ACQUISITION PROGRAM MANAGER JOB DESCRIPTION

Most program managers track schedules. An Acquisition Program Manager in federal defense contracting owns something harder: the authority to say whether a program's cost baseline is realistic before it becomes a Congressional line item. That judgment, grounded in EVM variance analysis, ACAT milestone compliance, and FAR-governed contract structures, is what separates a program that delivers from one that consumes supplemental funding requests for years. The role sits inside a program office or a supporting contractor team, advising government decision-makers and coordinating across prime contractors, depot partners, and interagency stakeholders. No two programs are identical, but every one of them depends on documentation that holds up under audit.

To see how the ACAT milestone and IPT coordination duties listed here map across the full lifecycle, the page showing how the work unfolds across the program lifecycle goes beyond the template framing.

As the Acquisition Program Manager, you own the cost, schedule, and technical performance baseline for assigned DoD or federal programs, translating acquisition strategy into executable plans that satisfy DAWIA-governed milestone requirements and government cost control guidelines. You work within a program management office structure, supporting or reporting to a Government Program Manager while coordinating with contracting officers, engineering leads, and senior agency officials to keep programs on track from requirements generation through fielding.

Career Impact: Consistent delivery against Earned Value Management thresholds and ACAT milestone gates builds a credential set that commands premium rates across defense contractors, FFRDCs, and DoD civilian career paths.

Business Impact: When cost baselines slip or acquisition documentation fails a milestone review, programs lose funding authority, this role's analysis and documentation prevent that outcome for programs that may support national security systems or critical federal infrastructure.

Growth Opportunity: Experience spanning pre-award strategy through post-award execution positions practitioners for Contracting Officer Representative designation, DAU Level III certification, or advancement into program director roles overseeing ACAT I portfolios.

• Develop and maintain acquisition program documentation, including acquisition strategies, program baselines, and Integrated Master Schedules, to support milestone reviews and contract award decisions.
• Apply Earned Value Management principles to evaluate program health, identify cost and schedule variances, and report findings to government stakeholders.
• Coordinate pre-award and post-award contract activities, including requirements analysis, statement of work development, RFP preparation, and proposal evaluation.
• Facilitate Integrated Product Team meetings across prime contractors, depot partners, and government functional leads to align on technical performance and schedule.
• Monitor program funding, direct preparation of expenditure projections, and submit timely requests to maintain realistic budget baselines within government cost control guidelines.
• Prepare executive-level briefings, decision papers, and risk management assessments for senior agency officials and major command leadership.
• Conduct critical path and risk analyses on integrated master schedules to identify schedule drivers and support recovery planning when variances exceed acceptable thresholds.
• Liaise with Air Staff, major commands, and interagency stakeholders to resolve programmatic issues and ensure consistency with DoD, FAR, and local policy requirements.

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business, Operations Research, or a related technical field, or equivalent work experience.
• 8 or more years of acquisition program management experience, with demonstrated support for DoD or federal programs at the ACAT II or ACAT III level.
• Active Secret security clearance, or eligibility and willingness to obtain one before assignment.
• Working knowledge of federal acquisition frameworks, including FAR, DFARS, and DoD 5000-series acquisition policy.
• Demonstrated ability to apply Earned Value Management methodology to evaluate cost and schedule performance on government contracts.
• Proficiency in program documentation standards, including acquisition strategies, program baselines, Integrated Master Schedules, and risk management plans.
• Strong written and oral communication skills sufficient to prepare briefings and acquisition documents for senior government officials.
• Ability to work independently and within cross-functional contractor or government teams under tight deadlines.

If FAR/DFARS and EVM methodology feel unfamiliar in combination, the skills this posting requires draws those requirements from a broader set of real postings to show how employers weight them.

• DAU/DAWIA Level II or Level III certification in Program Management, or an active PMP certification with federal acquisition experience.
• Experience supporting ACAT I programs or major system acquisitions with Congressional budget exposure, including POM and PPBE process familiarity.
• Graduate degree in Engineering, Systems Management, or a related discipline, paired with 10 or more years of progressive acquisition responsibility.
• Prior military service or direct experience embedded within a Government Program Office, providing familiarity with command structures and interagency coordination protocols.

