PROGRAM MANAGER

Haag, a Salas O'Brien Company•Washington, DC

About The Position

The Program Manager – DOE/NNSA Programs & Business Development leads the execution of Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), and other federal programs while helping grow the company’s federal business portfolio. The role combines program management, customer relationship development, operational oversight, and strategic business development. It is based in Knoxville, Tennessee; Washington, DC; or Aiken, South Carolina, and requires approximately 10–20% travel as business and customer needs require. The Program Manager is responsible for contract performance, customer relationships, multidisciplinary teams, and identifying opportunities to expand existing work and develop new business. The position develops program plans and oversees scope, schedules, budgets, staffing, deliverables, performance, risks, compliance, and resources. It also supports opportunity qualification, capture planning, proposal development, teaming, and growth strategies in coordination with company leadership and business development teams. The role requires the ability to obtain and maintain a DOE security clearance when required by assigned programs. Work arrangements and site access depend on customer and contract requirements, with travel to DOE facilities, national laboratories, customer locations, and industry events as needed.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in engineering, physical sciences, business administration, project management, or a related field; equivalent relevant experience may be considered.
At least 5 years of progressive experience in program management, project management, operations, or contract leadership supporting DOE/NNSA, Department of Defense, national laboratories, or other federal customers.
At least 5 years of experience leading multidisciplinary technical, engineering, scientific, or professional services teams.
Demonstrated experience managing complex federal contracts or programs, including customer relationships, performance, staffing, budgets, schedules, and deliverables.
Experience in a regulated federal environment, preferably involving nuclear operations, environmental management, energy, national security, engineering, or technical support services.
Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain trusted customer relationships and communicate effectively with government and contractor leadership.
Experience identifying contract-growth opportunities, expanding customer relationships, supporting capture activities, or contributing to business development.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to develop executive briefings, management reports, and customer presentations.
Ability to obtain and maintain a DOE security clearance when required by the assigned program.
Strong program leadership and contract execution capabilities.
Ability to balance operational responsibilities with strategic customer engagement and business development.
Ability to build trust, understand customer needs, and identify opportunities aligned with organizational capabilities.
Strong financial, organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
Ability to manage competing priorities, changing requirements, and complex stakeholder relationships.
Collaborative leadership style focused on accountability, customer satisfaction, and measurable results.
Ability to work independently and coordinate effectively with executive leadership, technical teams, and business development personnel.

Nice To Haves

Active DOE Q clearance.
Previous experience supporting NNSA Headquarters, Savannah River and Oak Ridge site contractors, or other DOE/NNSA laboratories, plants, or sites.
Experience with federal contract administration, project controls, risk management, budgeting, scheduling, and earned value management.
Familiarity with applicable DOE project management directives, quality assurance, and nuclear safety requirements.
Demonstrated success expanding existing customer accounts, developing new customer relationships, or supporting federal capture and proposal efforts.
Established professional relationships within the DOE/NNSA, national laboratory, federal contracting, or engineering services communities.

Responsibilities

Lead planning, execution, and oversight of assigned DOE/NNSA and other federal programs, meeting contractual commitments, customer expectations, and performance objectives.
Serve as a primary customer contact and maintain relationships with government representatives, prime contractors, subcontractors, and other stakeholders.
Develop and maintain program execution plans, schedules, budgets, staffing plans, performance metrics, and resource forecasts.
Monitor contract deliverables, milestones, cost, schedule, quality, and customer satisfaction; identify issues and implement corrective actions.
Manage program risks, scope changes, emerging requirements, and resource constraints with customers and company leadership.
Coordinate multidisciplinary engineering, technical services, project management, environmental management, nuclear operations support, and administrative teams, as applicable.
Provide program updates, executive briefings, performance reports, and recommendations to leadership and customers.
Support contract transitions, task order execution, workforce planning, and scalable delivery strategies.
Maintain customer engagement to understand priorities, challenges, and future requirements; identify opportunities to expand contracts, task orders, and use of company capabilities.
Represent the company at customer meetings, industry events, technical forums, and other relevant engagements.
Partner with executive leadership and business development teams to identify, qualify, and pursue opportunities with existing accounts and new customers.
Develop and maintain an opportunity pipeline using customer relationships, upcoming requirements, market intelligence, and industry engagement.
Contribute to capture planning, opportunity assessments, customer engagement strategies, and bid/no-bid recommendations.
Support proposal development with technical and operational input, staffing strategies, management approaches, past-performance information, and customer insight.
Build relationships with teaming partners, prime contractors, subcontractors, and other complementary organizations.
Track opportunity progress, customer engagement, and business development activities, and communicate priorities and potential investments to leadership.
Ensure program execution complies with contract requirements, DOE/NNSA directives, federal regulations, site procedures, and company policies.
Promote safety, quality, accountability, integrity, and continuous improvement; support ISMS, quality assurance, environmental, security, and training requirements.
Maintain awareness of contract-specific security clearance, personnel qualification, training, and information-handling requirements.
Support audits, assessments, corrective actions, performance reviews, and contract assurance activities.
Apply DOE project management and controls practices, including cost and schedule management, risk assessment, change control, and earned value management when applicable.
Lead, mentor, and oversee assigned program and project personnel; establish expectations for accountability, quality, customer service, and timely execution.
Coordinate workforce planning, recruitment needs, employee development, succession planning, and resource allocation with company leadership.
Foster collaboration across technical disciplines and business functions and identify opportunities to improve processes, program performance, and customer value.