Project Manager - Defense and Biometrics

Parsons Corporation

19h•Onsite

About The Position

At Parsons, we don’t just imagine success—we deliver it. We’re seeking an experienced Project Manager to lead high-impact efforts within our Defense & Biometrics Portfolio, based on site at our Summit Point, West Virginia office. If you thrive in complex, cross-functional environments and excel at turning strategy into execution, we want to hear from you. This role is suited for a senior delivery leader who is comfortable owning both program execution and business outcomes in a government environment, including financial accountability, customer engagement, and cross-functional coordination. As both a leader and a doer on our mission-focused team, you will manage a dynamic portfolio supporting military, federal law enforcement, and homeland security clients. These programs center on biometric technologies and systems. You’ll operate in a highly matrixed environment—where you may be a team of one but will coordinate across multiple service and support organizations. This role may include responsibility for a single major program or several concurrent projects across the portfolio. Your success depends on your ability to communicate clearly, set expectations early, and build relationships and trust across stakeholders and teams.

Requirements

10+ years of project and/or program management experience delivering government or defense programs
Experience supporting U.S. military branches (Army, Navy, USMC, Air Force) or federal law enforcement
Experience operating within structured project management and collaboration environments (e.g., SharePoint, Jira, Confluence, MS Project or equivalent)
Experience managing cost, schedule, and performance within government contract vehicles (CPFF, CPAF, T&M, or FFP)
Proven ability to lead and deliver within matrixed organizations, often without direct authority
Strong customer engagement and relationship-building skills
Proven ability to operate independently in fast-moving government program environments
U.S. Citizenship required; must be eligible for and able to maintain a U.S. security clearance; an active clearance is strongly preferred
Willingness to travel domestically and internationally (up to 10% of the time)

Nice To Haves

PMP certification or an equivalent recognized program or project management credential (e.g., PgMP, FAC-P/PM, or DAWIA Level II/III in Program Management)
Advanced degree (MBA or similar)
Prior military service strongly preferred
Experience with biometric technologies and system integration
Demonstrated success managing complex government contracts with multiple stakeholders
Leadership and management of teams of 1-50
Active Secret clearance
Ability to work onsite at the Summit Point, WV facility on a full-time, daily basis

Responsibilities

Interface directly with government customers, contracting officers, security teams, engineers, and Parsons leadership to align delivery, funding, and compliance
Foster a collaborative, solutions-first team environment—even without formal direct reports
Upon contract award, assume full ownership of the program(s)—driving all aspects of delivery including scope, schedule, budget, invoicing, compliance, and client satisfaction
Capture, validate, and document customer requirements using Parsons’ Requirements Traceability Matrix (RTM) within Confluence and Atlassian tools
Coordinate across internal service teams—ensuring timely input and alignment without direct authority, using established rules of engagement and consistent planning
Lead project kickoffs and planning using Parsons’ standard platforms (SharePoint, Jira, MS Project)—establishing clear objectives, timelines, and stakeholder engagement
Develop and maintain project schedules, manage dependencies and milestones, mitigate risks, and track progress across tools and teams
Own the financial performance of assigned programs, including budgets, ETC, forecasting, invoicing, and funding alignment in partnership with Project Controls and Finance
Serve as the primary customer interface—initiating and maintaining proactive communication to build trust, ensure transparency, and represent the Parsons brand
Own and execute all phases of the program lifecycle, following PMP-based best practices from initiation through closeout
Drive process improvements across project and team delivery with an entrepreneurial mindset
Ensure program compliance with applicable security, quality, and regulatory requirements
Identify and recommend opportunities to streamline workflows, improve tools, or enhance cross-functional collaboration; actively contribute to internal initiatives that increase operational efficiency or programmatic value
Mentor junior team members and share best practices to build team capability; participate in onboarding, training, or knowledge-sharing sessions to support a high-performance team culture
Demonstrate flexibility by taking on emerging tasks, special projects, or priority efforts outside your core responsibilities; collaborate with leadership to respond to shifting program needs or business objectives