Staff Technical Program Manager, Advanced Effects - Active Clearance

Costa Mesa · Costa Mesa, CA (OC-00) · USD 191,000-253,000 · 5+ years experience · Full-time · Posted Sep 24, 2026

At a glance

The Staff Technical Program Manager will lead development programs within the Air Dominance and Strike Division, spanning from early R&D to contract capture and close.
This role involves partnering with the Chief Engineer to manage the development and integration of autonomous weapons, collaborative combat aircraft, and missiles.
The position requires managing cost, schedule, and customer relationships to ensure successful delivery of complex defense technology programs.

Own the development and deployment of Air Dominance & Strike technologies to meet Department of Defense operational needs.
Develop trusting relationships with DOD customers to enable rapid iteration and solution fielding.
Execute on broad or ambiguous requirements from internal engineering, customers, and third-party partners.
Monitor and manage program progress across cost, schedule, and resource allocation.
Develop and implement processes, tools, and metrics for program planning, scope, and risk management.
Act as a trusted partner and advisor to engineers.
Foster a high-performance team culture and identify recruitment or development opportunities.
Collaborate with finance and business development to create novel pricing strategies for proposals.
Collaborate with senior management to refine the strategic roadmap for R&D investments.

Active U.S. Top Secret security clearance.
Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business Administration, or a related field.
Minimum of 5 years experience managing the development of complex technical systems throughout the product lifecycle.
Proven track record of managing complex, multi-million-dollar projects to on-time, on-budget completion.
Strong strategic thinking, analytical, and problem-solving abilities.
Experience coordinating multiple internal and external teams within a complex engineering or technology-focused organization.
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.