Senior Program Manager

The Senior Program Manager - Ground System Modem leads end-to-end delivery of the modem within a complex SATCOM ground-system solution. This role is accountable for integrated planning, supplier execution, cross-functional and technical alignment, acceptance, deployment, and operational readiness.

Combining strong program leadership with telecommunications/SATCOM knowledge, the Senior Program Manager works across engineering, System Architecture, Product Owners, Integration and Test, program controls, Procurement, Operations, and external suppliers to manage dependencies, risks, commitments, and critical decisions. The role may establish a new program or take ownership of an in-flight delivery, quickly building a fact-based view of status, priorities, critical path, supplier commitments, and recovery needs.

Success requires strong supplier and stakeholder leadership, commercial and contractual awareness, and a delivery-focused approach that drives issues and decisions to closure.

Key Responsibilities

Program Definition and Execution

• Define and maintain the Ground System Modem program execution framework, including the delivery roadmap, scope, integrated schedule, milestone baseline, release strategy, governance cadence, supplier commitments, integration approach, and acceptance strategy aligned with system architecture and contractual commitments.
• Turn system, customer, contractual and operational commitments into executable work packages, supplier deliverables and measurable acceptance outcomes.
• Lead execution end to end, from supplier development through integration, verification, acceptance, deployment, and operational readiness, while actively managing dependencies, risks, and recovery actions.
• Drive trade-offs across scope, performance, schedule, cost, quality, risk, and give decision-makers clear options and consequences.
• Keep the critical path, milestone confidence, integration readiness, major defects, and supplier commitments visible.
• Quickly assess in-flight programs and set recovery priorities. For new programs, set up the delivery model, requirements baseline, and acceptance framework.
• Own the full program outcome across hardware, software, integration, and operational readiness, not just the schedule.

Technical, Cross-Functional and Agile Delivery Leadership

• Use working knowledge of Telecom/SATCOM and modem technologies to challenge technical status, understand system impacts, and work credibly with engineers, architects, Product Owners, Integration/Test teams, and vendors.
• Work with System Architects and Product Owners so that architectural intent, requirements, interfaces, feature priorities, and release sequencing show up in vendor execution and stay aligned with program milestones and acceptance needs.
• Lead in Agile or hybrid hardware/software environments, linking backlogs, features, releases, dependencies, and definition of done to system-level milestones and program commitments. This role partners with the Scrum Master or Product Owner.
• Partner with Integration and Test so that delivered capabilities can be tested, defects are prioritized, and product maturity is ready for system verification and acceptance.
• Represent the program in cross-functional planning and decision forums. Report status, milestone confidence, dependencies, risks, trade-offs, and the decisions that are needed.
• Resolve issues that cross technical, organizational, contractual, customer, or supplier boundaries before gaps between teams turn into delivery or integration risks.

Vendor Leadership & Accountability

• Serve as the accountable program-delivery interface with the modem supplier and establish an effective, professional, and accountable vendor relationship.
• Drive vendors against agreed scope, technical requirements, schedule, quality, deliverables, dependencies, and acceptance commitments.
• Establish a supplier operating cadence with clear owners, actions, decision points, escalation paths, and evidence-based measures of delivery performance.
• Hold vendors accountable while maintaining the working relationships required to solve complex technical and delivery problems.

Procurement & Contractual Support

• Work closely with the internal Procurement team to connect program execution and technical delivery with contractual obligations, sourcing strategy, business objectives, and customer commitments.
• Lead development of program Statements of Work (SoWs), coordinating technical and commercial inputs to ensure scope, deliverables, milestones, dependencies, responsibilities, and delivery expectations are clearly defined.
• Ensure technical requirements and delivery decisions are understood in terms of their potential scope, schedule, cost, and contractual impact.

Program Governance & Executive Reporting

• Develop and maintain an evidence-based view of program health covering schedule and critical path, milestone forecast, supplier and feature delivery, integration/test maturity, commercial concerns, key risks and dependencies, required decisions, and recovery actions.
• Support the Senior Director in monthly program reviews, including preparation of executive-level status, key messages, decision requests, risks, and recommended actions.
• Own or contribute to program dashboards, integrated forecasts, milestone reviews, management review inputs, and PMO reporting, using tools such as Microsoft Project, Oracle Primavera, Jira, and Confluence as appropriate to the program environment.
• Ensure significant technical and delivery decisions are appropriately captured and communicated.

Required Experience & Qualifications

• A Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Telecom, Computer or Systems Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field.
• 10+ years running programs or leading technical delivery in telecom, SATCOM, networking, or similar.
• A track record delivering complex hardware/software systems with major suppliers. You've negotiated, escalated, and gotten a delayed program back on track.
• Experience starting programs from scratch and taking over ones already underway.
• A solid grasp of how systems get built, integrated, tested, accepted, and handed to operations.
• Comfort with integrated schedules, critical paths, risk, change control, and forecasting.
• Commercial awareness: you've written SOWs and worked through contract changes and supplier negotiations.
• Hands-on experience with Agile and hybrid delivery on large system programs.
• Clear communication, whether you're in a technical deep-dive or briefing executives.
• You're self-directed, handle ambiguity well, and can lead and influence people who don't report to you. This role has no direct reports.

Preferred Experience

• A Master's in Engineering or Engineering Management, or an MBA.
• PMP, PgMP, or SAFe certification.
• Hands-on experience with SATCOM ground systems, modems, gateways, or RF/networking equipment, ideally at an operator or service provider.
• Experience with qualification, certification, or launching a new service.
• Familiarity with Jira, Confluence, MS Project, SmartSheets or Primavera.
• Exposure to Government or Defense programs.