Overview:
Program Management Center of Excellence (PM CoE) Lead
LOCATION: Remote, U.S. (D.C. area preferred)
JOB STATUS: Full-time
CLEARANCE: Secret (Ability to Obtain/Maintain)
CERTIFICATION: PMP
TRAVEL: Less than 5%
Astrion has an exciting opportunity for a Program Management Center of Excellence (PM CoE) Lead, reporting directly to the Director of Operations Excellence. The PM CoE Lead oversees and elevates program management practices across the organization to ensure consistent, high-quality execution of Astrion’s programs. This role drives continuous improvement of PM processes, tools, training, and financial rigor.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS / SKILLS
- Education & Certifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in project management, business administration, engineering, or a related field.
- Project Management Institute PMP® (Project Management Professional) certification.
- Experience:
- Minimum of 5 years of progressive program management experience in a government services or defense contracting environment.
- Technical & Business Acumen:
- Understanding of DoD/FAR/DFARS regulatory environment and contract types to include: cost-plus, time and materials and fixed-price structures.
- Proficiency with industry-standard tools to include Office 365, Microsoft Project, Visio, and Power BI).
- Strong financial literacy: ability to perform program financial variance analyses.
- Leadership & Influence:
- Ability to effectively work with program managers and coordinate with company senior leadership to maintain and improve program management best practices.
- Exceptional written and oral communication skills
- Travel:
- Up to 10% travel to customer sites, internal offices, and industry events/conferences, as needed.
- Security:
- US Citizenship
- Ability to obtain a security clearance
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS / SKILLS
- Prior experience running a Program Management Center of Excellence.
- Lean Six Sigma or CMMI background.
- Active security clearance (Secret, Top Secret, or TS/SCI).
COMPETENCIES & BEHAVIORAL ATTRIBUTES
- Strategic Thinking: Sees the big picture—anticipates risks, aligns PM practices with corporate objectives, and drives long-term value.
- Continuous Improvement: Ability to recognize and implement new processes and technology to deliver best-of-class services in a dynamic environment.
- Accountability: Owns deliverables, holds PMs and enterprise team members to high standards, and escalates issues appropriately.
- Adaptability: Rapidly shift priorities in response to customer needs, regulatory changes, or shifting corporate strategies. Able to multi-task.
- Coaching & Development: Invests in people’s growth—provides candid feedback, encourages continuous learning, and recognizes strong performance.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Standardize PM Processes and Tools:
- Refine, maintain, and socialize enterprise PM methodologies and templates.
- Develop and standardize use of automated PM tools/dashboards to streamline status reporting
- Track & Report Program Performance:
- Define standard program performance metrics and integrate them into monthly program reviews (PMRs).
- Schedule and lead monthly PMRs.
- Develop & Mentor PMs and Aspiring PMs:
- Design and manage the PM training curriculum in partnership with the HR Talent Management Team.
- Coordinate and schedule PM weekly meetings and monthly Lunch & Learn sessions
- Quality Assurance & Safety Coordination
- Partner with the Quality team to ensure all program management processes comply with the company’s quality standards and certifications, to include: AS9100/ISO 9001, ISO 27001, and CMMI Level 3 Development and Services.
- Partner with the Safety organization to embed safety requirements into PM processes, including distribution of safety monthly reports and assisting in any program remediation activities related to safety.
- Drive Organizational Influence & Change Management:
- Champion PM best practices—build cross-functional alignment with Division General Managers, Finance, Contracts, Growth, and HR.
- Identify process bottlenecks, recommend data-driven improvements, and partner with IT to automate workflows where applicable.