• Schedule Performance Index (SPI) on assigned programs, measuring adherence to the Integrated Master Schedule.
• Cost Performance Index (CPI) variance against the program's approved cost baseline, tracked monthly.
• Milestone review pass rate, reflecting whether acquisition documentation satisfies ACAT decision authority requirements on first submission.
• Number of open risk items with approved mitigation plans, measuring completeness of risk register management.
• Turnaround time in days for pre-award and post-award acquisition document packages, from draft to government approval.
• Typical tools: EVM and scheduling platforms (commonly Deltek Cobra or Primavera P6); productivity and documentation suites (commonly MS Office, including Excel, PowerPoint, and SharePoint).

Deltek Cobra and Primavera P6 proficiency connects to broader career questions, and salary benchmarks, DAWIA certification paths, and outlook for this field draws those threads together with specifics.

• Base Salary Range: $110,000 to $155,000 annually, depending on clearance level and experience
• Bonus: Annual performance bonus of 5% to 12%, common at defense contractors
• Equity: Rare at most defense contractors; occasionally available at publicly traded prime contractors
• Health Benefits: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision; often includes FSA or HSA options
• PTO: 15 to 20 days annually, plus 10 federal holidays standard at government-adjacent employers
• Common Perks: Security clearance sponsorship, tuition assistance for DAU coursework, and telework eligibility where contract permits

Figures are estimates based on general US market benchmarks and may be outdated. Adjust based on location, company size, and seniority level.

Work authorization in the United States is required; candidates must be eligible to obtain and maintain the security clearance level specified for this position. Employment is contingent on successful completion of a background investigation, which may include criminal history, employment verification, and, where applicable, credit history review. All applicants are considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. Reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities are available upon request during the application and hiring process.

Match your ACAT work to a resume that moves you to the screening stage at Lamwork's resume builder.

The Acquisition Program Manager owns full-cycle acquisition program management across FMS and USAF systems procurement, applying Earned Value Management principles and coordinating with Air Staff, major commands, and DoD personnel to maintain schedule and program health. Working alongside the PM and Acquisition Team, this role delivers pre-award and post-award documentation, milestone tracking, and risk management plans that enable sound lifecycle acquisition and logistics decisions.

Key Responsibilities

• Applies acquisition program management knowledge to FMS and USAF systems procurement, post-award project management, and life-cycle acquisition and logistics management.
• Assists the PM and Acquisition Team in planning, organizing, and analyzing program management activities.
• Performs acquisition strategy planning, pre-award and post-award document preparation, milestone planning, tracking, scheduling, briefing preparation, staff coordination, and decision documentation preparation.
• Evaluates implications of existing or proposed projects, programs, processes, and policies, and recommends improvements to the Government POC.
• Reviews and updates self-assessment checklists using the Management Inspection Control Tool (MICT).
• Handles all official records in accordance with AFI 33-322, AFI 33-364, and AFMAN 33-363.
• Establishes and maintains databases and assists in the development and analysis of key program metrics.
• Assists in developing and integrating risk management plans and strategies, and supports program briefings.
• Develops, reports, and maintains schedules and metrics to track program status.
• Applies Earned Value Management (EVM) principles to evaluate and report program health and status.
• Interfaces and coordinates with lateral USG organizations, including headquarters, major commands, aircraft wings/squadrons, test agencies, and USAF Centers.
• Assists with the resolution of programmatic issues, including interfacing with Air Staff, Air Force Major Command, and Department of Defense personnel.
• Applies understanding of contracting policies and processes to analyze requirements and develop solutions for pre-award and post-award situations.
• Applies acquisition management initiatives, including NDI, COTS, Performance-Based Business Environment, EVMS, and Evolutionary and Agile Acquisition frameworks.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or a related field.
• 10+ years of relevant experience.
• Active Secret security clearance required.
• Knowledge of DoD acquisition processes, analytical methods, and automated management information systems.
• Knowledge of Air Force Records Information Management System (AFRIMS) and Electronic Records Management (ERM) system per AFI 33-364 and AFMAN 33-363.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, and Skype/Lync.

