Senior Program Manager — Global Infrastructure & Facilities

CesiumAstro•Austin, TX

About The Position

At CesiumAstro, we are developers and pioneers of out-of-the-box communication systems for satellites, UAVs, launch vehicles, and other space and airborne platforms. We take pride in our dynamic and cross-functional work environment, which allows us to learn, develop, and engage across our organization. If you are looking for hands-on, interactive, and autonomous work, CesiumAstro is the place for you. We are actively seeking passionate, collaborative, energetic, and forward-thinking individuals to join our team. CesiumAstro is seeking a Senior Program Manager — Global Infrastructure & Facilities to lead execution of large-scale capital projects supporting the company’s next phase of operational and manufacturing growth. This role is responsible for delivering the physical infrastructure required to support payload manufacturing, satellite manufacturing, industrialization initiatives, test infrastructure, and future international expansion. The Senior Program Manager will own site development and infrastructure execution from early-stage planning through operational handoff, including real estate coordination, permitting, construction, utilities, infrastructure readiness, and transition into manufacturing activation. This individual will serve as the primary execution lead across multiple concurrent domestic and international capital programs and will work closely with Operations, Manufacturing, Engineering, Supply Chain, Finance, and executive leadership. This role operates within a highly integrated execution model where facilities are not considered complete until validated against operational and production requirements. The Senior Program Manager will therefore be expected to coordinate heavily with manufacturing and operational stakeholders to ensure all infrastructure aligns with long-term production capability and industrialization objectives. The ideal candidate combines strong capital project execution capability with strategic thinking, operational awareness, and the ability to drive complex, cross-functional programs in a fast-paced aerospace and defense environment.

Requirements

Minimum 12–15 years of experience leading large-scale capital projects, infrastructure programs, or industrial facility execution.
Bachelor of Science (BS) or Master of Science (MS) degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Architecture, Operations, or related technical field.
Proven experience managing complex infrastructure programs exceeding $100M in value.
Experience managing site development, permitting, construction, and commissioning activities.
Experience negotiating or supporting lease agreements, property acquisition, or large commercial contracts.
Experience managing cross-functional and decentralized teams.
Strong understanding of integrated master schedules, risk management, and program execution methodologies.
Ability to drive execution in a fast-paced, high-growth environment.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Strong organizational and executive reporting capability.
Must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., conditional resident, asylee or refugee (protected individuals as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

Nice To Haves

Aerospace, defense, semiconductor, automotive, or advanced manufacturing facility experience.
Experience supporting production or manufacturing ramp environments.
Experience executing greenfield or large-scale manufacturing expansions.
Familiarity with industrial utilities, clean environments, or high-reliability production systems.

Responsibilities

Lead all phases of infrastructure and facility execution including site planning, design, permitting, construction, commissioning, and handoff.
Manage multiple concurrent capital programs across domestic and international sites.
Own execution against approved scope, schedule, and capital budgets.
Coordinate external architects, contractors, consultants, developers, landlords, and utility providers.
Support lease negotiations, property acquisition activities, and site selection analysis as required.
Drive risk mitigation strategies related to permitting, utilities, construction sequencing, contractor performance, and site readiness.
Ensure infrastructure is designed and delivered against manufacturing and operational requirements.
Coordinate closely with Manufacturing, Operations, Engineering, and Quality teams to validate facility readiness.
Ensure facility layouts, utilities, clean environments, environmental controls, and infrastructure support long-term production objectives.
Support manufacturing equipment installation readiness and transition into operational ramp activities.
Maintain accountability for ensuring facilities are production-capable at handoff, not simply construction complete.
Operate as a senior execution leader capable of solving multiple concurrent operational, infrastructure, commercial, and technical problems across fast-moving programs.
Rapidly identify constraints, execution gaps, and conflicting priorities, while developing practical solutions that maintain schedule, budget, and operational objectives.
Navigate ambiguity and incomplete information while continuing to drive execution and decision velocity.
Balance competing stakeholder requirements across Operations, Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Finance, contractors, and external partners.
Solve both strategic and tactical execution challenges, ranging from infrastructure sequencing and permitting delays to contractor performance, utility constraints, and operational readiness risks.
Anticipate downstream impacts of decisions and proactively mitigate second- and third-order execution consequences.
Lead integrated program execution reviews across internal and external stakeholders.
Develop and maintain integrated master schedules, project execution plans, and risk registers.
Drive alignment between capital deployment timelines and operational readiness objectives.
Provide executive-level reporting related to project status, schedule performance, risk posture, and capital utilization.
Escalate major program risks and execution issues with recommended mitigation plans.
Help establish scalable execution standards, reporting structures, and governance processes across the infrastructure portfolio.
Support development of repeatable facility deployment and site activation methodologies.
Contribute to long-range infrastructure planning and manufacturing expansion strategy.
Support future team development and mentorship as the organization scales.