Software Program Manager Jobs in Illinois (NOW HIRING)

Description

Leidos has an immediate need for a Program Manager in our Intel Security Sector’s National Solutions Business Area. Our talented team is at the forefront of Security Engineering, Computer Network Operations, Mission Software, Analytical Methods and Modeling, Signals Intelligence, and Cryptographic Key Management. At Leidos, we offer competitive benefits, including Paid Time Off, 11 paid holidays, a 401(k) with a 6% company match and immediate vesting, flexible schedules, discounted stock purchase plans, technical upskilling, education and training support, paid parental leave, and much more. Join us and make a difference in national security. 

In this role, the Program Manager will support the Aero Text Program in the St. Louis, Missouri area. This is an exciting opportunity to use your program leadership, aeronautical mission expertise, technical modernization experience, and customer engagement skills to support a mission-critical safety-of-navigation program. 

The Aero Text Program provides aeronautical product finishing, development, operations and sustainment, and mission support using customer-provided data for Flight Information Publications Texts, FLIP DVDs, Aeronautical Translations, Aeronautical Source Processing Services, Aeronautical Content Exploitation Services, Source Acquisition, data packaging for aerospatial/aeronautical web delivery, Electronic Instrument Procedure Library production management and tasking, digital terminal coding, and aeronautical source analysis. The program supports safety-of-navigation products and services where accuracy, schedule adherence, continuity of operations, and system availability are mission essential. Program systems are required to maintain 99.9% uptime. 

The successful candidate will be a “triple threat” program leader with demonstrated strength in program execution, aeronautical mission and technical understanding, and business growth. This individual will be expected to run the program with strong cost, schedule, staffing, risk, quality, and customer discipline; guide technical and operational improvements, including automation and efficiency initiatives; and identify opportunities to strengthen customer value and position Leidos for future growth. 

Primary Responsibilities. 

• Lead execution of a mission-critical, safety-of-navigation aeronautical production program, ensuring performance across cost, schedule, staffing, quality, risk, customer satisfaction, and contract objectives. 

• Execute the program in accordance with Leidos program execution policy, contract requirements, customer expectations, and applicable operational standards. 

• Maintain delivery discipline in a high-availability production environment requiring 99.9% uptime, ensuring continuity of operations and schedule performance for critical aeronautical products and services. 

• Serve as the primary customer-facing program leader, partnering with customer stakeholders to align program execution with mission priorities, operational requirements, and evolving aeronautical needs. 

• Direct multidisciplinary teams supporting aeronautical product finishing, production, software development, sustainment, modernization, source processing, content exploitation, digital coding, tasking, and related mission delivery workflows. 

• Recruit, develop, mentor, and retain a high-performing workforce while overseeing staffing levels, skills mix, succession planning, surge capacity, and resource allocation for a Firm Fixed Price program environment. 

• Drive operational excellence through process optimization, automation, workflow improvement, data quality initiatives, cycle-time reduction, production efficiency, and continuous improvement. 

• Lead development, testing, deployment, sustainment, and modernization activities while translating customer requirements into executable program strategies, technical solutions, staffing plans, and delivery priorities. 

• Support business growth by identifying expansion opportunities, contributing to capture and recompete efforts, positioning Leidos for follow-on or adjacent mission work, and fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, employee engagement, and customer trust. 

Basic Qualifications.  

• Bachelor’s degree and a minimum of 5 years of direct related experience. Additionally, 2+ years of experience supervising or leading teams/projects. 

• Current and active TS/SCI clearance. 

• Program management experience leading complex federal, Intelligence Community, Department of Defense, aviation, geospatial, aeronautical, production, or mission-critical operational programs. 

• Demonstrated experience managing program execution across cost, schedule, staffing, quality, risk, customer satisfaction, and contract performance in a customer-facing environment. 

• Experience leading delivery with senior government stakeholders in a mission-critical environment. 

• Demonstrated understanding of aeronautical, aviation, geospatial, safety-of-navigation, or comparable mission operations. 

