 10 years of technical experience with at least 6 years of direct program management experience.
  • Experienced leading technical projects for product development programs. 
  • Electronics, Automotive, or Aerospace & Defense Industry experience.
  • This position requires you to have or obtain a government security clearance. Security clearances may only be granted to U.S. citizens.

Preferred Qualifications

  • Advanced Degree.
  • Program Management certification (PMP).
  • Experienced with documentation and collaboration tools, such as Confluence and SharePoint,
  • Experience with Government contracting practices, Earned Value Management (EVMS), and standard program reporting metrics.
  • Experience using approved AI tools.
  • Prior Leadership experience and ability to lead IPTs through ambiguity and short deadlines.
  • Experience managing Programs in a multi-site matrix organization.
  • Ability to communicate effectively with customers, internal and external.
  • Experience with Military and Commercial Programs.
  • Experience with Contract Management, Sub-Contract Management.
  • Knowledge of DO-178 and DO-254 and DFARS requirements.
  • Active Secret Clearance.

Additional Information

Mercury considers a variety of factors to determine individual base salary offers to candidates, including:

  • the role and related responsibilities;
  • prior work experience;
  • education, training, skills and certifications;
  • internal equity with others employed by Mercury in similar roles;
  • geographic location; and
  • alignment with market data.

In addition to base salary, Mercury provides a variety of benefits for team members including:

  • bonus opportunities (or special incentives for sales positions);
  • health, life and disability insurance;
  • company-paid holidays and time off;
  • 401(k) retirement plan;
  • discounted employee stock purchase plan;
  • tuition reimbursement; and
  • access to professional development and personal wellness platforms including LinkedIn Learning, Headspace, Aaptiv and Virgin Pulse.

Team members at the Director or Vice President level are also eligible to receive annual stock-based awards.

Mercury offers a 9/80 alternative work schedule that provides employees more opportunity for work/ life balance (available based off location)

Why Mercury?

Why should you join Mercury Systems?

Mercury Systems is a technology company that makes the world a safer, more secure place. We push processing power to the tactical edge, making the latest commercial technologies profoundly more accessible for today's most challenging aerospace and defense missions. From silicon to system scale, Mercury enables customers to accelerate innovation and turn data into decision superiority. Headquartered in Andover, Massachusetts, Mercury employs more than 2,300 people in 24 locations worldwide. To learn more, visit mrcy.com

Our Culture

We are committed to making Mercury a great place to work, no matter where our employees are located. We offer a casual and enjoyable atmosphere that allows employees to learn and grow. We help and care for one another and work as one to achieve results for us and for our customers. We value communication and transparency, and strive to foster two-way dialogue at all levels of the organization. We are committed to lifelong learning, offering comprehensive skills training and tuition reimbursement. Whether you're just starting out on your career journey or you are an experienced professional, it's important to us that you feel recognized and rewarded for your contributions.

To find out more about Why Mercury? (https://www.mrcy.com/careers/) , or visit the Mercury Community (https://www.linkedin.com/company/mercury-systems/life/) or find answers to general questions at Mercury FAQs (https://www.mrcy.com/company-overview/facts-at-a-glance/)

Mercury Systems is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, genetic information, creed, citizenship, disability, protected veteran or marital status.

As an equal opportunity employer, Mercury Systems is committed to a diverse workforce. In order to ensure reasonable accommodation for individuals protected by Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Vietnam Veterans' Readjustment Act of 1974, and Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, applicants that require accommodation in the job application process may contact the number below for assistance.

(978) 256-1300

Click here (https://www.mrcy.com/company/news-insights) read about our recent press release.

If you have questions about this posting, please contact support@lensa.com

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