Program Operations Specialist

Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory•Laurel, MD

15h

About The Position

The Program Operations Specialist supports the Force Projection Sector’s varied portfolio of projects as part of a business team providing operational leadership and project coordination across the project lifecycle. The role partners with program leadership, technical staff, and support organizations to help execute projects efficiently, meet sponsor requirements, and align operational activities with program objectives. The specialist supports program and project operations and administration, coordinates logistics and operational activities, manages contractual deliverables and performance tracking, and contributes to technical reporting and proposal development. The role also performs other duties as assigned in support of program, sector, and organizational objectives.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree and 3 or more years of relevant experience coordinating project operations, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Ability to review and organize technical information and critically review documents for technical content and style.
Ability to create presentations from existing material for high-level briefings.
Strong communication skills and demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with all levels of management, military officials, and government officials.
Self-starter with a high level of initiative; able to prioritize competing efforts and independently solve moderately complex problems.
Willingness to travel occasionally and work in a closed area as needed.
Active Top Secret security clearance and ability to ultimately obtain a TS/SCI-level clearance; eligibility requirements include U.S. citizenship and meeting government requirements for access to classified information.

Nice To Haves

Active TS/SCI security clearance.
Demonstrated proficiency in tracking, monitoring, and updating program schedules, milestones, and/or contract deliverables.

Responsibilities

Partner with Program Managers and Project Managers to establish priorities, mitigate operational risks, support timely delivery of contractual obligations, and oversee day-to-day project execution from initiation through closeout.
Develop and maintain standard operating procedures that promote consistency, efficiency, and successful project delivery.
Monitor and coordinate operational compliance efforts.
Develop understanding of program objectives, technical efforts, and sponsor priorities to support execution and communicate program activities to internal and external stakeholders.
Prepare and organize information for program reviews, technical exchanges, and sponsor engagements, including reviewing technical materials prepared by technical staff.
Serve as a liaison among program leadership, technical staff, sponsors, and stakeholders; facilitate communication, track actions, and drive outcomes.
Collaborate with support organizations, including security, IT, quality, communications, procurement, property, and administrative services, to secure resources, coordinate logistics, and resolve operational issues.
Coordinate meetings, reviews, facilities, security, schedules, and other program activities to help achieve milestones and commitments.
Track schedules, milestones, and stakeholder inputs to manage contractual and programmatic deliverables and ensure commitments are met.
Identify potential execution risks and recommend corrective actions to maintain schedule, quality, and sponsor satisfaction.
Develop sufficient understanding of technical efforts to communicate program objectives, impacts, and accomplishments to multiple audiences.
Support project kickoffs, task planning, Statements of Work, execution reviews, and operational reporting to align with sponsor requirements and project objectives.
Collaborate with Program Managers and Functional Managers on proposal development, facilitate technical information flow, assist with reviews, and help ensure proposal quality and compliance with customer requirements.
Perform other duties as assigned in support of program, sector, and organizational objectives.

Benefits

Robust education assistance program.
Unparalleled retirement contributions.
Healthy work/life balance.
Retirement plans.
Paid time off.
Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance.
Short-term and long-term disability insurance.
Flexible spending accounts.
Training and development.
Potential sign-on bonus, relocation benefits, locality allowance, or discretionary payments for exceptional performance, subject to applicable policy or contract designation.