Program Manager in Houston, Texas at CSS Inc.

Role Overview:

Provide Program Management and lead a collaborative team responsible for supporting Department of War (DoW) payloads on various platforms, including National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), commercial, and international launch vehicles, as well as suborbital missions and free-flyer satellites. Leading cross-disciplinary teams in executing the following contract services:

The role is contingent upon CSS winning the contract, please note it can take several months before we know whether this role will be filled.

The Program Manager (PM) shall be responsible for overseeing the implementation and management of a DoW Payload support contract including all subcontracts and subcontractors. The PM shall be the single-point-of-contact for program management and the customer interface for DoW Payload support program management concerns. The PM shall be responsible for technical, cost, and schedule performance and has responsibility and authority to manage and direct all team members and their subcontractors, regardless of contractor affiliation. The PM shall establish and manage a Risk Management program covering all activities under the DoW Payload support program. The PM will work primarily with the DoW Contracting Officer's Representative (COR).

The PM will be responsible for implementing and overseeing Operations Security protection for all sensitive/critical information and implement a quality assurance system that is capable of independently assessing contract performance. The PM shall be responsible for ensuring all mission-related activities are adequately planned, implemented and completed according to project cost, schedule and performance criteria.

The PM will identify a project manager, payload integration engineer and safety engineer for each mission and oversee their performance.

The PM will conduct quarterly contract status reviews and maintain a cost and schedule system to monitor contract performance.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, Science, or a related technical discipline (Master's degree preferred).
• 10–15 years of program management or related aerospace industry experience.
• Familiarity with aerospace program life-cycle processes and standards.
• Experience in mission planning, analysis, and operational integration.
• Proven ability to coordinate across multiple disciplines, including engineering, program management, and systems integration.
• Strong leadership skills with a track record of motivating teams, achieving customer satisfaction, and driving cooperation across organizations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to organize, prioritize, and manage multiple tasks to meet deadlines with minimal supervision.
• Skilled in cost and schedule estimation and management.
• Proficient in risk assessment, mitigation planning, and implementation.
• Knowledge of systems engineering, integration, and verification practices.

Location: Provide services primarily at Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, Texas with potential worldwide travel to various test and launch sites and Principal Investigator (PI) locations.

Security Clearance Requirement: This position requires government security clearance, you must be a US Citizen for consideration and be eligible for Top Secret / Sensitive Compartmented.

At CSS, we are committed to fostering an inclusive and merit-based workplace. We provide equal employment opportunities to all individuals, ensuring that hiring and employment decisions are based on qualifications, skills, and performance. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.