Director, Program Management

Safran•City of Rochester, NY

3d•$132,000 - $172,000•Onsite

About The Position

This position will be responsible for managing the cost, revenue, cash, and schedule requirements for our exciting key programs and new program pursuits. This position will operate within a government-contracts environment and report to our Director of Program Management. Our programs are dynamic, featuring top-line growth with future innovation and expansion.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in engineering or a related technical field required; master’s degree preferred.
A combination of education and relevant experience (including military service) will also be considered.
Minimum of 9 years of professional experience required with a bachelor’s degree.
Prior experience with government contract programs or projects strongly preferred.
Active or previously held Secret Clearance strongly preferred.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
Willingness and ability to travel domestically up to 20% of the time.
Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills.
Strong industry knowledge and an understanding of market dynamics.
Ability to adapt to evolving market conditions and emerging technological trends.
Strong logical reasoning and sound decision-making skills.
Ability to consider diverse perspectives and communicate effectively in both written and oral formats.
Demonstrate poise and professionalism in all situations.
Strong ability to build trust and engage effectively with others.
Excellent writing skills, including the ability to produce high-quality, large-scale documents under tight deadlines.
Must be able to remain in a stationary position for approximately 50% of the time.
Must be able to occasionally move within the office to access files, equipment, and other resource

Nice To Haves

Experience with Microsoft Project or Salesforce is a plus but not required.
PMP (Project Management Professional) certification is a plus.

Responsibilities

Directly leads and develops a team of Program Managers, setting clear performance expectations, driving accountability, and ensuring alignment to portfolio objectives and organizational priorities.
Owns talent strategy for the program management function, including hiring, succession planning, performance management, and capability development to build a high-performing, scalable team.
Oversees a diverse portfolio of defense programs, ensuring strategic alignment with evolving business needs, market demands, and government priorities.
Ensures coordination and consistency across all program efforts and deliverables, aligning execution with organizational capacity and enterprise-level initiatives.
Leads Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) and budget planning across the portfolio; owns budget oversight and drives adjustments to meet dynamic program and business objectives.
Analyzes portfolio-level budget trends and implements team-wide initiatives to ensure programs remain within financial targets and aligned with long-term business strategy.
Oversees risk and opportunity management across the portfolio, supporting mitigation strategies and identifying cross-program efficiencies to improve responsiveness and execution.
Interprets and analyzes reported program statuses to drive informed business decisions across the program management team and cross-functional areas.
Reports comprehensive program portfolio performance and strategic insights to Senior Leadership, supporting enterprise-wide decision-making.
Provides expert consultation on contract terms and major negotiations with broad organizational impact, ensuring risk mitigation and alignment with business interests.
Supports critical customer engagements, acting as a senior escalation point across the program portfolio to ensure continuity and customer satisfaction.
Maintains strong situational awareness of customer needs and future market direction, influencing business strategy and long-term positioning.
Provides guidance and support to Program Managers on capturing new and follow-on business opportunities; monitors and drives progress against orders targets across the team.
Analyzes and forecasts financial metrics across the full program portfolio; partners with Program Managers to realign execution strategies to meet broad financial and business goals.
Represents the Program Management function in senior financial and operational discussions, ensuring program metrics support enterprise performance targets.
Leads collaboration across internal cross-functional teams to ensure contractual deliverables are met; proactively removes barriers and enables team performance.
Provides leadership, mentorship, and development guidance to the Program Management team, setting clear goals to grow both team-wide capabilities and individual performance.
Fosters a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and strategic thinking across the program management organization.