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Sierra Nevada Corporation

Global aerospace and defense contractor

Vice President Programs

Program ManagementConfirmed live in the last 24 hours
Full-timeHagerstown, MD, USA$231.6k - $318.4k

About the Job

Requirements

  • A bachelor's degree in Business Management, Finance, Engineering, or a related field; relevant experience may substitute for required education.
  • Typically 20+ years of relevant experience, including 15+ years of demonstrated program management experience, 15+ years in a supervisory or management capacity, and 15+ years of direct engineering or program management experience with aerospace and defense programs.
  • Strong program management execution skills, a results-driven approach, and the ability to hold teams accountable for outcomes and set milestones to validate progress.
  • Leadership, communication, motivation, and interpersonal skills, including the ability to manage programs involving people with varied disciplines, backgrounds, and experience levels.
  • A record of successful and innovative leadership and delivery in complex program execution, with implementation skills to ensure programs and policies support business objectives and initiatives.
  • Established relationships producing growth with prior Department of Defense customers and mission sets, and prior experience with intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance aircraft modification.
  • Experience leading capture and business development strategy for aerospace and defense programs, foreign military sales, or direct commercial sales, with a record of winning complex competitive bids and delivering annual bookings against plan.
  • Human relations skills to select, develop, coach, mentor, discipline, and reward employees; interpersonal skills to manage, lead, and direct; and the ability to resolve conflicts and identify solutions.
  • Demonstrated leadership outcomes in leading self, leading others, and leading an organization.
  • Goal-oriented, self-motivated, and able to work independently.
  • Ability to organize and prioritize daily work, track and manage large programs, and see programs through to completion.
  • Familiarity with managing projects requiring Earned Value Management.
  • Ability to understand the needs of the business for which development work is performed.
  • Ability to use insight into the organization's internal and external business environment to improve business or account outcomes and drive positive change through continuous improvement.
  • Verbal and written communication skills, including presenting ideas, proposals, and results to business segment leaders and internal and external customers.
  • Interpersonal and influence skills to cultivate relationships, facilitate negotiations, and build partnerships with customers.
  • Ability to publicly represent company initiatives with internal and external clients in sensitive and highly visible circumstances.
  • Strategic management, planning, and analytical skills for defining and framing initiatives for current and potential clients; ability to analyze financial and cost data and develop conclusions and recommendations.
  • General understanding of how corporate policies, procedures, practices, and processes relate to the associated business unit or area and internal and external customers.
  • Demonstrated success managing indirect budgets.
  • Decision-making skills, including clearly stating the bottom line up front, highlighting key points, simplifying complex information, and making timely, well-reasoned, high-impact decisions.
  • Current, active U.S. Secret security clearance; U.S. citizenship is required for employment.

Responsibilities

  • Provide strategic leadership and direction for aerospace and defense programs, aligning them with organizational goals and customer needs.
  • Oversee program financial performance, including full profit and loss responsibility, budgeting, and cost management.
  • Collaborate with Program Management, Engineering, Operations, and support functions to ensure consistency and scalability.
  • Guide program execution to meet timelines, budgets, and technical requirements.
  • Develop and maintain relationships with key customers, stakeholders, and partners.
  • Build executive relationships and establish regular program rhythms to grow revenue within existing contracts while protecting performance and compliance.
  • Lead major program development efforts from initial concept and proposal through execution and delivery.
  • Drive transformation and growth initiatives while maintaining execution and operational excellence.
  • Communicate a clear organizational vision and align team members with strategic objectives.
  • Drive a multi-year growth strategy by setting portfolio objectives and booking targets and guiding market, account, and campaign plans to expand presence in priority customer missions.
  • Ensure compliance with industry regulations, standards, and company policies.
  • Provide senior leadership and stakeholders with regular reports on program status, risks, and opportunities.
  • Travel up to 40% of the time, including internationally.
  • Work primarily in an office environment, with flexibility for hybrid work arrangements as needed.

Desired Qualifications

  • A master's degree in business administration, Finance, Accounting, Management, or a related field.
  • Advanced ability to assess external competition by gathering disparate qualitative and quantitative data and synthesizing it into reports and presentations.
  • Understanding of growth and profit objectives.
  • Ability to shape project and program management vision and strategic direction for a major technology business segment, collaborate with industry partners, drive results, and develop strategies to establish business in new markets or current accounts.
  • Past responsibility for integrating consistent program management methodologies and terminology.
  • High level of integrity and personal responsibility.
  • Problem-solving skills under resource constraints and time pressure, with the ability to find resolutions.
  • Active Top Secret clearance preferred.

About the Company

Sierra Nevada Corporation

Global aerospace and defense contractor

Sierra Nevada Corporation is a private, global aerospace and national security company serving the U.S. government and other customers with complex engineering projects. Its products include the Dream Chaser spaceplane, a reusable, runway-landing spacecraft developed after SpaceDev’s 2008 acquisition to carry cargo and later crew to low-Earth orbit under NASA contracts. The company differentiates itself through a long-term, acquisition-driven growth strategy, steady execution, and private ownership by the Ozmen family, with the Sierra Space spin-off in 2021 focusing on spaceflight and commercial ventures. Its goal is to solve tough engineering challenges for customers and become a leading partner in defense and space exploration.

Company size
1,001-5,000
Company stage
Not listed
Total funding
Not listed
Headquarters
Sparks, NV
Founded
1963

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