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Senior Program Officer Jobs in Virginia (NOW HIRING)

Senior Program Manager

Springfield, VA · On-site

$150K - $180K/yr

The Program Manager will oversee contract execution across multiple task areas while ensuring ... O organizations. * Familiarity with FITARA, OMB, DHS, and Federal IT governance processes.

Senior Program Manager (Hybrid)

Suffolk, VA · On-site

$110K - $110K/yr

Serve as the primary point of contact for the Contracting Officer (KO) / Contracting Officer ... Direct activities of the program, to include meeting preparation and facilitation of assessment ...

Showing results 41-60

Senior Program Officer information

See Virginia salary details

$33.2K

$99.5K

$154.2K

How much do senior program officer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 1, 2026, the average yearly pay for senior program officer in Virginia is $99,504.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $70,900.00 and $130,900.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

How do Senior Program Officers typically collaborate with cross-functional teams to achieve program objectives?

Senior Program Officers often serve as a bridge between internal departments, external partners, and stakeholders, ensuring alignment on program goals and deliverables. They regularly coordinate with finance, communications, monitoring and evaluation, and subject-matter experts to design, implement, and assess programs. Effective communication, project management, and negotiation skills are essential as they facilitate meetings, address challenges, and adjust strategies to drive successful outcomes. This collaborative environment provides opportunities to develop leadership and expand professional networks.

What is the difference between Senior Program Officer vs Program Officer?

AspectSenior Program OfficerProgram Officer
CredentialsBachelor's degree; often master's; experience in program managementBachelor's degree; entry to mid-level experience
Work EnvironmentLeading projects, strategic planning, supervising staffAssisting in program implementation, supporting senior staff
Employer & Industry UsageNonprofits, government agencies, foundationsSimilar organizations, entry to mid-level roles
Search & Comparison IntentHigher responsibility, leadership rolesEntry to mid-level roles, support functions

The main difference between a Senior Program Officer and a Program Officer lies in responsibility and experience. Senior Program Officers typically lead projects, develop strategies, and supervise staff, requiring more experience and advanced skills. Program Officers focus on supporting program activities, assisting senior staff, and implementing plans. Both roles are common in nonprofits, government, and foundation sectors, but the senior position involves greater leadership and decision-making responsibilities.

What are Senior Program Officers?

Senior Program Officers are experienced professionals who oversee the planning, development, and implementation of programs within an organization, often in the nonprofit, government, or philanthropic sectors. They are responsible for managing program staff, budgets, and partnerships, as well as ensuring programs align with organizational goals and strategies. Senior Program Officers often evaluate program effectiveness, report on outcomes, and may help in securing funding or grants. Their role requires strong leadership, communication, and project management skills.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Senior Program Officer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Senior Program Officer, you need expertise in program management, strategic planning, and sector-specific knowledge, usually supported by a relevant degree and several years of experience. Familiarity with grant management systems, project management software, and monitoring and evaluation tools is typically required. Strong leadership, relationship-building, and communication skills help drive collaboration and effective stakeholder engagement. These competencies ensure successful program delivery, efficient resource use, and measurable impact in complex organizational environments.
What are the most commonly searched types of Program Officer jobs in Virginia? The most popular types of Program Officer jobs in Virginia are:
What cities in Virginia are hiring for Senior Program Officer jobs? Cities in Virginia with the most Senior Program Officer job openings:
Infographic showing various Senior Program Officer job openings in Virginia as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 93% Full Time, 6% Part Time, and 1% Contract. Highlights an 98% Physical, and 2% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $99,504 per year, or $47.8 per hour.

Senior Programme Coordinator / Deputy Programme Director

NATO

Norfolk, VA

Full-time

Posted 18 days ago


Job description

Post Context

ACT contributes to preserving the peace, security and territorial integrity of Alliance member states by leading, at Strategic Command level, Warfare Development required to enhance NATO's posture, military structures, forces, capabilities and doctrines.

The Capability Development Directorate (CAPDEV) comprises two Divisions-Requirements and Capabilities. The Directorate supports SACT in his Capabilities Requirement Authority (CRA) role. It is responsible for a holistic through lifecycle Capability Development approach that infuses innovation and transformative efforts that are an integral part of the Warfare Development. This includes responsibilities for elicitation, development, capture and collection, quality review, traceability and visibility of capability requirements.

The Requirements Division executes requirements management for NATO capabilities. It develops capability requirements, provides traceability and quality assurance of capability requirements, performs gap analysis and supports interoperability and implementation options across the DOTMLPFI spectrum.

Within the office of the Nuclear C3, the incumbent's main responsibility is to act at the executive level as Senior Programme Coordinator/Deputy Programme Director for the Nuclear Consultation, Command and Control modernization Programme.

Principal Duties

  • Advises the Programme Director in synchronizing and directing the work of NATO's Nuclear Consultation, Command, and Control (NC3) Modernization programme through skillful employment of the Capability Management Office workforce.
  • Provides advice to the Programme Director to ensure the Nuclear Modernization capability development activities are executed in accordance with the Common Funded Capability Delivery Governance Model (CFCDGM) throughout lifecycle.
  • Represents the Programme Director as required on appropriate NC3 related committees, task force, panels and working groups to ensure coordination with senior stakeholders across NATO and National Capitals.
  • Leads the strategic planning and subsequent studies to establish a future NC3 Management Organization in charge of the global oversight of the capability and its in-service implementation for the end-users.
  • Manages the presentation of updates and reports to senior-level stakeholder committees including the Nuclear Planning Group, High-Level Group, Military and Resource Committees.
  • Synchronizes the overall taskings within the Nuclear C3 sections to ensure day-to-day operations are properly executed in a timely manner.
    Supervises the development of management products for NC3 Programme in accordance with NATO's CFCDGM requirements.
  • Manages the planning and execution of the resource allocated to the Nuclear C3 (budget/workforce).
  • Supports the Programme Director in integrating existing Nuclear Capability Packages into NC3 Modernization efforts Portfolio and the addition of new investments for emerging requirements.
  • Provides a central focal point for the outreach and Strategic communication efforts of the Nuclear C3 by providing expertise and advice to all relevant NATO stakeholders.
  • Legal Authority - May act as Contracting Officer Technical Representative (COTR).
  • Budget Authority -  The Senior Programme Coordinator has to gather and provide information for budget planning, but has no authority over budgets or financial matters.
  • Decision Authority - The Programme Coordinator deputizes the NC3 Programme Director across the lifecycle planning and delivery of the programmed capability.

