Senior Program Manager

Akima, LLC•Ashburn, VA

11d•Onsite

About The Position

Akima is seeking a Program Manager (PM) to lead delivery of the TSA TOMCAT program, providing enterprise IT Operations & Maintenance (O&M), service management, and digital modernization support to the Transportation Security Administration. The PM will be responsible for end-to-end program execution, overseeing technical operations, service performance, cybersecurity coordination, and continuous improvement initiatives across mission-critical TSA IT environments. This role requires a leader with deep experience managing large-scale federal IT O&M programs while driving modernization, automation, and cloud-aligned service delivery in a highly regulated DHS environment.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in information technology, Computer Science, Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience).
10+ years of experience on federal IT programs, including large-scale IT O&M contracts.
5+ years of experience as a Program Manager or Deputy PM on DHS, TSA, DoD, or other civilian agency IT programs.
Demonstrated experience managing mission-critical IT environments with strict SLAs and uptime requirements.
Strong knowledge of:
IT O&M best practices.
ITIL-based service management.
Incident, problem, change, and configuration management.
Integration and Orchestration of legacy IT and OT with modern ITSM tools.
Enterprise monitoring and operations tools.
Proven experience leading digital transformation or IT modernization efforts within an O&M construct.
Experience managing cost, schedule, performance, and risk in a government contracting environment.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including executive-level reporting and briefings.
Ability to obtain and maintain DHS suitability and any required clearances.
Ability to obtain a DHS Suitability clearance is required for consideration.

Nice To Haves

Prior experience supporting TSA programs or DHS operational components.
Master’s degree in IT, Computer Science, or related engineering field.
CISSP, PMP, ITIL v4 Intermediate and/or Agile/Scrum certifications.
Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GovCloud), hybrid environments, and cloud O&M models.
Familiarity with DevSecOps, CI/CD pipelines, infrastructure automation, and platform engineering concepts.
Experience sustaining systems under RMF and continuous monitoring requirements.
Experience leading programs that integrate legacy systems with modern digital services.
Understanding of TSA enterprise architecture, Zero Trust principles, and cybersecurity directives.

Responsibilities

Serve as the single point of accountability for program execution, contract compliance, cost/schedule/performance, and customer satisfaction for the TSA TOMCAT program.
Lead day-to-day IT O&M operations, including service desk, network operations, system administration, application support, monitoring, incident/problem/change management, and SLA performance.
Oversee IT Service Management (ITSM) processes aligned to ITIL, including continuous service improvement, metrics, and dashboarding/reporting.
Manage and integrate digital transformation initiatives, such as automation, DevSecOps integration, cloud migration support, platform modernization, and toolchain optimization.
Coordinate cybersecurity operations with TSA and DHS stakeholders, including vulnerability management, ATO sustainment, continuous monitoring, and compliance with DHS and TSA security directives.
Lead multidisciplinary teams (engineering, operations, cybersecurity, service management) across geographically dispersed environments.
Act as primary interface with TSA COR, technical leads, and mission stakeholders; support briefings, QBRs, and executive-level communications.
Manage subcontractors and vendors, ensuring performance aligns with contract requirements and TSA operational priorities.
Oversee staffing, workforce planning, key personnel retention, and succession planning.
Support contract growth, innovation initiatives, and follow-on opportunities through technical insight and operational excellence.