Embedded within a program management organization, the Acquisition Program Manager leads cost, schedule, and contract control across ACAT II and ACAT III DoD acquisition activities spanning development, testing, fielding, and sustainment phases. Working closely with Air Staff, AMC, government counterparts, and contractor personnel, this role shapes acquisition strategy, integrated master schedules, and budget baselines that keep complex programs within negotiated parameters and government cost control guidelines.

Core Functions

• Participates in and leads the control of cost, schedules, and contract fulfillment.
• Performs analysis and prepares reports to ensure contracts remain within negotiated parameters and government cost control guidelines.
• Participates in the preparation of budgets and schedules for all contract work, and performs or assists in financial analysis.
• Maintains accurate records of expenditures, directs preparation of expenditure projections, and submits timely requests for additional funding to the government.
• Incorporates contractual changes into control systems by tracking outstanding work against each contract to maintain realistic cost and schedule baselines.
• Develops plans, including budgets and schedules, to meet contractual and project requirements for major program portions.
• Establishes and defines program plan requirements.
• Advises higher-level management on all matters relating to assigned systems, and provides direction, assistance, and support for all operations and activities under the authority of the APM.
• Researches current DoD, DA, AMC, FAR, and local policy to determine appropriate procedures in relation to current projects, taskings, issues, and concerns.
• Coordinates a wide variety of projects and taskings across life-cycle phases, including planning, developing, testing, contracting, producing, logistics support, and disposal.
• Evaluates user community requirements documents early in the acquisition cycle to identify the most expeditious and cost-effective acquisition strategy.
• Conducts Integrated Product Team (IPT) meetings to obtain agreements on acceptability of current or envisioned products in relation to military characteristics and future producibility and supportability.
• Performs critical path and risk analyses on the integrated master schedule to determine schedule realism and schedule drivers.
• Prepares decision papers, documents, briefings, and acquisition program documentation, including acquisition strategy, acquisition program baseline, and integrated master schedule.

Qualifications & Experience

• BS degree in Engineering, Business, or Operations Research, with 12 years of experience.
• Experience supporting ACAT II or ACAT III DoD acquisition activities at the program level, including programmatic and/or systems engineering/integration support.
• Experience across development, testing, fielding/training, and sustainment phases of a system's life cycle.
• Active Secret security clearance required.
• Ability to conduct independent analyses and evaluate technical, logistics, and operational concepts, reports, and plans.
• Ability to facilitate working groups and work both independently and collaboratively.
• Strong written and oral communication skills, including proficiency in the Microsoft Office suite.
• Ability to work in a team environment and interface with numerous government and contractor personnel in a fast-paced setting.

Reporting to business and regional leadership, the Acquisition Program Manager leads cross-functional teams through new product development and ongoing lifecycle management of medical devices and therapies within an FDA-regulated environment. Partnering with stakeholders across engineering, regulatory, and regional functions, this role builds the internal and external partnerships that ensure project delivery meets quality, schedule, and client-satisfaction goals.

Primary Duties

• Leads or leverages cross-functional teams to evaluate, develop, and manage projects for new product development and ongoing lifecycle management of products, processes, and therapies.
• Provides people management skills to lead, coach, and support team members to ensure overall project success.
• Reviews the status of projects and budgets, manages schedules, and prepares status reports.
• Uses project schedules and work breakdown structures to manage critical path activities.
• Develops mechanisms for monitoring project issues and develops resolutions to meet productivity, quality, and client-satisfaction goals.
• Communicates with stakeholders to ensure end products or processes will solve identified business problems.
• Understands applicable product standards and procedures, and navigates the matrix to provide required regulatory deliverables.
• Maintains effective communication with business leadership, team members, and regional/functional leadership.
• Monitors progress toward pre-established objectives, assesses risk, and implements strategies to ensure successful delivery aligned with business and regional goals.
• Delivers results with uncompromising quality, integrity, and ethics.