Essential Qualifications / Experience

  • University Degree  in managerment information systems, accounting, economics, finance, business administration, public administration, operations research, project management or related discipline  and 4 years post related experience, or Higher Secondary education and completed advanced vocational training  in that discipline leading to a professional qualification or professional accreditation with 5 years post related and 2 years function related experience.
  • 5 years' experience in a management role with proven leadership skills in a large organization.
  • 3 years' experience in Portfolio, Programme and Project management of complex system acquisition and/or development for a large military organization.
  • 3 years' experience of NATO's common funding capability delivery process or national equivalent, including requirements specification, development, implementation, integration, planning, financial, budget, and execution responsibilities.
  • Experience of successfully influencing and advising leadership at the senior Political and Flag/General Officers level.
  • Proven record of achievement in positions of similar scope and responsibility.

Language

  • English - SLP 3333 - (Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing)

Desirable Qualifications / Experience

  • Experience with Nuclear Consultation, Command and Control.
  • Knowledge of NATO responsibilities and organization, including ACT, ACO and NATO Agencies.
  • Expert-level certification in programme, project or risk management, such as: Projects in Controlled Environments (PRINCE2) Practitioner, Managing Successful Programmes (MSP) Practitioner and Management of Risk (MoR) Practitioner. Equivalent certifications will be acceptable.
  • An understanding of the organization of NATO's nuclear policy, associated nuclear capabilities, and the political consultation process

Attributes/Competencies

Personal Attributes:

The incumbent must work harmoniously in a multi-national environment while representing and projecting the needs of NATO's nuclear capability delivery in a firm but tactful manner. He must exercise sound thought, judgment, initiative, adaptability and flexibility, particularly when dealing with organizations and agencies in a multi-national and multi-cultural environment. The post holder must exercise strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, with a results-oriented approach that allows for the identification and resolution of complex issues. This post requires a very high level of work maturity and intellectual capacity to deal with the complexities of programme management within capability development. The requirement is for deep, extensive knowledge of NATO's capability development stakeholders and recent experience in the development of capabilities.

Managerial Responsibilities:

This post has first-line managerial (reporting) responsibilities for the NC3 Capability Management Office programme personnel. This post requires an ability to understand and develop budgets, resource proposals and inform programmes of work, which calls for delegated responsibility over external work teams. This requirement calls for leadership skills, particularly in the areas of programme management, and resource management. The scope of influence for the incumbent requires a significant amount of supervision, assessment and coordination.

Professional Contacts:

The post will be interacting with Advisory Bodies at NATO HQ and at times presenting the programme to the NATO MCWG, RPPB and IC. The incumbent will interface with Capitals as Territorial Host Nations on a daily basis. Contact with contractors, senior staff and participation in briefings and internal review boards is undertaken regularly. The incumbent must have a keen sense of political atmospherics and be able to support senior leadership in adapting to evolving situations.

Contribution To Objectives:

The mission of the Capability Management Office is to successfully deliver the modernization of NATO nuclear consultation, command and control and to orchestrate the delivery of NC3 as a service to all stakeholders. The work contributes directly to the highest level objectives of NATO and DDA, WDA and NDPP.

Security Clearance

The successful applicant will be required to apply for and receive a COSMIC TOP SECRET/A Security Clearance prior to final confirmation of contract and commencement of employment.

Contract

This position is linked to a specific NATO project and is for a limited duration of 3 (three) years only.

Serving NATO International Civilian staff will be offered a contract in accordance with the NATO Civilian Personnel Regulations.  Newly recruited staff will be offered a three year definite duration contract.

Notes for Candidates

The HQ SACT web site gives full details on the eligibility criteria and application processes to be adopted by all candidates.  However, candidates should particularly note:

Please answer each of the pre-screening questions completely in English. Expressions such as: "please see attached CV, please see annex, please see enclosed document, etc" are not acceptable; this is a cause of immediate rejection of the application.

Particular attention should be given to Education and Experience section of your application form, which should be populated with details of your career to date and educational achievements and certifications as they relate to your application.

The candidature of NATO redundant staff at grade G17 will be considered with priority.

NATO will not accept any phase of the recruitment and selection prepared, in whole or in part, by means of generative artificial-intelligence (AI) tools, including and without limitation to chatbots, such as Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer (Chat GPT), or other language generating tools. NATO reserves the right to screen applications to identify the use of such tools. All applications prepared, in whole or in part, by means of such generative or creative AI applications may be rejected without further consideration at NATO's sole discretion, and NATO reserves the right to take further steps in such cases as appropriate.

NATO is committed to diversity and inclusion, and strives to provide equal access to employment, advancement and retention, independent of gender, age, nationality, ethnic origin, religion or belief, cultural background, sexual orientation, and disability. NATO welcomes applications of nationals from all member Nations, and strongly encourages women to apply.

This vacancy will close on 3 August 2026 @ 17:59hrs (EDT)/11:59hrs (CEST).