Senior Program Manager

Job Title: Senior Program Manager

Job Description

We are seeking a dynamic Senior Program Manager to lead and support aerospace and defense programs from proposal through execution. This role serves as a vital interface among customers, program teams, engineering, and operations. The Senior Program Manager is responsible for managing schedules, budgets, deliverables, customer communications, and program execution. This is a highly visible position that requires hands-on involvement in both production and engineering environments, ideal for someone who thrives in a fast-paced, small-company setting.

Responsibilities

• Manage 1-2 aerospace/defense programs.
• Lead customer communications and facilitate weekly status meetings.
• Coordinate project schedules, milestones, and deliverables.
• Support proposal development and budgeting activities.
• Monitor program performance using Earned Value Management System (EVMS) principles.
• Facilitate design reviews and project reviews.
• Work cross-functionally with engineering, operations, and leadership teams.
• Develop presentations, technical documents, and customer-facing materials.
• Track project costs, labor hours, materials, and schedules.
• Maintain strong communication with internal and external stakeholders.
• Collaborate with operators and technical teams on the production floor.

Essential Skills

• Program management experience in the aerospace, defense, or space industry.
• Bachelor"s degree, preferably in Engineering.
• Experience managing technical programs from proposal through execution.
• Direct experience communicating with customers.
• Earned Value Management System (EVMS) experience.
• Microsoft Project experience.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• PMP certification.
• Experience with design reviews.
• Ability to negotiate or develop program budgets.
• Experience with prime contractor customers.

Work Environment

You will work in a growing aerospace/defense organization with approximately 45 employees. This small-company environment encourages employees to wear multiple hats, fostering a culture centered around integrity, accountability, flexibility, and transparent customer communication. The role requires the ability to work onsite in San Diego.

Job Type & Location

This is a Permanent position based out of Poway, CA.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $155000.00 - $210000.00/yr.

• 100% of health insurance premiums covered for employee and by-law dependents
• 401k match: 100% of the first 1%, 50% of the next 5% (in simple terms, you must contribute 6% to receive the full match of 3.5%), vested after 2 years
• Lunch provided daily

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Poway,CA.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Jul 7, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email actalentaccommodation@actalentservices.com for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.