Control Account Manager - Program Manager
About the job
- Typically requires a Bachelor's degree in a related field or a Master's degree with 6+ years of experience.
- Requires 8+ years of related experience.
- Comprehensive knowledge of program management disciplines across various domains.
- Ability to manage a program with limited oversight.
- Capability to manage program budgets and meet specified schedules and technical objectives.
- Demonstrated experience with significant program management responsibility.
- In-depth knowledge across all facets of program planning, execution, and resource management.
- Profound skills in leading management reviews and interfacing with financial teams.
- Expert understanding of organizational KPI measurement and reporting.
- Advanced analytical skills for interpreting complex data.
- Ability to manage smaller programs or portions of larger programs.
- Ability to mentor junior managers and lead complex program strategies.
- Establish and maintain control account plans in accordance with company policies and contractual requirements.
- Monitor project performance against established baselines using earned value metrics.
- Prepare and analyze variance reports, identifying root causes of cost and schedule deviations.
- Forecast project costs and schedules based on current performance data.
- Collaborate with project managers, functional managers, and technical leads to ensure accurate planning and reporting.
- Lead regular status reviews with stakeholders to communicate project financial health.
- Implement corrective actions to address performance issues.
- Ensure compliance with relevant accounting standards and contract requirements.
- Work closely with the programs’ Technical, Scheduling and Risk Leads and other Control Account Managers to ensure cost, risk, schedule, and performance are aligned across the program.
- Coach, teach, and mentor junior team members on earned value management principles and practices.
- Lead a single program, an integrated product team, or a portfolio of programs.
- Manage program cost, schedule, and technical performance.
- Develop and maintain comprehensive program plans, schedules, and budgets.
- Analyze financial and performance metrics to drive decisions and improvements.
- Collaborate with engineering, finance, supply chain, and operations teams.
- Communicate program status, risks, and issues to stakeholders.
- Prepare and deliver reports and presentations.
- Ensure compliance with contractual and regulatory requirements.
- Build relationships with external customers and stakeholders.
- Develop and initiate Learning and Development programs.
- Lead management reviews, interface with financial teams, and drive complex program strategies.
- Senior-level project management certifications such as PfMP.
- Familiarity with Agile project management methodologies.
- Proficiency in project management software such as Microsoft Project, JIRA, or Asana.
- Experience with risk management and mitigation strategies.
- Knowledge of Lean Six Sigma principles and practices.
- Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and prioritize tasks effectively.
- Understanding of software development lifecycle and systems engineering processes.
- Experience with contract management and negotiation.
- Familiarity with data analysis tools such as Excel, Tableau, or Power BI.
- Strong technical writing skills for creating detailed project documentation and reports.
- Understanding of supply chain management and logistics as they pertain to program execution.
- Ability to conduct root cause analysis and implement corrective actions.
About the company
Sierra Space provides a space-as-a-service platform in low-Earth orbit with three main divisions: Transportation (Dream Chaser spaceplane), Destinations (LIFE inflatable habitat), and Applications (satellite buses such as Velocity, Horizon, and Titan) for government and commercial customers, including NASA and the DoD. Dream Chaser is a reusable lifting-body spaceplane that carries cargo (and future crew), launches with a detachable Shooting Star module, and can land on conventional runways for rapid cargo access. The LIFE habitat is an inflatable, three-story module that can operate in LEO, on the Moon, or for Mars missions and feeds into the Orbital Reef commercial space station concept with Blue Origin. The company aims to enable a growing LEO economy by delivering integrated space infrastructure and services—transportation, habitats, and satellite platforms—for government missions, commercial activity, and secure national space capabilities.
Company Size
1,001-5,000
Company Stage
Series C
Total Funding
$2.3B
Headquarters
Louisville, Colorado
Founded
2021
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Sierra Space closed a $550 million Series C on March 5, 2026, valuing it at $8 billion.
- Jeff Schrader became CFO on June 30, 2026, adding Lockheed Martin Space and Air Force discipline.
- Warren Jenson joined the board on September 23, 2026, strengthening audit and capital oversight.
What critics are saying
- NASA dropped Dream Chaser's ISS obligation in 2025, killing guaranteed resupply revenue.
- Dream Chaser's first flight slipped repeatedly since 2022, and launch remains TBD in September 2026.
- Vulcan backlog and booster problems at ULA threaten Tenacity's late-2026 launch window.
What makes Sierra Space unique
- Dream Chaser is the only runway-landing commercial spaceplane with <1.5g cargo return, September 2026.
- Sierra Space won $798 million on July 13, 2026 for 18 Golden Dome tracking satellites.
- The September 2, 2026 inaugural flight manifest mixes national security, commercial, and NASA payloads.
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Benefits
Health Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
Life Insurance
401(k) Retirement Plan
401(k) Company Match
Paid Vacation
Growth & Insights and Company News
6 month growth
↓ -1%1 year growth
↓ -3%2 year growth
↓ -1%Sierra Space has appointed Warren Jenson to its board of directors, where he will chair the audit committee. Jenson brings over 30 years of financial and operational leadership experience from companies including Amazon, Electronic Arts, Delta Air Lines, and NBC. He currently serves as chief financial officer of Polymarket and previously held president and CFO roles at Nielsen and LiveRamp. Jenson also serves on the boards of DigitalOcean, Ripple, and Dropbox, chairing audit committees at DigitalOcean and Dropbox. Sierra Space, a defence-tech space company headquartered in Colorado, designs and manufactures satellites, space transportation vehicles, and space subsystems. The company has supported over 500 missions across its three-decade history, serving national security, civil, and commercial customers.
