Senior Program Manager
Confirmed on the employer's own hiring board on Nov 12, 2026. First seen by Alion on Nov 12, 2026. General Dynamics Mission Systems scores A on the Alion truth index.
Basic Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent relevant experience is required, plus a minimum of 10 years of relevant experience; or Master's degree, plus a minimum of 8 years of relevant experience to meet managerial expectations
CLEARANCE REQUIREMENTS: Department of Defense Secret security clearance is required at time of hire. Applicants selected will be subject to a U.S. Government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information. Due to the nature of work performed within our facilities, U.S. citizenship is required.
Responsibilities for this Position
General Dynamics Mission Systems has an immediate opening for a Program Manager, to support the Navy with advanced software capabilities in Undersea Warfare, Anti-Submarine Warfare, and Submarine Force operations. The position will operate out of Manassas, VA, Port Orchard, WA, or Groton, CT. This position is embedded within a portfolio of programs that delivers modern, Agile DevSecOps capabilities to classified and disconnected environments at pace and scale. The Program Manager will lead cross-functional teams responsible for software development, infrastructure, containerized application delivery, and modernization initiatives that directly enhance fleet readiness. The position provides an opportunity to enhance the performance and profitability of an organization that supports some of our nation’s fundamental defense services. General Dynamics Mission Systems employees work closely with esteemed customers to develop solutions that allow them to carry out high-stakes national security missions.As aspiring leaders, General Dynamics Mission Systems (GDMS) believes there are several enabling behaviors which will influence your success. These behaviors will also serve as leading indicators of likely success (or difficulty), and will be used by your manager in evaluating your performance and growth as a leader, and will serve to build trust from your teams, your customer, and the organization. These behaviors are:
- Develop yourself
- Develop others
- Be a team player/leader
- Communicate effectively
- Develop and sustain the relationships you need to be successful
- Shape culture and positively impact the morale, motivation, and engagement of those around you
- Operate at the right level and deliver on your commitments
- Think and act strategically
- Confront reality
- Take reasonable, managed risks
It is expected the successful candidate will utilize these tenets so they can build on their own essential skills and traits.
REPRESENTATIVE DUTIES AND TASKS:
- Coordinates with customer organizations to align program execution with customer requirements and priorities
- Develops customer relationships and identifies new business opportunities within, including program growth and transition opportunities
- Uses proposal plans and strategies to lead teams in developing, defining, and implementing cohesive, integrated program/product, subcontractor, and material plans, and business plans that achieve overall current and long-term objectives of the program/product, business unit, and division
- Own an open, secure integration strategy for data and AI services that improves operator outcomes and preserves trusted undersea workflow
- Identifies needed resources for projects, defines and assigns major program roles for engineering, technical and logistic support required to meet program milestones
- Leads the establishment of and sets integrated WBS-based budget and schedule baselines including management reserve for programs/products that are complex in nature, high value, with a new customer, naval organization or in a new market area
- Monitors work accomplished to baseline plans to ensure rate of work completion is sufficient to meet program/product schedules
- Balances program risks and opportunities with executable strategies to meet technical requirements and budgets
- Manages people who lead cross-functional program teams in matrix organization that are focused on the delivery of software-intensive, classified engineering capabilities, and containerized applications
- Leads software development teams utilizing Agile methodologies (Scrum, SAFe) and DevSecOps practices, including CI/CD pipelines and iterative sprint-based delivery while meeting all cybersecurity accreditation requirements, ensuring compliance with cyber security Risk Management Framework accreditation requirements
- Creates an environment that fosters professional growth for team members
- Delegates assignments to others for developing solutions
- Conducts reviews to drill down into issues on products/programs, identify issues, develop corrective actions, and communicate issues, impacts and corrective actions to program teams
- Leads team to identify and quantify risks and opportunities and risk mitigation / opportunity capture activities
- Decouples risk items from mainstream program to the greatest extent possible
- Prepares and presents program/product status to leadership and external customers
- Interfaces with customers on technical matters regarding program/products and provide complex problem solving solutions within program budgets
