Program Manager SOCOM

WORK LOCATION:

San Luis Obispo, CA or Huntsville, AL or Remote

FLSA STATUS:
Exempt

SALARY RANGE:
The anticipated salary range for this role is $135,000 to $180,000 annually for San Luis Obispo, CA; $120,000 to 175,000 for Huntsville, AL; $118,300 to $169,900 for Remote. This range reflects a good faith estimate based on the targeted level for the role and typical compensation benchmarks across U.S. locations. Actual compensation may vary depending on the selected candidate’s qualifications, experience, geographical location, and internal alignment.

The Program Manager for SOCOM programs is responsible for leading cross functional teams, managing customer relationships, and ensuring successful execution of complex UAV and mission system efforts. This role oversees all phases of program activity—including development, production, integration, testing, fielding, and sustainment—ensuring alignment with SOCOM headquarters and component command objectives. The Program Manager combines leadership, communication, and relationship building capabilities with strong technical project management expertise to drive performance across schedule, cost, and scope.

The following job functions are a basic requirement but are not limited to and may be assigned other duties.

• Lead program planning, execution, and performance for assigned SOCOM portfolios, ensuring alignment with SOCOM priorities and operational needs.
• Manage cross‑functional engineering, manufacturing, logistics, and support teams through proposal development, system design, integration, production, and delivery.
• Serve as the primary point of contact with SOCOM program offices and operators, maintaining strong relationships and ensuring consistent communication.
• Oversee field issue resolution, coordinating engineering and global support resources for troubleshooting, repairs, airworthiness actions, and urgent operational requests.
• Direct root‑cause analyses, corrective actions, and reliability improvements across deployed systems.
• Monitor schedule performance, milestones, and deliverables using formal project management tools, ensuring adherence to master plans and contractual requirements.
• Maintain and manage formal risk registers, mitigation plans, and issue tracking, coordinating across internal and external stakeholders.
• Participate in configuration management processes, including CCB and ECO activities, ensuring alignment between engineering, manufacturing, and product support.
• Manage program financials—including budgets, forecasts, EACs, and P&L accountability—and hold teams responsible for financial performance.
• Support proposal activities such as RFP interpretation, BOE development, and coordination with pricing, engineering, and supply chain teams.
• Coordinate and support training events, demonstrations, test activities, and operational integration with SOCOM units and field teams.
• Collaborate with security and administrative teams to maintain compliance across classified and controlled environments
• Travel as required to customer sites, test ranges, production facilities, and operational locations as needed.
• Perform additional responsibilities as assigned to support mission success.
• Assumes all other responsibilities as assigned

• 7+ years of Program or Project Management experience, or equivalent leadership roles such as IPT Lead, New Product Team Lead, or Systems Engineering Lead.
• 5+ years of experience working with USSOCOM or Component Commands/Units.
• Bachelor’s degree or higher in business, engineering, or technical discipline.
• Background in Defense, Government contracting, and Aerospace, with preference for experience in the UAV market.
• Experience with design‑for‑manufacturing principles and…