Director, Program Management Center of Excellence

Director, Program Management Center of Excellence (PM CoE)

LOCATION: (Hybrid) Washington, D.C. or Huntsville, AL

JOB STATUS: Full-time

CLEARANCE: Active up to TS/SCI (preferred)

CERTIFICATION: PMP (preferred)

TRAVEL: Up to 20% travel to customer sites, internal offices, and industry events/conferences as needed

Astrion has an exciting opportunity for a Director of Program Management Center of Excellence in a hybrid environment in either Washington, D.C. or Huntsville, AL. The Director of PM CoE will lead and elevate 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 business administration, Engineering, Project Management, or a related field.

• Experience:

  • Minimum of 10 years of progressive program management experience in a government services or defense contracting environment.

  • At least 5 years in a leadership role (e.g., PMO Lead, CoE Director, Senior PM) with proven ability to establish and enforce enterprise PM standards.

• Technical & Business Acumen:

  • Deep understanding of DoD/FAR/DFARS regulatory environment, cost-plus and fixed-price contract structures, and DCAA/DCMA audit readiness.

  • Proficiency with industry-standard PM tools and reporting (Power BI).

  • Strong financial literacy: ability to perform variance financial analyses and produce reliable EAC forecasts.

  • Competency using modern AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Copilot, etc.) to streamline workflows, enhance productivity, and support decision-making." under the preferred qualifications.

• Leadership & Influence:

  • Demonstrated ability to work with senior stakeholders, negotiate priorities, and drive cross-functional alignment.

  • Exceptional written and oral communication skills; experience presenting to C-Suite and external stakeholders (customers, auditors, board members).

  • Track record of building high-performing teams and mentoring mid-level PMs to elevate organizational capability.

• Competencies & Behavioral Attributes:

  • Strategic Thinking: Sees the big picture-anticipates risks, aligns PM practices with corporate objectives, and drives long-term value.

  • Accountability: Owns deliverables, holds PMs and enterprise team members to high standards, and escalates issues appropriately.

  • Adaptability: Rapidly shifts priorities in response to customer needs, regulatory changes, or shifting corporate strategies. Able to juggle mu

  • Coaching & Development: Invests in people's growth-provides candid feedback, encourages continuous learning, and recognizes strong performance.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS / SKILLS

• PMP (Project Management Professional) certification preferred.

• Lean Six Sigma or CMMI background.

• Active security clearance (Secret, Top Secret, or TS/SCI).

• Advanced degree (MBA, MPM, or MS Engineering Management).

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Define & Standardize PM Processes and Tools:

  • Develop, maintain, and socialize enterprise PM methodologies, templates, and tools.

  • Standardize use of PM tools to streamline status reporting

• Track & Report Program Performance:

  • Define standard program performance metrics and integrate them into monthly program reviews

  • Ensure accurate, timely collection and reporting of program data; partner with Finance to validate forecasts and cost variances.

  • Lead monthly program review cadence.

• Develop & Mentor PMs and Aspiring PMs:

  • Design and manage the PM training curriculum in partnership with HR.

  • Develop targeted training to improve PM financial acumen-budget management, forecasting, cost-variance analysis, etc.

• Develop & Monitor Program Watch List:

  • Create and maintain a dynamic watch list that flags high-risk or underperforming contracts based on cost/schedule variance thresholds, resource constraints, or compliance concerns.

  • Proactively monitor watch-list items, coordinate root-cause analyses, and drive corrective actions with PMs and cross-functional teams.

  • Report watch-list status during monthly reviews and ensure timely resolution.

• Ensure Compliance and Quality Assurance

  • Partner with the Quality organization to ensure all program management processes comply with the company's quality program and certification standards.

  • Partner with the Safety organization to embed safety requirements into PM processes-review safety plans, track incident metrics, and ensure corrective actions are implemented.

• Drive Organizational Influence & Change Management:

  • Champion PM best practices-build cross-functional alignment with Finance, Contracts, Growth, HR, and Delivery.

  • Identify process bottlenecks, recommend data-driven improvements, and partner with IT to automate workflows where applicable.

  • Facilitate PM CoE "Tiger Teams" to rapidly address emergent issues.

What We Offer

• Competitive salaries
• Continuing education assistance
• Professional development allotment
• Multiple healthcare benefits packages
• 401K with employer matching
• Competitive time off policy along with a federally recognized holiday schedule

Who We Are

At Astrion, we innovate, elevate, and shape the world of tomorrow. At our core is our purpose to "Be the Difference". This means we encourage our employees to take action and be the driving force for positive change. We foster an environment where innovative solutions flourish, and our company continuously evolves.

We have a culture of care, empathy, and making a tangible difference within our organization and communities. We embrace continuous learning, growth, and innovation, and pushing the boundaries of what's possible. We promote collaboration and empowering our teams is at the core of our success.

Be the Difference

Astrion offers comprehensive services that boost preparedness, optimize performance, and ensure success across various domains, from Cyber to Digital, Mission and Systems, servicing our nation's Civilian, Defense and Space communities. We support customers with Centers of Excellence in Washington DC, and Huntsville, AL with an additional 36 locations across the U.S.

Join Astrion and Be the Difference in your career and the world!

Astrion is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. We provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibit discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.

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.