Skills & Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• Minimum of 7 years of relevant experience, or an advanced degree with a minimum of 5 years of relevant experience.
• 7+ years of medical device development management experience in an FDA-regulated industry environment preferred.
• Proven ability to create and manage key internal and external partnerships.
• Strong technical expertise in healthcare technologies and business acumen within strategic planning.
• Demonstrated effective change leadership and change management skills.
• Technical skills adequate to understand risk and scale investments appropriately, including the capability to understand the design and manufacture of implantable electronics.

Sitting at the intersection of quality management and software acquisition, the Acquisition Program Manager oversees integration of computers in scientific computation and data acquisition while conducting audits of client and product development activities to uncover deficiencies and identify improvement opportunities. Operating across engineering, operations, and quality assurance teams, this role leads and mentors QA staff and contributes to tactical and strategic planning for future quality programs.

Duties

• Provides guidance in the preparation of technical appraisals of programming languages, systems, computational software, and related technology.
• Oversees integration of computers in the overall functions of scientific computation, data acquisition, transmission, and processing.
• Selects, develops, and evaluates personnel to ensure efficient operation of the function.
• Conducts internal studies and audits on client and product development, engineering, or operations team activities to evaluate process quality, uncover errors or deficiencies, and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Manages and/or participates in the overall audit process.
• Monitors applicable business unit work to ensure consistency and compliance with standard processes.
• Contributes to tactical and strategic planning for future quality programs.
• Stays current with process-related industry standards and communicates quality information throughout the organization.
• Supports the development and delivery of training in quality matters and leads and mentors quality assurance team members.

Technical Qualifications

• Thorough knowledge of process improvement and quality management methods, tools, and technology used to create and support defect-free application software or business operations processes.
• Considerable knowledge and qualification in standard processes and one or more best-practice quality approaches, including CMMI, ISO, Six Sigma, and total quality measurement.
• Thorough knowledge and experience conducting risk analyses, quality assessments, audits, and studies, and implementing process improvement programs.
• Considerable knowledge of application development methodologies and software development life cycles (SDLC).
• Considerable knowledge of software applications, business operations, and processes used within the division.
• Skill in understanding client needs, establishing credibility, and building client relationships.
• Considerable skill in analysis, decision-making, and problem-solving, including knowledge of basic statistics.

A key member of the operations and manufacturing leadership team, the Acquisition Program Manager leads pre-launch build activities and operations readiness across engineering, supply chain, quality, and production control functions for high-tech electromechanical products. Collaborating across cross-functional teams from prototype through series production, this role delivers build plans, risk mitigation strategies, and ramp management execution that enable successful product launches at scale.

Key Deliverables

• Participates in and leads various cross-functional Program and Manufacturing Readiness forums.
• Provides clear updates on status and recovery plans at both working and executive levels for battery builds.
• Plans, organizes, and orchestrates all pre-launch build activities.
• Facilitates ramp management with operations teams, identifies all needed activities, and coordinates execution and risk mitigation of those activities.
• Creates build plans based on organizational requirements, and maintains plans by chairing planning meetings, analyzing material risks, and navigating tradeoffs when demand conflicts arise.
• Leads the operations readiness workstream, ensuring target objectives are met and escalating or developing recovery plans as needed.
• Drives results across cross-functional teams in engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, quality, production, production control, and service.
• Authors project status, summary, and issue resolution tracking reports.

Experience & Qualifications

• BA/BS in Engineering, Business, or a similar field; Master's degree preferred.
• 7–10 years of experience in a production or engineering environment, with experience launching products from prototype into series production.
• Background in manufacturing or industrial engineering, or supply chain, especially with high-tech, software-enabled electromechanical products, is highly desired.
• A firm understanding of how complex production lines operate, including production control, material handling, supply chain, quality, and production teams.
• Understanding of the manufacturing validation process in relation to complex new products across various engineering teams and manufacturing centers.
• Strong interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, multicultural environment with cross-functional teams.

Optimizing and standardizing global Talent Acquisition processes end-to-end enables the Acquisition Program Manager to deliver the best candidate and hiring manager experience, from sourcing through selection. Based within a Talent Acquisition function and partnering with Regional Leaders, Digital Enablement, Procurement, and a Talent Analytics team, this role owns vendor relations, system implementation, and data-driven initiative prioritization that strengthen the organization's recruiting capabilities worldwide.

