Program Manager

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Technical Mukilteo, WA, US

3 days ago Requisition

$ To $ Annually

Karman Space & Defense is a leader in the rapid design, development, and production of critical, next-generation system solutions that align with the U.S. Department of War and its allies’ core mission priorities, and meet the accelerating demand for access to space. Building on nearly 50 years of success, we deliver Payload & Protection Systems, Aero/Hydrodynamic Interstage Systems, and Propulsion & Launch Systems to more than 80 prime contractors supporting over 130 space and defense programs.

This role is part of our Hypersonics and Strategic Missile Defense business, which designs, develops, and delivers highly dependable missile systems for hypersonic and strategic missile defense missions. We provide integrated, mission-ready hardware that brings together multiple technologies into unified systems engineered to perform in demanding operational environments. Our tip-to-tail capabilities include payload protection and deployment systems, propulsion systems, aerodynamic interstage systems, separation systems, missile subsystems, shroud systems, launch systems, and payload integration solutions.

In this role, you will lead defense programs from initial planning through qualification, production, and delivery, ensuring performance across cost, schedule, technical, quality, and contractual objectives. You will coordinate cross-functional execution, guide program decisions, manage risks and opportunities, and serve as a primary interface with customers and internal stakeholders to deliver mission‑critical missile, propulsion, launch, payload and defense‑system hardware that meets program objectives.

• Leads assigned programs through planning, development, qualification, production, delivery, and contract completion.
• Owns performance against cost, schedule, technical, quality, contractual, and customer objectives.
• Develops and maintains integrated program plans, schedules, budgets, milestones, resource requirements, and performance metrics.
• Coordinates cross‑functional execution across engineering, operations, quality, supply chain, contracts, finance, and test organizations.
• Serves as a primary interface for customers, prime contractors, government stakeholders, suppliers, and internal leadership.
• Identifies technical, programmatic, supply‑chain, cost, and schedule risks and drives mitigation and recovery plans.
• Leads composite material development, fabrication, and integration activities to ensure alignment with program technical, cost, and schedule objectives.
• Coordinates cross‑functional execution for composite tooling, layup, curing, inspection, and qualification processes to meet stringent defense and flight‑hardware requirements.
• Leads recurring program reviews and communicates financial performance, risks, decisions, dependencies, and corrective actions.
• Supports design reviews, test‑readiness reviews, qualification activities, production‑readiness reviews, and customer acceptance events.
• Manages contractual deliverables, statements of work, program changes, customer requests, and scope changes.
• Supports proposals, estimates, contract negotiations, follow‑on opportunities, and program‑growth activities.
• Role requires frequent travel up to 50% to our California and Utah facilities.

• Bachelor of Science in Engineering, Business Program Management, or related field, or an equivalent combination of education and directly relevant experience.
• 5+ years of experience supporting or managing aerospace, defense, advanced…