Engineering Program Lead, AI Reliability Engineering (AIRE)

General Dynamics Mission Systems, Inc•,

1d•$125,061 - $135,320

About The Position

General Dynamics Mission Systems is seeking an experienced Program Analyst with a software or systems engineering background to join the AI Reliability Engineering (AIRE) team within DLA. This is not a traditional analyst role — you are an engineer who has led large, complex project teams and now brings that execution discipline to a team that is building the future of AI-driven enterprise software at GDMS. Reporting directly to the AIRE Senior Manager, you will serve as the operational backbone of a high-performing engineering team. You will combine your engineering expertise with program management discipline to drive schedule execution, cost-of-labor tracking, day-to-day project oversight, and Agile facilitation across all AIRE initiatives. This role is designed so that a single position multiplies value across the entire program — you are the person who keeps the trains running while the engineers build. Your engineering background is essential. You will participate in technical discussions, understand architectural trade-offs, translate engineering complexity into leadership-ready reporting, and earn the trust of a deeply technical team. Your experience managing project teams of 20 or more members means you understand how to coordinate complex, interdependent work streams at scale. The AIRE team operates like a startup within a world-class enterprise. The Senior Manager and Lead Software Architect drive the technical and people strategy. The Program Analyst is what makes execution repeatable and visible. Without this role, a fast-moving engineering team risks losing track of commitments, costs, and coordination. With it, the team delivers on time, on budget, and with full leadership visibility.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Software Engineering, Systems Engineering, Computer Science, or a related Engineering, Science, Technology, or Mathematics field, plus a minimum of 8 years of relevant experience; or Master’s degree plus a minimum of 6 years of relevant experience.
Hands-on software or systems engineering background with direct development or engineering execution experience.
Demonstrated experience managing or leading project teams of 20 or more members in a technical engineering environment.
Proven experience working on Agile programs, including serving as Scrum Master, Agile lead, or equivalent facilitation role.
Experience with schedule management, cost tracking, and project reporting for engineering teams.
Department of Defense SECRET security clearance at time of hire.
U.S. citizenship required.

Nice To Haves

Prior experience as a software engineer, systems engineer, or technical lead before transitioning into program management or analyst roles — you built software before you managed the building of it.
Experience with Agile tools and frameworks (Jira, Azure DevOps, SAFe, Scrum, Kanban) in a production engineering environment.
Certified Scrum Master (CSM), SAFe Agilist (SA), or PMP certification.
Familiarity with SRE practices, DevOps pipelines, CI/CD, and modern cloud-native development workflows.
Experience supporting fast-paced, innovative teams in a matrixed defense or aerospace environment.
Strong analytical skills with the ability to create clear, actionable reports and dashboards for leadership.
Exceptional organizational and communication skills — you can context-switch between a technical deep-dive and an executive summary without losing fidelity.
Experience with AI/ML development programs, enterprise application modernization, or legacy system replacement initiatives.
Identifies opportunities to apply AI for continuous improvement and innovation.

Responsibilities

Own the master schedule across all AIRE work streams. Track milestones, dependencies, and critical path items. Identify risks early and drive mitigation actions before they become blockers.
Track cost-of-labor actuals against plan. Provide regular financial health updates to the Senior Manager and Director-level leadership. Partner with the Business Administrative Manager on budget reporting and forecasting.
Manage day-to-day project execution across engineering teams. Run standups, track action items, remove impediments, and ensure the team maintains velocity. You are the single point of accountability for knowing where every work stream stands at any given moment.
Serve as Scrum Master and Agile coach for the AIRE team. Facilitate sprint planning, retrospectives, backlog grooming, and demos. Tailor Agile ceremonies to the team’s needs — rigorous enough to maintain discipline, lean enough to avoid ceremony for ceremony’s sake.
Create clear, actionable reports for leadership that translate engineering progress into business terms. Summarize team performance, resource utilization, risk posture, and delivery confidence. You bridge the gap between what engineers know and what leadership needs to hear.
Coordinate hiring actions, onboarding logistics, equipment provisioning, and team operations alongside the Business Administrative Manager. Ensure new team members are productive from day one.
Leverage your engineering background to participate in technical discussions, understand system architecture decisions, and provide informed input on feasibility, risk, and sequencing. You are not a passive note-taker — you are an engineer who speaks the team’s language.
Act as a cross-functional liaison with Finance, HR, IT, and other enterprise stakeholders. Clear roadblocks, streamline processes, and ensure the AIRE team’s operational needs are met.