Head of Programs

Position Overview

This permanent role offers a competitive salary range of $240,000 to $250,000 annually and includes comprehensive benefits. The position is remote, with a preference for candidates located in California due to the requirement to travel to San Jose monthly for 3 to 5 days.

Key Qualifications and Experience

• A bachelor's degree in engineering, a technical discipline, or equivalent professional experience is required.
• At least 12 years of experience managing complex hardware projects or programs, preferably involving spacecraft, satellite, or related aerospace/defense sectors, with a proven history of delivering projects on budget and schedule.
• Demonstrated capability in leading and developing managerial staff, extending beyond individual contributor roles.
• Experience in establishing or advancing program management offices (PMO), program-controls disciplines, or program management functions.
• Strong expertise in program controls, including constructing work breakdown structures, scheduling, earned value or comparable cost/schedule management, and risk assessment.
• Successful operation within matrixed or integrated product team environments.

Preferred Skills and Background

• Leadership experience in satellite or spacecraft programs, ideally overseeing the full lifecycle from design through commissioning and operations, scaling to constellation and production rate increases.
• Background in high-variety, low-volume manufacturing environments and adapting to growing production facilities.
• Experience delivering programs in both government and commercial sectors.
• Proven success in creating PMO structures, scheduling departments, or portfolio management routines from inception.
• Possession of Project Management Professional (PMP) certification or equivalent.

Role Responsibilities

As Head of Programs, you will supervise a team of mission managers responsible for end-to-end customer missions and ensure satellite program delivery aligns with cost, schedule, and scope goals. You will oversee the mission Technical Program Managers (TPMs) who manage daily execution and report to the mission managers. Additionally, you will manage the PMO, including professional scheduling and configuration management functions such as the Master Scheduler. Your leadership will establish uniform standards across the portfolio and foster a cohesive programs unit featuring strong mission management, standardized processes, steady portfolio rhythm, and robust program controls. This role acts as the critical link connecting customer commitments, engineering Centers of Excellence supplying talent, and the manufacturing facility assembling the hardware.