Leadership Responsibilities

• Optimizes, standardizes, and streamlines Talent Acquisition processes globally, end-to-end, to provide the best application and selection experience for candidates and hiring managers.
• Builds strong relationships with cross-functional partners, including Regional Talent Acquisition Leaders, Digital Enablement, Procurement, and Communications, to drive talent-related initiatives.
• Develops talent and recruiting insights and analytics for organizational and Talent Acquisition leaders in partnership with the Talent Analytics team.
• Owns projects and programs, defines goals, and creates deliverables for multiple Talent Acquisition initiatives.
• Represents Talent Acquisition in formal vendor selection processes and manages vendor relations on an ongoing basis to optimize investment in external partner solutions.
• Owns the implementation and ongoing operation of Talent Acquisition systems and technology, including scoping of needs, technology selection, implementation, operation, and ongoing optimization.
• Identifies new Talent Acquisition opportunities by leveraging data and prioritizes based on strategic goals, business needs, and business impact.

Position Requirements

• Bachelor's degree required; Master's degree preferred.
• Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience, or an advanced degree with a minimum of 3 years of relevant experience.
• Knowledge of Talent Acquisition processes and technology/systems.
• Understanding of Agile methodologies and/or Lean Six Sigma certification.
• Ability to manage multiple projects under critical time deadlines, with strong attention to detail and the ability to think strategically.
• Ability to work in a matrixed environment with conflicting priorities and to influence stakeholders effectively.
• Strong customer focus, continually seeking opportunities to increase customer satisfaction.
• Applied creativity, curiosity, and initiative skills.

As the Acquisition Program Manager, this role advises functional area experts on contractual matters and leads strategy development, documentation, and stakeholder relationship management across major system acquisition programs from mission analysis through deployment. The DoD and USCG program management community relies on this work to produce acquisition lifecycle documents, business development outcomes, and process improvements that advance Ship Design, Integration, and Sustainment objectives.

Scope of Work

• Advises and assists functional area experts on contractual matters in acquisition planning.
• Supports documentation development for acquisition planning and project management from mission analysis and requirements generation through design, development, production, and deployment.
• Actively manages the project, clients, and staff while building relationships with key stakeholders.
• Plans, prepares, tracks, and maintains acquisition lifecycle and project management documents.
• Participates in business development and growth of the business.

Background & Experience

• MA/MBA/MS degree required.
• 8–10 years of demonstrated experience supporting a major system acquisition program.
• Demonstrated experience leading strategy development initiatives, managing large teams, and driving business process improvement.
• Relevant experience in DoD or USCG program management, preferably with a focus on Ship Design and Integration, Ship Sustainment, or Engineering Management.
• Must hold one of the following: PMP, DAU, and/or FAI Certification in Program Management or Systems Engineering.
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy.

Acquisition Program Manager documents and communicates key program and engineering decisions while tracking schedules, team health, and deliverable progress against development roadmaps across assigned and adjacent teams. The work directly supports Technical Program Managers in budgeting, compliance, and risk mitigation, ensuring systemic and operational challenges are resolved, and external technologies are evaluated to reduce costs and maintenance burden.

Day-to-Day Responsibilities

• Consistently documents and communicates key program and engineering decisions to stakeholders.
• Schedules and coordinates required meetings and rituals in alignment with teams and individuals.
• Tracks schedules, team health, and deliverable progress against development roadmaps.
• Supports, flags, and helps mitigate risks, bottlenecks, and misalignments.
• Troubleshot systemic, process, and operational challenges.
• Develops strong working partnerships with assigned and adjacent teams.
• Supports other Technical Program Managers in budgeting and compliance tasks.
• Explores external technologies that potentially reduce operational burden, maintenance costs, or spending.

Required Qualifications

• Experience with a productivity suite, such as Microsoft Outlook, Excel, and PowerPoint, or Google Gmail, Sheets, and Slides.
• Familiarity with time- and deadline-driven project management, including task management and wiki applications.
• Outstanding analytical skills, including the ability to understand problems, simplify complexity, and seek solutions.
• Strong organizational skills with attention to detail and a drive to closure.
• Exemplary communication skills, including active listening, empathetic communication, and clear written and verbal expression.
• Interest in working on technical problems in a collaborative, team-oriented environment.

