US NATO Program Manager

Bluestaq US External•Colorado Springs, CO

2d•$175,000 - $220,000•Onsite

About The Position

The US NATO Program Manager is accountable for the day-to-day execution of the NATO portfolio. This role involves owning the schedule, risk register, financials, and cross-functional coordination to ensure delivery stays on track. The position is responsible for both setting strategic direction and ensuring its execution, managing commitments, and verifying that delivered products meet promises. The individual will be the primary point of contact for surfacing issues and developing solutions when programs deviate from their planned course.

Requirements

Demonstrated experience managing complex government or defense programs end-to-end — from kickoff through closeout.
Fluency with government contract types (FFP, T&M, CPFF), CDRLs, CPARs, and program reporting requirements.
Track record of hands-on program management: budget tracking, schedule management, risk registers, and earned value.
Technical fluency — comfortable in engineering discussions; able to learn new technical concepts quickly and apply them in program decisions.
Judgment and composure in high-pressure, ambiguous situations; builds structure where none exists.
Meticulous attention to detail; holds a high-quality bar and doesn't lower it under schedule pressure.
Ability to hold ground with customers and internal leadership alike — clear, confident, and credible.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to travel approximately 25%, primarily to Europe; valid U.S. passport required and eligibility for EU/Schengen travel authorizations required.
U.S. citizenship is required.
Must agree to participate in a background screen and credit check.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with NATO structures: NCIA, HQ Brussels, Allied Commands, and procurement processes including NSIP and tenders.
Experience with NATO, EU defense, US DoD/Federal, or similar international government accounts.
Background in defense software domains: C4ISR, cloud, or cybersecurity.
Experience with export control compliance in multinational defense programs.
Experience coordinating with international subsidiaries or subcontractors.

Responsibilities

Own cost, schedule, risk, and performance for the US NATO program management area within the NATO portfolio from planning through sustainment and closeout.
Drive cross-functional execution across engineering, product, and operations to ensure contract fidelity and mission success.
Manage cross-functional dependencies, internal handoffs, and subcontractor coordination with Bluestaq UK and Europe.
Maintain program artifacts: schedules, risk registers, action item logs, and status reports.
Champion AI adoption across the program team — identify where AI tools sharpen reporting, surface risk faster, and reduce manual overhead.
Serve as the working-level point of contact for NATO customers; build and sustain trusted relationships with customer technical teams and program offices.
Support the Portfolio Manager in senior customer interactions; ensure they are never surprised by program status.
Produce a written brief-back within 24 hours of every customer-facing meeting — program reviews, sprint reviews, technical exchange meetings, or bilaterals — and distribute to the program team.
Align with Engineering and Product on capacity before accepting any new customer commitment.
Prepare and lead program reviews, milestone briefings, and customer status updates.
Navigate NATO-specific procurement processes, funding mechanisms, security requirements, and export controls; ensure full compliance.
Coordinate day-to-day execution with Bluestaq UK and Europe subsidiaries — task assignment, delivery tracking, schedule integration, and technical handoffs.
Align program execution with contract deliverables, DoD standards, and reporting requirements (CDRLs, CPARs).
Maintain fluency with contract types and how they impact scope, schedule, and cost tradeoffs.
Ensure full compliance with customer contracts, regulatory frameworks, and internal policies.
Own deployment readiness — coordinate with Engineering and Program Operations to ensure every deployment is on-spec, on-schedule, and operationally ready.
Coordinate deployment of product updates to managed customer environments.
Own the customer relationship conversation about deployment scope: what can be disclosed, what flexibility exists, and what the customer's operational readiness looks like.
Own program-facing financials: burn rate against contract, budget variance, CLIN-level tracking, and forecasting against deliverables.
Track spend against contract phases and flag variance to the Portfolio Manager before it becomes a problem — mid-month, not month-end.
Ensure R&D and contract work are clearly separated, planned with real budgets, and executed without late charge code surprises.