Principal Program Manager

About Us:

VT-ARC, a technical services and applied research company, has built an organizational culture marked by four primary values: Teamwork, Integrity, Excellence, and Service. Integral to our success is our staffs enthusiasm for solving tough problems by working together in teams to get the job done. We foster a culture where every employees contribution is valued and performed with integrity while maintaining a fun work environment. VT-ARC strives for excellence in all that is done for our clients, and such achievement is recognized through service/merit awards. Moreover, we promote a sense of community larger than VT-ARC alone, where staff and institutional resources can be applied in service to our country.

We are proud to be the recipient of the Best Workplace in Defense Award by Emergent Magazine, an honor that recognizes companies with positive cultures that not only impact their people but also make a meaningful difference in the community.

About You:

You are a proven program management and integration leader with experience supporting complex enterprise IT, communications, cybersecurity, network modernization, cloud, or secure infrastructure programs in DoD, Intelligence Community, or Federal Government environments.

You excel at translating customer priorities, contractual requirements, technical dependencies, and leadership direction into executable plans that drive mission success. As a trusted partner to Government stakeholders, technical teams, mission partners, and corporate support organizations, you bring structure, accountability, and alignment across multiple workstreams.

Known for your ability to manage risks, coordinate stakeholders, and keep programs moving forward, you communicate effectively at all levels, develop trusted customer relationships, and help teams turn strategy into execution. You thrive in dynamic, mission-focused environments where collaboration, disciplined program management, and operational excellence are critical.

You are motivated by solving complex problems, improving organizational performance, and delivering meaningful outcomes in support of national security missions.

Position Overview:

The Principal Program Manager serves as a senior program leader responsible for integrating, coordinating, and advancing complex enterprise communications, network modernization, cybersecurity, cloud, and secure infrastructure initiatives supporting Government mission requirements.

This position provides leadership across program execution, governance, stakeholder engagement, strategic planning, and cross-functional coordination to ensure the successful delivery of program objectives. Working closely with Government customers, technical leads, mission partners, subcontractors, and corporate support organizations, the Principal Program Manager aligns priorities, resources, schedules, and activities across multiple interconnected workstreams operating within classified and sensitive environments.

The role serves as a central point of integration and execution management, providing visibility into program performance, managing risks and dependencies, facilitating stakeholder communication, and ensuring alignment among mission priorities, contractual requirements, technical execution, and operational objectives. Success in this position requires exceptional organizational and communication skills, the ability to build trusted customer relationships, and a proven track record of driving accountability and execution across diverse stakeholders in high-tempo environments.

Active Top Secret/SCI clearance is required.

Duties/Responsibilities:

Program Leadership and Integration

• Lead program integration activities across enterprise communications, network modernization, cybersecurity, cloud, and secure infrastructure initiatives.
• Serve as a senior coordination lead among Government stakeholders, program leadership, technical teams, mission partners, subcontractors, and corporate support organizations.
• Translate customer priorities, contractual requirements, technical dependencies, and leadership guidance into actionable plans that support successful program execution.
• Ensure alignment of technical, operational, contractual, and organizational activities to achieve mission objectives and program commitments.
• Establish and maintain effective governance processes that promote accountability, transparency, and execution discipline across program workstreams.

Program Planning and Execution

• Develop and maintain integrated schedules, milestone plans, action-item trackers, dependency matrices, risk registers, issue logs, staffing plans, and program performance metrics.
• Monitor execution against established objectives, deliverables, schedules, and contractual requirements.
• Proactively identify and address program risks, resource constraints, schedule conflicts, customer concerns, and cross-functional dependencies.
• Support workforce planning, onboarding, transition activities, and continuity planning efforts for teams operating in classified and sensitive environments.
• Drive follow-through on key actions and initiatives to ensure timely and effective program execution.

Stakeholder Engagement and Governance

• Facilitate customer engagements, program reviews, executive briefings, technical interchange meetings, risk reviews, and leadership meetings.
• Prepare executive summaries, decision papers, read-ahead materials, meeting minutes, action plans, and performance reports.
• Maintain effective communication with Government customers and senior stakeholders regarding program status, risks, accomplishments, and priorities.
• Build and sustain trusted relationships across Government, industry, and mission partner organizations.

Contract and Business Management Support

• Support contract execution through tracking of scope, deliverables, labor alignment, performance objectives, and schedule commitments.
• Assist program leadership with labor planning, financial awareness, burn-rate monitoring, portfolio alignment, and performance reporting activities.
• Coordinate with the Senior Program Operation Manager on contracts, finance, operations, and resource management teams to support program objectives and contractual commitments.
• Contribute to acquisition planning, strategic planning efforts, and program growth initiatives as required.

