Defense Program Manager

Job Title: Program Manager Job Description
This position supports our Defense Systems business, bringing together Hypersonics, Strategic Missile Defense, Tactical Missiles, and Integrated Defense Systems. As a Program Manager, you will lead defense programs through planning, development, qualification, production, and delivery. You will develop integrated program plans, manage performance against cost and schedule, coordinate cross-functional execution, and serve as a primary interface with customers and internal stakeholders. Your work ensures the successful delivery of mission-critical missile, propulsion, launch, payload, and defense-system hardware.
Responsibilities
- Lead assigned programs through planning, development, qualification, production, delivery, and contract completion.
- Own performance against cost, schedule, technical, quality, contractual, and customer objectives.
- Develop and maintain integrated program plans, schedules, budgets, milestones, resource requirements, and performance metrics.
- Coordinate cross-functional execution across engineering, operations, quality, supply chain, contracts, finance, and test.
- Serve as a primary program interface for customers, prime contractors, government stakeholders, suppliers, and internal leadership.
- Identify technical, programmatic, supply-chain, cost, and schedule risks and drive mitigation and recovery plans.
- Lead recurring program reviews and communicate financial performance, risks, decisions, dependencies, and corrective actions.
- Support design reviews, test-readiness reviews, qualification activities, production-readiness reviews, and customer acceptance events.
- Manage contractual deliverables, statements of work, program changes, customer requests, and scope changes.
- Support proposals, estimates, contract negotiations, follow-on opportunities, and program-growth activities.
Essential Skills
- Ability to manage a budget
- Ability to manage a schedule
- Ability to interface with a customer in a professional manner
- Program management, cost management, schedule management, program planning, resource planning
- Experience in aerospace manufacturing, defense industry, production support, operations coordination, manufacturing, stakeholder management, program leadership, and supply chain
- Budget management
Additional Skills & Qualifications
- Bachelors degree in engineering, business program management, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and directly relevant experience.
- At least 5 years of experience supporting or managing aerospace, defense, advanced manufacturing, or similarly complex technical programs.
- Masters degree in a related technical field or a Master of Business Administration (MBA) preferred.
- Experience managing Department of Defense, U.S. government, allied-defense, or prime-contractor programs.
- Experience with missile systems, propulsion, launch systems, payload integration, separation systems, energetic devices, or related flight hardware.
- Experience managing programs from development through qualification and production.
- Knowledge of government contracting and fixed-price, cost-reimbursable, or incentive-based contract structures.
- Experience with Earned Value Management (EVM), cost-account management, or similar financial-performance methods.
- Experience supporting proposals, estimates, negotiations, contract modifications, or follow-on program capture.
- Project Management Professional (PMP) certification or equivalent formal program-management training.
- Experience with program scheduling, enterprise resource planning (ERP), or product-lifecycle management (PLM) systems.
- Experience leading engineering teams to develop mechanical and pyrotechnic components and systems.
- Strong communication skills, customer management, presentation skills, program reporting, Excel and project management tools, leadership capabilities
Work Environment
This role is primarily onsite in Mukilteo, WA, involving cross-functional collaboration and regular customer interaction. The program team leadership position offers a smaller, more agile environment than large aerospace primes, with less bureaucracy. You will enjoy direct interaction with hiring managers and leadership, mission-critical defense work, and a defense-focused role that does not require deep satellite or spaceflight experience. The position offers a 9/80 schedule with every other Friday off, a waterfront office, and is part of a growing defense organization. Additional benefits include tuition reimbursement and immediate vesting 401(k).
Job Type & Location
This is a Permanent position based out of Mukilteo, WA.
Pay and Benefits
The pay range for this position is $140000.00 - $170000.00/yr. Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors. -Medical ((PPO, HMO, HDHP) , dental (HMO and PPO options), and vision coverage
-Health Savings Account (HSA)
-401(k) with immediate vesting of employer match (100% vested immediately)
-Profit sharing program
-Life and AD&D insurance
-Short- and long-term disability coverage
-Employee Assistance Program (24/7 confidential counseling and support resources)
-Tuition reimbursement and educational assistance

*Requesting formal benefits package but they can also review the details on their website (scroll to bottom of page): https://karman-sd.com/careers/
Job Type & Location
This is a Permanent position based out of Mukilteo, WA.
Application Deadline
This position is anticipated to close on Oct 28, 2026.
Workplace Type
This is a fully onsite position in Mukilteo,WA. About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without
regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability,
sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected
by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or
adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability,
please email [email protected] for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance:
Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the
city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants
with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector:
It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a
condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law
shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI):
We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process,
including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications
and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you
acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.