Sierra Space has secured contracts with undisclosed national security and commercial customers to carry payloads on Dream Chaser's inaugural flight. The reusable spaceplane will serve national security, commercial, and civil customers through NASA's Cargo Resupply Services programme on a single mission. Dream Chaser is the only commercial spaceplane capable of returning cargo from orbit at less than 1.5g and landing on any 737-capable runway. Its unique pressurized volume and controlled runway return allow customers to fly hardware with partial space certification rather than full environmental qualification, reducing development costs. The spacecraft will launch from Kennedy Space Center, conduct multiday orbital operations, and land at Vandenberg Space Force Base. Sierra Space is finalising the manifest with defence, civil, and commercial payloads for the mission.
Sierra Space has selected Leidos to provide infrared sensing payloads for 18 missile warning and tracking satellites as part of the Accelerated Missile Defense Tranche 3 (AMDT3) Tracking Layer programme. The satellites will detect and track hypersonic and other advanced missile threats from low Earth orbit. Leidos' payloads combine infrared sensing with onboard digital signal processing, enabling mission-relevant tracking data to be generated directly aboard the satellite. The company will also provide ground support equipment and operations support throughout the programme. The award extends Leidos' contributions across Space Development Agency tranches 0, 1, and 2. The company's four Tranche 0 payloads have operated successfully since 2023, and it is delivering 14 sensors for Tranche 1 and 16 for Tranche 2.
Exploration Company in talks for $2bn round led by Bessemer, Atomico. Advertisements The Exploration Company, a Franco-German startup building reusable space capsules, is in advanced talks for a funding round that would value the company at roughly $2 billion post-money. Bessemer Venture Partners and Atomico are negotiating to co-lead the round, which is expected to raise approximately $254 million. The deal would mark one of Europe's largest space-tech rounds this year and position the Munich-headquartered company alongside a handful of private space ventures commanding multi-billion-dollar valuations. $2 billion Target post-money valuation for The Exploration Company's current funding round Advertisements What Logicity know about the round. The company has previously raised around $550 million in total funding. This round would push cumulative investment past $800 million and give The Exploration Company firepower to accelerate development of its Nyx capsule system, designed for orbital and suborbital cargo transport. Existing backers include Heartcore Capital, Plural Platform, Balderton, and the European Innovation Council's venture arm. The EIC's European Space Fund, backed by EIF, has been competing to participate in the round alongside the new lead investors. Founded in 2021 by CEO Hélène Huby, the company has built its thesis around reusable capsule technology that can return payloads to Earth. It secured a €770 million contract in late 2023 and announced headquarters in the US with a facility set up in Brownsville, Texas, signaling ambitions beyond the European market. Why Bessemer and Atomico are betting on space now. European space investment has lagged behind the US, where SpaceX dominates launch and Rocket Lab has carved out a significant niche. But recent movement in European defense spending and a push for sovereign launch capability have created tailwinds for homegrown players. Atomico has been building exposure to capital-intensive deep tech, while Bessemer has a long history in space through investments in Rocket Lab and Planet Labs. Their joint lead suggests conviction that The Exploration Company can compete globally, not just serve European institutional customers. The timing aligns with broader European government efforts to reduce reliance on US launch providers. French and German space agencies have signaled interest in supporting reusable capsule development for science missions and satellite servicing. Advertisements The competitive picture. The Exploration Company's funding trail mirrors other European deep-tech raises. Isar Aerospace, another German space startup, raised €165 million last year. Swedish satellite company Ovzon closed a €2 billion deal earlier this year. The company is part of a cohort trying to prove that Europe can build space infrastructure at scale. In the US, Sierra Space is developing the Dream Chaser spaceplane for cargo missions. The Exploration Company's Nyx capsule targets a different form factor but competes for similar commercial and government contracts. Logicity's take. A $2 billion valuation for a pre-revenue space capsule company is aggressive, but Bessemer and Atomico are not writing checks on vibes alone. The real signal here is that major VCs now see a path to returns in European space beyond government grants. For founders in adjacent hardware sectors, watch whether this round closes at the reported terms. If it does, it raises the ceiling for what European deep-tech startups can command. What happens next. The round is not yet closed. Terms could shift, and the final investor syndicate may include additional participants from the EIC or sovereign funds. If the deal lands near the reported $2 billion mark, The Exploration Company will become one of Europe's most valuable private space companies. The next milestone to watch: whether Nyx reaches orbit on schedule. Hardware startups at this valuation live or die by technical execution, and investors will want proof that the capsule can perform before any talk of a follow-on round. Need help implementing this? Logicity helps founders track funding trends and identify comparable deals for benchmarking. Reach out to its research team if you're raising and need market context. Advertisements Huma Shazia Senior AI & Tech Writer Produced with AI assistance and reviewed by the Logicity editorial team. Learn more in its Editorial Policy.
Papa Johns CFO Ravi Thanawala is leaving to become chief financial officer of American Eagle Outfitters. Chris Collins, SVP of corporate finance, will serve as interim CFO whilst the company searches for a permanent replacement. Comcast's former CFO Michael Angelakis will become CEO as part of a planned split between its media and technology businesses. Angelakis served as CFO from 2008 to 2015 before founding investment firm Atairos. Greggs CFO Richard Hutton is retiring after 28 years with the UK bakery chain. Ben Waldron will join as CFO designate in October and assume the role from January 2027. Waldron spent 14 years at Bakkavor Group, most recently as CFO. Defence-tech space firm Sierra Space appointed Jeff Schrader as CFO from his role as chief strategy officer.