Program Manager Defense Jobs in Fairfax, VA (NOW HIRING)

Senior Program Manager – Defense & Aerospace Programs Full-Time | On-Site | McLean, VA Salary: $120,000 – $150,000, depending on experience

U.S. Citizenship required. This is a full-time, on-site position.

CakeBoxx Technologies engineers solutions that standard solutions cannot solve. We are best known for our patented two-piece container, but over 15 years we have developed and patented a range of deployable, secure, and practical solutions purpose-built to the most complex customer requirements across defense, aerospace, energy, and high-tech industries. By taking complex requirements and turning them into Systems Within SystemsTM solutions engineered around the mission, we have established a trusted reputation with some of the most demanding programs in the world.

We hold a DHS SAFETY Act designation, operate under BAA compliance requirements, and count Lockheed Martin, Boeing, General Dynamics Mission Systems, Anduril, ASML, and Archer Aviation among our customers.

We are growing and we are looking for a seasoned Senior Program Manager with proven experience taking complex customer requirements through production to delivery. You work closely with Engineering to ensure the build fully meets customer requirements and expectations. You own the production schedule, proactively identify and mitigate risks, and know how to problem solve to protect the customer's Required Delivery Date.

Key Responsibilities

• End-to-end program execution — from customer requirements through production, quality, and on-time delivery, with full accountability for schedule, budget, and technical compliance
• Direct daily collaboration with Engineering to ensure every technical requirement is comprehensively captured, reflected in the build, and verifiable at delivery
• Procurement management — materials, components, and long-lead items identified early, sourced on time, and available when production requires them
• Production schedule ownership — you build it, you drive it, and you hold every internal and external stakeholder to it
• The customer's Required Delivery Date is your primary performance metric — you plan to it, monitor against it, and resolve anything threatening it before it becomes a problem
• Detailed, maintained Gantt schedules in Microsoft Project, Smartsheet, or equivalent — baseline control, critical path management, and schedule recovery when conditions change
• Vendor and supply chain management — delivery commitments, sourcing risks, and BOM availability tracked and resolved proactively
• Structured program reviews, technical checkpoints, action-item tracking, and customer status reporting that drive decisions, not just document them
• Budget management, risk registers, procurement milestones, and formal change control
• Fabrication, coatings, inspection, FAT, and delivery milestone oversight through customer acceptance
• Configuration management and documentation control across SharePoint, Windchill, and PMO systems
• SOW compliance and formal contract deliverable management
• Clear, accurate executive and customer reporting — no surprises

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Systems Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related technical discipline
• PMP certification required
• At least 10–12 years of hands-on program management experience driving complex programs from inception to completion in the defense and aerospace industry — this is a non-negotiable floor
• Direct experience working in the defense and aerospace industry is required
• Military background or direct experience working with U.S. military branches such as the U.S. Navy, Army, Air Force, or Marines is required
• Proven experience managing DoD contracts with full understanding of contract compliance, deliverable tracking, and program execution requirements
• Strong technical background with the ability to engage directly with engineers — reading drawings, interrogating BOMs, understanding fabrication sequences, structural requirements, coatings, and integration dependencies, and knowing what each means for your schedule
• A demonstrated record of managing complex, multi-vendor programs with full budget and schedule accountability
• Procurement discipline — you know how to get ahead of long-lead items and you do not wait to be told there is a problem
• Expert command of scheduling tools — Microsoft Project, Smartsheet, or equivalent — including critical path analysis, earned value, and baseline management
• Proven ability to lead and align cross-functional engineering and operations teams around a single delivery objective
• Demonstrated experience with risk management frameworks and formal risk mitigation planning — identifying, assessing, and resolving risks before they impact schedule, budget, or delivery
• Strong understanding of SOW development and contract scope management — ability to define, interpret, and hold the line on scope across the full program lifecycle
• Strong proposal writing skills — ability to develop clear, compelling, and compliant proposals in response to customer requirements and solicitations
• Communication that is direct, credible, and effective whether in an engineering review, a customer program review, or a conversation with senior leadership
• Ability to manage multiple programs simultaneously with consistent attention to each
• U.S. Citizenship required
• Must work full-time, on-site in McLean, VA

Preferred Qualifications

• Military background, particularly U.S. Navy or other defense branch experience, is a strong plus
• Working knowledge of Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) and Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) and their impact on program execution and contract compliance
• Earned value management and DCAA compliance experience on government or prime-side programs
• Familiarity with MIL-STD specifications and standards including MIL-STD-810 and MIL-STD-1472
• Experience with DLA contracts and defense supply chain compliance requirements
• Familiarity with AS9100 or ISO 9001 quality management systems and their application in a defense manufacturing environment
• Strong understanding of supply chain management — vendor qualification, sourcing strategy, BOM management, and supplier performance in a defense or aerospace environment
• CMMC awareness and understanding of supply chain cybersecurity compliance requirements
• Experience supporting BAA or Buy American Act compliance programs
• Familiarity with Windchill, SolidWorks, Creo, or similar PLM/CAD environments
• Experience with ITAR requirements and controlled unclassified information (CUI) handling
• Customer-facing program leadership experience as a prime or subcontractor — you have owned the relationship and the conversation directly with a government customer or defense prime

Why CakeBoxx

We are a small, fast-moving company doing work that genuinely matters. Our programs are visible, customer expectations are high, and there is no bureaucratic wall between you and the decisions that affect your programs. You will work directly with company leadership, own your outcomes completely, and be part of a team scaling quickly into high-priority defense and aerospace programs.

If you have 10+ years of taking complex requirements through production to on-time delivery and want a role where that experience is tested and valued every day — we want to hear from you.

Please see our website at www.cakeboxx.com.

This is an 'on-site' job located at our headquarters in McLean, Virginia. This is not a virtual position.

CakeBoxx Technologies is an engineering and solutions company that develops integrated operational systems, deployable infrastructure, and mission-focused solutions for defense, aerospace, energy, and industrial customers.
For more than 15 years, organizations including Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Viasat, Rolls-Royce, AST SpaceMobile, Archer Aviation, and LeoLabs have trusted CakeBoxx to solve complex challenges involving mission-critical assets and technologies. Through our Systems Within SystemsTM approach, we engineer solutions that support the transport, protection, storage, deployment, and operation of satellites, radar systems, communications equipment, aircraft structures, propulsion systems, autonomous platforms, battery systems, and other high-value technologies.

At CakeBoxx, we engineer around the mission, not just the cargo, developing innovative solutions where conventional approaches are not enough. We engineer the solutions around the mission.