Senior Program Manager at Rocket Lab USA

SPACE SYSTEMS

Rocket Lab’s Space Systems team is responsible for every satellite and satellite component made by Rocket Lab: from complete satellites destined for missions to the Moon and Mars, to the individual components and subsystems that make up a satellite like solar panels, flight software, reaction wheels and star trackers, separation systems, radios, and more. Our Space Systems team is made up of engineers, technicians, and designers who design, create, and put together our own satellites for missions across the commercial, government, and defense sectors, or who build and assemble satellite hardware and software that supports other satellite missions.

SENIOR PROGRAM MANAGER

Based out of Rocket Lab's new site in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the Senior Program Manager is responsible for execution of the program lifecycle, including definition, planning, execution, and closeout for programs assigned. Established in 1998, Rocket Lab’s Albuquerque (ABQ) facility is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of highest efficiency solar cells and solar panels, as well as composite structural products for space power applications. The PM shall be responsible for managing program scope, schedule, and budget (revenue forecasting, margin, profit & loss) in accordance with customer and corporate objectives while operating within policies, processes, and procedures. The PM is accountable to ensure overall compliance with the requirements of the program contract and will partner with management, engineering, manufacturing, test and quality assurance to achieve compliance.

WHAT YOU’LL GET TO DO:

• Serve as the principal point of contact for customers.
• Responsible for entire program lifecycle, including definition, planning, execution, and closeout.
• Ensure projects are successfully delivered on time, within budget, and to specifications.
• Anticipate customer needs and successfully manage changes in project scope, schedule, budget, and personnel ensuring customer satisfaction.
• Responsible for and has authority for the overall compliance with the requirements of SolAero Technologies programs, including management, engineering, manufacturing, test, and quality assurance activities.
• Provide visibility to customers on all aspects of performance.
• Define program tasks and schedules together with manufacturing and provide budgets for accomplishing each task.
• Interface with the management of the functional organizations to assure adequate resources are allocated to meet program cost, technical, and schedule requirements as planned.
• Responsible for program profit & loss, and interface with the finance team in order to compile monthly reports.
• Preempt potential problems and provide effective solutions in reaction to application of concepts, techniques, knowledge, or processes.
• Make recommendations on leadership solutions to ensure project objectives are set and roles of team members are clear.
• Proactively manage and communicate project risks and issues.
• Recommend solutions to bottlenecks and conflicts between multiple teams/functions.
• Monitor and review team delivery for internal, external, local, and remote resources; and hold team members accountable to commitments.
• Communicate project progress frequently and effectively to staff and executive levels and work effectively within organization to evaluate project results.

YOU’LL BRING THESE QUALIFICATIONS 

• Bachelor’s degree
• 8+ years of Program Management experience using a project management methodology in a relevant production, development, or R&D environment.
• Experience implementing cross-functional projects in a technical environment.

THESE QUALIFICATIONS WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE:

• Experience with Space-based solar projects and technologies
• Experience with DoD and/or NASA programs, and commercial space programs. 
• Experience with a variety of contract types – firm fixed price, cost-plus, etc.
• Demonstrated achievements in planning, directing, and implementing complex projects on time, within budget and with desired functionality.
• Ability to be broadly focused, while paying attention to detail and concurrently managing multiple efforts
• Ability to work effectively with all levels of the organization, including staff, business stakeholders, and all levels of management.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including those necessary for an executive audience.
• Strong conflict resolution, negotiation, and influential skills
• Ability to work in fast-paced, changing, and ambiguous environments.
• Proven experience with a project management methodology
• Highly organized and detail oriented

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to focus.   
• Regularly required to sit, use hands and fingers, operate computer keyboard and controls, and communicate verbally and in writing.  
• Must be physically able to commute to buildings 
• Occasional exposure to dust, fumes and moderate levels of noise.