The Acquisition Program Manager delivers program management, acquisition, contract execution, and lifecycle support to major DHS and DoD programs focused on global and domestic radiation and nuclear detection architecture. Working within a broad stakeholder community spanning DHS operational components and interagency partners, this role builds executive-level briefings, tracks costs and schedules, and maintains budgets in accordance with DHS Acquisition Management Directive 102-01.

Accountabilities

• Provides program management, acquisition, contract execution, and life-cycle support to a major DHS or DoD program.
• Facilitates the planning, acquisition, contract execution, and deployment of systems to support the global and domestic radiation and nuclear detection architecture.
• Prepares executive-level program briefings.
• Monitors and tracks program costs, schedules, and technical status reports.
• Establishes, updates, and maintains budgets.
• Provides support for DHS program reviews and develops program acquisition documents in accordance with DHS Acquisition Management Directive 102-01.
• Coordinates and interfaces across a broad stakeholder community.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Physics, Engineering, or a related field.
• PMP certification is a plus.
• DHS Suitability clearance required.
• Experience interacting with DHS operational components and interagency partners is a plus.
• 20 years of experience supporting multi-disciplinary teams in complex government system development and acquisition environments.
• Comprehensive knowledge of government acquisition and systems engineering process frameworks, including experience contributing to the development of key systems engineering life cycle (SELC) artifacts.
• High proficiency with MS Office Suite required.
• Strong technical writing skills and superior written and oral communication skills required.
• Must be team-oriented with strong interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to work with diverse backgrounds.

Embedded within a Washington DC Joint Base Anacostia Bolling office, the Acquisition Program Manager develops acquisition plans, tracks and defends program funding, and manages technical, financial, schedule, and risk activities for mission planning software programs using agile SAFe processes. Working closely with agencies and directorates across the organization, this role advances the development and deployment of new and enhanced capabilities through coordination, senior-level briefings, and rigorous application of qualitative and quantitative analytical techniques.

Areas of Ownership

• Develops and drafts program documentation, including acquisition plans, CDDs, and CPDs.
• Projects, tracks, and defends program funding.
• Supports the PM in managing the schedule, technology testing, and integration.
• Prepares materials for briefing senior-level officials on program status.
• Manages project technical, financial, schedule, and risk management activities, including risk assessment and mitigation strategies.
• Works across agencies and directorates to coordinate the development and deployment of new, modified, or enhanced capabilities.
• Applies knowledge of qualitative and quantitative techniques for gathering, analyzing, and measuring the effectiveness, efficiency, and productivity of mission planning software acquisition programs.
• Applies knowledge of agile development utilizing modified SAFe processes.

Skills & Qualifications

• BS/BA in IT or Computer Engineering.
• Active TS/SCI clearance required.
• DAWIA Level certification in Program Management; EVM experience required.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience as an acquisition program manager.
• Experience supporting special access programs; military background, preferably Navy, preferred.
• Strong IT background, with experience in multi-level security architectures and joint fixed and tactical operational networks.
• Awareness and understanding of Navy surface and subsurface operations.
• Excellent oral, written, and electronic communication skills, including proficiency with MS PowerPoint, Office, and Excel.
• Ability to work independently and as a team member under tight deadlines and changing priorities.

Reporting to senior program management leadership, the Acquisition Program Manager II leads review of acquisition documents, including Acquisition Decision Memorandums, Program Baselines, and Milestone Decision Briefs, and supports RFP development and bid proposal assessment for DoD mission planning systems, hardware, and software. Partnering with government counterparts and prime and subcontractors, this role builds acquisition and program documentation, briefings, and strategic recommendations that enable sound cost, schedule, and performance outcomes.