• Experience leading technical, operational, production, or multidisciplinary teams in a high-reliability environment. 

• Experience supporting development, sustainment, modernization, process improvement, automation, workflow optimization, or technical transformation initiatives. 

• Demonstrated ability to maintain delivery performance in a fixed-price, schedule-driven, or high-accountability contract environment. 

• Ability to work in or regularly support the St. Louis, Missouri area, including Leidos and customer locations, as required. 

 Preferred Qualifications. 

• Direct experience supporting the customer’s Aeronautical mission, including prior support of the Aero Text Program. 

• Experience with aeronautical products and services such as FLIP Texts, FLIP DVDs, Aeronautical Translations, Aeronautical Source Processing Services, Aeronautical Content Exploitation Services, Source Acquisition, aerospatial/aeronautical web data packaging, Electronic Instrument Procedure Library production management and tasking, digital terminal coding, or aeronautical source analysis. 

• Extensive aviation or aeronautical experience as a pilot, navigator, flight engineer, TERPS specialist, air traffic controller, aeronautical digital coding specialist, source analyst, or in a related operational role. 

• Experience leading Firm Fixed Price programs and delivering successful outcomes in mission-critical production or operational environments. 

• Demonstrated success implementing automation, process improvements, workflow optimization, and data quality initiatives that increased operational efficiency, reduced manual effort, improved throughput, or enhanced production quality. 

• Experience leading software, systems, data, production, or mission workflow modernization efforts from design through development, testing, deployment, and sustainment. 

• Experience identifying organic growth opportunities, shaping customer requirements, supporting capture or recompete activities, and positioning a program for follow-on or expanded scope. 

• Strong customer intimacy or established relationships within the customer, Intelligence Community, DoD, aviation, geospatial, or safety-of-navigation communities. 

• PMP, DAWIA, Agile, Lean Six Sigma, or equivalent program execution, process improvement, or technical delivery certification. 

• Located in St. Louis, Missouri, or within easy commuting distance to the Leidos Grand Blvd. office and the customer’s campus. 

At Leidos, the opportunities are boundless. We challenge our staff with interesting assignments that allow them to thrive professionally and personally. For us, helping you grow your career is good business. We look forward to learning more about you – apply today. 

If you're looking for comfort, keep scrolling. At Leidos, we outthink, outbuild, and outpace the status quo — because the mission demands it. We're not hiring followers. We're recruiting the ones who disrupt, provoke, and refuse to fail. Step 10 is ancient history. We're already at step 30 — and moving faster than anyone else dares.

The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.

About Leidos

Leidos is an industry and technology leader serving government and commercial customers with smarter, more efficient digital and mission innovations. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, with 47,000 global employees, Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $16.7 billion for the fiscal year ended January 3, 2025. For more information, visit www.Leidos.com.

Pay and Benefits

Pay and benefits are fundamental to any career decision. That's why we craft compensation packages that reflect the importance of the work we do for our customers. Employment benefits include competitive compensation, Health and Wellness programs, Income Protection, Paid Leave and Retirement. More details are available at www.leidos.com/careers/pay-benefits.

Securing Your Data

Beware of fake employment opportunities using Leidos’ name. Leidos will never ask you to provide payment-related information during any part of the employment application process (i.e., ask you for money), nor will Leidos ever advance money as part of the hiring process (i.e., send you a check or money order before doing any work). Further, Leidos will only communicate with you through emails that are generated by the Leidos.com automated system – never from free commercial services (e.g., Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail) or via WhatsApp, Telegram, etc. If you received an email purporting to be from Leidos that asks for payment-related information or any other personal information (e.g., about you or your previous employer), and you are concerned about its legitimacy, please make us aware immediately by emailing us at LeidosCareersFraud@leidos.com.

If you believe you are the victim of a scam, contact your local law enforcement and report the incident to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.

Commitment to Non-Discrimination

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, race, ethnicity, age, national origin, citizenship, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, pregnancy, family structure, marital status, ancestry, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran or military status, or any other basis prohibited by law. Leidos will also consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with relevant laws.