Program Manager, Production Line Stand-Up

Sitreps • Las Vegas, NV

6d • $130,000 - $165,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

This is a part-time (half-time level of effort) role for a Program Manager to lead the production line stand-up effort for a defense technology company. The company is building deployable position, navigation, and timing (PNT) hardware for the U.S. Army and is moving three product lines from prototype to production. The role involves a two-year period of performance, taking these product lines from a partner-built prototype baseline to a client-owned production capability. The Program Manager will own the schedule, deliverables, subcontract coordination, and risk posture. The transition is described as a 'crawl-walk-run' approach, with Year 1 focusing on board assembly by a manufacturing partner while the company builds out its own infrastructure in Las Vegas, and Year 2 shifting to full-rate production by the company. The core responsibility is to ensure these two tracks converge on schedule.

Requirements

• 10 to 20 years of program or project management experience in a defense engineering environment, at a supervisory level.
• A master's degree may be required to meet the contract labor category.
• Demonstrated ownership of a DoD task order or contract as the responsible PM, including CDRL and PWS deliverable discipline, IMS ownership, and direct COR interface.
• Experience managing subcontractors and cross-contractor dependencies, where someone else's slip becomes your schedule problem.
• Fluency with engineering change control (ECR and ECN) and configuration management on a hardware program.
• Hardware program experience: Understanding of long-lead components, procurement lead times, and the impact of supply chain disruptions on a production schedule.
• U.S. citizenship, and the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government security clearance.

Nice To Haves

• Prior experience standing up or transitioning a production line, particularly a prototype-to-production or technology-transfer effort.
• Familiarity with APFIT, OTA, or other rapid-fielding acquisition vehicles.
• Electronics manufacturing background: SMT assembly, test, and first-article processes.
• PMP certification.

Responsibilities

• Program launch: Chair the program kickoff within 30 days of contract award and deliver the Order Management Plan (OMP) and Quality Management Plan (QMP) on PWS timelines.
• The baseline: Build and hold the integrated master schedule across the full two-year period of performance, including Year 1 LRIP milestones for all three product lines.
• Monthly Status Reports: Delivered by the 5th business day of each month, covering production line stand-up progress, subcontract status, design transfer activities, component procurement, supply chain coordination, and risk posture.
• Cross-contractor dependencies: Coordinate directly with the COR and with the board assembly and design-transfer subcontractors on milestones, component delivery schedules, and transfer activities, surfacing and escalating dependencies before they become schedule risk.
• Configuration control: Run the formal Engineering Change Request (ECR) and Engineering Change Notice (ECN) process for every design decision made this fiscal year.
• Risk: Maintain a living risk register that leadership and the customer both actually use.
• Cost and staffing: Manage funds and personnel against assigned tasks, and carry accountability for the quality and on-time delivery of every contract deliverable.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Part-time
• Career Level: Senior