- Identifies scope changes and develops product/program positions for equitable cost and schedule adjustments
- Identifies opportunities to apply AI for continuous improvement and innovation
- Develops and executes proposal plans and strategies
- Follows processes and operational policies in selecting methods and techniques for obtaining solutions. Recommends changes to policies and establishes procedures that affect immediate organization(s)
KNOWLEDGE SKILLS AND ABILITIES:
- Very strong knowledge of Undersea Warfare and Anti-Submarine Warfare CONOPS and coordination across the Submarine and Surface Force
- Strong knowledge of emerging Subsea Seabed Warfare mission areas and capabilities
- Strong knowledge of customer priorities and use cases particularly at Navy Theater Undersea Warfare and Undersea Warfare Development Centers
- Understanding of Navy modernization programs and the role of software-intensive systems in supporting fleet readiness
- Very strong verbal and written communication skills to articulate project plans and ideas
- Familiarity with software development lifecycle management, DevSecOps practices, CI/CD pipeline implementation and cyber security Risk Management Framework accreditation requirements
- Familiarity with Agile methodologies (Scrum, SAFe, or similar frameworks) and their application to defense software programs
- Familiarity with AI, machine learning, and data analytics concepts and their application to engineering data analysis and predictive insights
- Skilled in the development and implementation of product/program strategy and tactics
- Ability to generate cohesive program plans under a structured methodology that aligns program objectives, resources, timelines, and evaluation metrics into an integrated and actionable blueprint
- Must be able to establish and assure adherence to budgets, schedules, work plans, and performance requirements and articulate to the customer the specific, measurable and achievable objectives
- Ability to develop and implement a product oriented WBS and WBS Dictionary
- Ability to track work accomplished to baseline plans and identify issues, track progress, and follow through on effective corrective actions based on data analysis and trends
- Skilled in communicating issues, impacts, and corrective actions on programs to internal and external representatives, including Navy and DoD senior level representatives
- Ability to understand and analyze program financial data
- Ability to evaluate quality of work product across organization teams to ensure satisfaction of customer requirements and determine potential opportunity for system or process improvement
- Very strong understanding of advanced risk and opportunity management techniques and ability to apply them to programs
- Ability to lead teams in matrix organization, across organizational boundaries and influence cross-organizational technical teams effectively
- Ability to lead others in team building, conflict resolution, motivation, leadership and advanced risk management
- Familiarity with government contracting practices and regulations regarding acquisition
- Outstanding relationship management and marketing skills
- Needs ability to execute company policies that affect immediate operations and program growth
- Ability to develop and execute proposal plans and strategies
- Ability to lead program in customer negotiations and negotiate win-win solutions
- Will interact frequently with internal personnel and outside representatives at various levels
- Working knowledge of MS Project, Excel, Word, PowerPoint
- May be required to travel
Our Commitment to You:
- An exciting career path with opportunities for continuous learning and development.
- Research oriented work, alongside award winning teams developing practical solutions for our nation’s security
- Flexible schedules with every other Friday off work, if desired (9/80 schedule)
- Competitive benefits, including 401k matching, flex time off, paid parental leave, healthcare benefits, health & wellness programs, employee resource and social groups, and more
- See more at gdmissionsystems.com/careers/why-work-for-us/benefits
Salary Note
This estimate represents the typical salary range for this position based on experience and other factors (geographic location, etc.). Actual pay may vary. This job posting will remain open until the position is filled.Combined Salary Range
USD $184,410.00 - USD $225,390.00 /Yr.Company Overview
General Dynamics Mission Systems (GDMS) engineers a diverse portfolio of high technology solutions, products and services that enable customers to successfully execute missions across all domains of operation. With a global team of 12,000+ top professionals, we partner with the best in industry to expand the bounds of innovation in the defense and scientific arenas. Given the nature of our work and who we are, we value trust, honesty, alignment and transparency. We offer highly competitive benefits and pride ourselves in being a great place to work with a shared sense of purpose. You will also enjoy a flexible work environment where contributions are recognized and rewarded. If who we are and what we do resonates with you, we invite you to join our high-performance team!
Equal Opportunity Employer / Individuals with Disabilities / Protected Veterans