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Engineering Program Manager – Aerospace & Defense Systems Integration (GBAC2 / C6ISR)

Position Title: Engineering Program Manager (EPM)
Division: Defense & Aerospace Services (DAS)
Location: Reston, VA, with OCONUS Support Requirements
Clearance Requirement: Active Secret Clearance required;
Reports To: Director, Defense & Aerospace Services / Program Leadership

Position Overview

Horizon Global Partners (HgP) is seeking a highly experienced and mission-driven Engineering Program Manager (EPM) to support the execution of advanced C6ISR, Command and Control (C2), Tactical Communications, and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) modernization programs, including the Morocco Ground-Based Air Command and Control (GBAC2) System Modernization effort.

This role will work directly alongside senior technical leadership, including Matt Villa, to support:

• systems engineering oversight,
• technical program execution,
• architecture coordination,
• schedule integration,
• cross-functional engineering alignment,
• and operational governance across the Aerospace & Defense Services (DAS) business unit.

The Engineering Program Manager will serve as a critical bridge between engineering, operations, program management, and customer stakeholders, ensuring that complex defense modernization efforts are executed with technical rigor, schedule discipline, and operational excellence.

This position is also strategically intended to strengthen HgP’s long-term systems engineering maturity, standardize engineering processes across the department, and provide continuity of leadership and execution across future FMS and defense modernization programs.

Key Responsibilities

Systems Engineering & Technical Program Oversight

• Support the architecture, design, integration, and modernization of advanced C6ISR and Command-and-Control systems.
• Coordinate engineering activities across:
  • tactical communications,
  • secure networking,
  • sensor integration,
  • tactical data links,
  • secure compute environments,
  • and operational mission systems.
• Assist with system requirements decomposition, interface management, and technical integration planning.
• Support technical reviews including:
  • SRR,
  • PDR,
  • CDR,
  • TRR,
  • SAT,
  • and operational acceptance events.

Program Coordination & Execution Management

• Coordinate daily engineering execution activities across multiple internal and external stakeholders.
• Support integrated master schedule (IMS) management and technical milestone tracking.
• Assist in risk identification, mitigation planning, dependency management, and execution forecasting.
• Ensure engineering deliverables align with program schedules, customer requirements, and operational priorities.
• Facilitate technical synchronization between:
  • engineering teams,
  • subcontractors,
  • OEMs,
  • program leadership,
  • and government stakeholders.

Process Standardization & Operational Excellence

• Lead initiatives to standardize systems engineering processes, workflows, templates, and technical governance across the DAS organization.
• Improve:
  • technical communication,
  • engineering coordination,
  • documentation quality,
  • configuration management,
  • and operational consistency.
• Develop repeatable engineering frameworks to support future:
  • FMS programs,
  • NATO interoperability initiatives,
  • and defense modernization efforts.
• Support the maturation of HgP’s internal Systems Integration Laboratory (SIL) engineering environment.

Leadership & Continuity Support

• Provide additional technical leadership depth and continuity across the program lifecycle.
• Support quality assurance and engineering oversight activities to ensure consistent execution standards.
• Assist with mentoring junior engineers and strengthening cross-functional engineering collaboration.
• Serve as a secondary engineering leadership resource to ensure operational continuity across key mission programs.

Customer & Stakeholder Engagement

• Participate in technical interchange meetings (TIMs), engineering working groups, and customer coordination meetings.
• Support engagement with:
  • U.S. Government stakeholders,
  • allied partner nations,
  • FMS program offices,
  • and defense industry partners.
• Contribute to technical presentations, engineering reports, and program status briefings.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in:
  • Systems Engineering,
  • Electrical Engineering,
  • Computer Engineering,
  • Aerospace Engineering,
  • or related technical discipline.
• Minimum of 10+ years of experience supporting:
  • defense systems engineering,
  • C4ISR/C5ISR/C6ISR programs,
  • tactical communications,
  • or Command-and-Control modernization efforts.
• Demonstrated experience supporting:
  • Foreign Military Sales (FMS),
  • NATO interoperability,
  • or allied defense modernization programs.
• Strong understanding of:
  • systems engineering lifecycle processes,
  • requirements management,
  • integration and test,
  • and mission systems architecture.
• Experience supporting:
  • distributed mission systems,
  • tactical communications,
  • air defense systems,
  • or operational C2 environments.
• Strong program coordination and technical leadership skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Active Top Secret clearance or TS/SCI eligibility preferred.
• INCOSE Systems Engineering certification (ASEP/CSEP/ESEP) preferred.
• Experience supporting:
  • GBAC2,
  • AOC modernization,
  • Link-16,
  • JREAP,
  • SIAP,
  • or integrated air defense systems.
• Familiarity with:
  • DoDAF,
  • SysML,
  • MBSE,
  • SAFe Agile,
  • or Digital Engineering environments.
• Experience working with:
  • MITRE,
  • DoD Program Offices,
  • DISA,
  • USAF,
  • US Navy,
  • NATO,
  • or coalition mission systems.
• PMP certification preferred.

Desired Attributes

• Strong systems thinker with the ability to bridge technical engineering and operational mission requirements.
• Excellent communication and organizational leadership capabilities.
• Ability to thrive in fast-paced, high-security, mission-critical environments.
• Proven ability to coordinate complex technical teams across multiple organizations and stakeholders.
• Mission-oriented mindset with a commitment to operational excellence and innovation.

Strategic Importance of the Role

This position is a foundational investment in the long-term growth and maturity of HgP’s Defense & Aerospace Services organization. The Engineering Program Manager will help institutionalize scalable engineering processes, strengthen technical governance, and position HgP to continue expanding its role as a trusted systems integration partner supporting U.S., NATO, and allied defense modernization programs globally.