Job Functions

• Reviews acquisition documents and provides executive-level comments to ensure consistency and accuracy, covering Acquisition Decision Memorandums, Life Cycle Sustainment Plans, Acquisition Strategies, Acquisition Program Baselines, Risk Management Plans, Program Management Reviews, and Milestone Decision Briefs.
• Supports development and review of RFIs, RFPs, and other procurement-related documents used during acquisition of mission planning systems hardware and software services.
• Supports review of bid proposals and makes recommendations to the government for contract award.
• Plans, researches, analyzes, and assesses system acquisition in terms of development, production, and deployment of weapons systems and associated equipment.
• Formulates plans and recommends effective strategies for meeting cost, schedule, and performance objectives.
• Supports program management reviews, senior-level meetings, and IMP/IMS reviews.
• Develops briefings and schedules of program status and acquisition tasks for senior management.
• Communicates orally and in writing, providing quality acquisition and program documentation, including briefings, documents, and plans.

Education & Experience

• BA/BS degree with 2+ years of experience.
• Associate's degree with 4+ years of experience.
• Active Secret clearance required; active Top Secret clearance preferred.
• Advanced degree (MA/MS) with relevant professional experience.
• 8+ years of professional experience without a degree.
• Experience in DoD systems acquisition and program management principles, policies, and practices as defined in DoD acquisition frameworks.
• Experience executing DoD programs with prime contractors and subcontractors.
• DAU/DAWIA Program Management Certification.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office products.

Sitting at the intersection of space domain awareness and acquisition program support, the Acquisition Program Manager provides technical and programmatic support to the Electro-Optical Portfolio, encompassing GEODSS, SST, SEON, and the MARK IVB network, across sustainment, modification, and emerging sensing technology investments. Operating across prime contractors, depot contractors, IPT working groups, and government functional teams, this role develops acquisition strategies, budget justifications, and lessons learned reports that strengthen Space Domain Awareness capabilities for Air Force Space Command and related missions.

Strategic Responsibilities

• Provides acquisition support by assisting in developing acquisition strategies, cost estimations, requirements, statements of work, and requests for proposal.
• Reviews and provides technical evaluation of vendor proposals for sustainment, re-competes, new acquisitions, upgrades, and modifications.
• Prepares and staffs required program and contract documents, interacting with financial, contract, scheduling, risk management, and execution activities and personnel.
• Oversees and facilitates sustainment and modification budgets for program managers, and develops and edits program inputs in budget management systems to facilitate final government budget and justification for each budget cycle.
• Supports, reviews, and provides input to the development of overarching system design documentation, including TRDs, CDDs, CPDs, ICDs, and system specifications.
• Supports the government at TIMs, design reviews, provisioning conferences, tech order IPRs, test readiness reviews, IPT meetings, and working groups, and interfaces with contractor program management and technical personnel.
• Organizes and supports working group meetings across multiple organizations, and researches and provides recommended solutions to questions, issues, and risks identified in IPT meetings.
• Coordinates with prime contractors, depot contractors, and government functional teams, and provides recommended actions to the program management team and portfolio senior management.
• Develops strategies, plans, and packages for classified and unclassified document submissions, and facilitates associated life-cycle cost planning, benefit analyses, acquisition of data rights, and provisioning.
• Reviews and provides critical feedback on contractor-prepared schedules, budgets, development, and test plans, and prepares briefings, reports, and informational analyses in support of division programs.
• Identifies and prepares consolidated lessons learned reports for Directorate reviews.

Professional Experience

• M.S. or M.A. in Project Management, Engineering, Economics, Finance, Space Operations, or a related discipline, plus 12 years of experience, including at least 3 years supporting Space Surveillance, Space Operations, Intelligence Support for Space Control, or a related mission area.
• Ph.D. in Engineering, Economics, Finance, Space Operations, or a related discipline, plus 15 or more years of experience in a relevant mission area, including a leadership role, preferred.
• PMP, APDP Level 3 Certification in Program Management or Contracting, or equivalent DAWIA certification preferred.
• Active Secret clearance required; active TS/SCI preferred, with willingness to agree to polygraph.
• Knowledge of standard acquisition regulations, practices, and procedures, including Program Management, Scheduling, and EVM processes and tools.
• DoD Acquisition, Logistics, or Sustainment experience supporting Air Force Space Command, Air Force Material Command, or similar missions in an intelligence organization, FFRDC, or DoD/DoE Laboratory preferred.
• Ability to travel as needed, CONUS and OCONUS, estimated at 25%.