Technical and Mission Coordination

• Coordinate activities across enterprise IT, secure communications, network modernization, cybersecurity, cloud services, infrastructure services, and mission systems workstreams.
• Collaborate with cybersecurity, RMF, ATO, compliance, and mission assurance stakeholders to ensure security requirements and operational considerations are reflected in program plans and execution activities.
• Help synchronize technical implementation efforts with mission priorities, operational requirements, and customer objectives.

Continuous Improvement and Team Development

• Mentor and guide program analysts, project coordinators, and junior program management personnel.
• Promote program management best practices, execution discipline, stakeholder engagement, and customer service excellence.
• Identify and implement process improvements that enhance program governance, reporting, collaboration, and operational efficiency.

Required Education, Certification, Skills, Capabilities:

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Management, Engineering, Information Technology, Cybersecurity, Public Policy, or a related field. Additional relevant experience may be considered in lieu of degree requirements.
• 12+ years of relevant experience in program management, project management, federal IT, enterprise communications, cybersecurity, network modernization, military leadership, operations, or related mission support disciplines.
• Demonstrated experience supporting complex DoD, Intelligence Community, Federal Government, or other high-assurance programs involving multiple stakeholders, technical teams, customer organizations, and execution dependencies.
• Strong understanding of program and project management principles, including scheduling, governance, risk management, issue resolution, stakeholder communications, action tracking, and performance reporting.
• Experience supporting enterprise IT, communications, cybersecurity, cloud, infrastructure modernization, mission systems, or related technology programs.
• Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain trusted relationships with Government customers, senior leaders, technical subject matter experts, mission partners, and business stakeholders.
• Working knowledge of contract execution concepts, including PWS interpretation, deliverable tracking, scope management, resource alignment, and customer reporting.
• Experience developing executive-level briefings, reports, analyses, decision materials, and customer communications.
• Strong written, verbal, interpersonal, analytical, and organizational skills.
• Ability to manage competing priorities, operate independently, and maintain execution focus in dynamic, mission-critical environments.

Desired Education, Certification, Skills, Capabilities:

• Master's degree in Management, Business Administration, Public Policy, Information Systems, Cybersecurity, Engineering, Computer Science, International Relations, or a related discipline.
• Prior military field-grade officer experience, senior Government staff experience, headquarters staff experience, command leadership experience, or equivalent industry leadership experience.
• Experience supporting acquisition, enterprise IT modernization, cybersecurity, communications, or mission infrastructure organizations.
• Familiarity with enterprise IT portfolio management, technology investment planning, PPBE/POM processes, acquisition planning, or contract portfolio oversight.
• Experience supporting Enterprise IT-as-a-Service, network modernization, cloud migration, secure communications, collaboration platforms, network access control, or cybersecurity transformation initiatives.
• Knowledge of RMF, ATO, NIST, STIG, cybersecurity compliance, mission assurance, and risk management processes.
• Experience with Microsoft Project, SharePoint, Teams, Jira, Confluence, ServiceNow, Power BI, or equivalent program management and collaboration tools.
• Professional certifications such as PMP, PgMP, PMI-ACP, Scrum Master, ITIL, Security+, CISSP, CISM, DAWIA/FAC-P/PM, or equivalent credentials.

Primary Work Location: Work is expected to be fully onsite in Arlington, VA.

Special Work Conditions: Occasional travel may be required; up to 10%

Security:

• Must be a U.S. Citizen
• Active Top Secret/SCI clearance is required

Salary: $210,000-$250,000/yr.

Virginia Tech Applied Research Corporation: VT-ARC is a 501(c)(3), non-profit R&D organization affiliated with Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech or VT). Our mission is to provide superior analytic and technology solutions across multiple domains by leveraging Virginia Techs multidisciplinary research and innovation ecosystem. With unique access to the broad and rich research enterprise found at Virginia Tech, VT-ARC forms multi-disciplinary teams to apply innovative solutions to the real-world problems that strain our social, political, industrial, and economic foundations.

To learn more about VT-ARCs Benefits, Perks, Culture & more visit our Careers page: https://vt-arc.org/careers/

Virginia Tech Applied Research Corporation is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other status protected by law. As a federal contractor, we are committed to providing equal employment opportunity and affirmative action for qualified individuals with disabilities under Section?503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. If you need a reasonable accommodation to complete the application or interview process, please contact Human Resources at hr@vt-arc.org

Virginia Tech Applied Research Corporation uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit www.E-Verify.gov .