Programs Operations Manager Jobs in Bowie, MD (NOW HIRING)

The Program Controls & Operations Manager is responsible for establishing and maintaining the financial, schedule, operational, procurement, and performance controls necessary to support successful program execution. This position provides program leadership with visibility into cost, schedule, commitments, resources, risks, and overall program performance and supports the development of integrated plans and controls across complex program activities.

Serving as a senior individual contributor, the Manager works across Program Management, Finance, Procurement, Contracts, Legal, vendors, and other internal stakeholders to coordinate program requirements, evaluate performance, identify risks, and support timely and informed business decisions.

The position combines program controls, operational planning, financial analysis, procurement coordination, and performance management to strengthen accountability, improve forecasting and execution, and support compliant delivery of program requirements.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Establish and maintain integrated program controls for cost, schedule, scope, resources, procurement, risk, and overall program performance.
• Develop and manage program budgets, forecasts, cost models, financial plans, and variance analyses, including monitoring commitments, obligations, expenditures, accruals, and available funding.
• Monitor actual and forecasted performance against approved budgets, schedules, contractual requirements, milestones, and program objectives; identify variances, risks, and emerging trends and recommend corrective actions.
• Develop and maintain program schedules, milestones, performance measures, dashboards, forecasts, status reports, and executive-level presentations to provide clear visibility into program performance.
• Support program and operational planning by evaluating resource requirements, sequencing activities, dependencies, constraints, procurement lead times, and potential impacts to cost and schedule.
• Coordinate procurement planning and execution in partnership with Procurement, Contracts, Program Management, and other stakeholders to ensure goods and services are appropriately planned, sourced, authorized, and delivered in support of program requirements.
• Support sourcing activities, vendor evaluations, purchase and subcontract requirements, procurement schedules, and contract coordination consistent with organizational policies and program requirements.
• Monitor supplier, contractor, and vendor performance against cost, schedule, quality, deliverables, milestones, and other performance requirements.
• Assess the financial, schedule, procurement, resource, and operational impacts of proposed program changes and support change-control and decision-making processes.
• Perform cost, schedule, operational, and performance analyses to identify trends, risks, opportunities, and potential impacts to program objectives.
• Develop business cases, cost estimates, planning scenarios, and other analyses necessary to support program decisions, funding requirements, and resource allocation.
• Coordinate across Program Management, Finance, Procurement, Contracts, Legal, technical teams, vendors, and other stakeholders to resolve issues and maintain alignment between program requirements and execution.
• Establish and improve standardized program-control processes, reporting structures, tools, templates, and performance measures to strengthen consistency, data quality, accountability, and management visibility.
• Ensure program-control, financial, procurement, and contract activities are performed in accordance with applicable policies, contractual requirements, regulatory requirements, and internal controls.
• Support audit readiness, program reviews, customer reporting, and other internal or external reviews as required.

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, Supply Chain Management, Project Management, Engineering, Construction Management, or a related field. Equivalent combinations of education and relevant experience may be considered.
• 8+ years of progressively responsible experience in program controls, project controls, program operations, financial management, procurement, contract management, project management, or a related discipline.
• Demonstrated experience supporting complex programs or portfolios involving multiple projects, stakeholders, vendors, contractual requirements, or funding sources.
• Experience developing and managing budgets, forecasts, cost estimates, schedules, performance measures, and variance analyses.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze financial, schedule, operational, and performance data and translate findings into actionable recommendations.
• Experience coordinating procurement, vendor, contractor, or subcontract activities in support of program or project requirements.
• Experience developing management reports, dashboards, forecasts, business cases, and executive-level presentations.
• Strong understanding of program and project controls, budgeting, forecasting, scheduling, risk management, procurement, and contract administration principles.
• Demonstrated ability to independently manage complex priorities, coordinate across functional organizations, and influence outcomes without direct supervisory authority.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Excel and experience with ERP, financial, procurement, scheduling, project-management, or business-intelligence systems.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex program and financial information to technical and non-technical stakeholders.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Experience supporting federal government, government contracting, infrastructure, engineering, construction, facilities, capital programs, or other complex project environments.
• Experience with integrated cost and schedule management, earned value management, lifecycle cost analysis, cost forecasting, or project controls.
• Experience with Primavera P6 or comparable scheduling and project-control systems.
• Experience supporting complex procurements, subcontractors, contractors, vendors, or third-party service providers.
• Experience developing or implementing standardized program-management or program-control processes, tools, reporting structures, or governance frameworks.
• Professional certification such as PMP, CPCM, CPSM, EVP, PSP, or related certification.

SECURITY CLEARANCE: Active Secret Required