Senior Director of Program Management, Defense Solutions

EchoStar•Germantown, MD

22d•Hybrid

About The Position

Hughes, an EchoStar company, seeks a Senior Director of Program Management within its Defense and Government Solutions Division (DGSD) to lead a major satellite ground system program for the U.S. Department of War (DoW). This role draws on Hughes’ 50-year legacy in satellite communications to connect commercial innovation with mission-critical defense capabilities of national security significance. The individual in this role will be a seasoned Program Manager responsible for leading the planning, execution, and delivery of a large-scale, global ground systems program for defense. This role is critical to ensuring disciplined delivery of mission-critical capabilities, bridging program execution excellence with technical rigor to meet stringent national defense requirements and to maintain a high level of customer satisfaction. This position is primarily located at our Gaithersburg, MD office, though frequent travel to both CONUS and OCONUS customer locations may be required.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in engineering, aerospace, or a related field.
18+ years of relevant work experience (15+ years with Master’s degree).
Prior experience with U.S. DoW, space, and/or satellite communications programs.
Must hold a U.S. government security clearance at TS/SCI.

Nice To Haves

Proven leadership of large, complex programs involving ground systems and/or space architecture procurements in excess of $150M.
Project Management Institute (PMI) PMP certification or equivalent.
Expertise with Earned Value Management (EVM) and reporting.
Strong background in systems engineering processes and lifecycle management.

Responsibilities

Lead the development, maintenance, and execution of all program plans (PMP, IMP, IMS) to ensure alignment with contractual milestones, deliverables, compliance standards, and customer requirements.
Lead cross-functional, multi-contractor teams across engineering, integration, test, operations, and sustainment. This includes all aspects of a satellite ground system – civils, physical construction, outdoor and indoor equipment, and complex satellite communication and network components.
Partner with Engineering leadership to manage system architecture, integration, and technical baselines, and ensure the implementation of rigorous system engineering practices.
Manage program cost, schedule, and performance using Earned Value Management (EVM), driving successful completion of major program reviews and on-time delivery of all CDRL items.
Implement structured risk and opportunity management processes, leading issue resolution and escalation processes across stakeholders.
Implement quality management processes across all phases of the lifecycle, and ensure adherence to DoD standards, cybersecurity, and mission assurance requirements.
Serve as the primary interface with Government program leadership.
Report regular program status to internal executive level stakeholders.