nLIGHT
Sr. Program Manager
TLDR
Lead planning, budgeting, and execution of DoD High Energy Laser programs, coordinating cross-functional teams and DoD customers to deliver complex systems.
Location: Longmont, CO (onsite)
Experience: 10+ years of experience managing DoD programs
Minimum Education: Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Science, or related field
Compensation: $170,000-$200,000 depending upon education and experience.
Who We Are
nLIGHT-DEFENSE Systems, Inc. is one of the nation’s leading developers of Directed Energy systems, which is a top modernization priority of the Department of Defense. Our High Energy Laser (HEL) systems, Adaptive Optical (AO) systems, and Acquisition / Pointing / Tracking (APT) solutions are designed to overcome the most difficult challenges facing the deployment of high energy laser solutions to the United States military and our allies. Located in Longmont, Colorado, nLIGHT-DEFENSE Systems, Inc. is a vertically integrated business that leverages internal capabilities – from semiconductor device through target identification – to develop systems that are both high-performance and cost-effective. We continue to invest in capabilities, facilities and technology to bring leading edge HEL solutions to the warfighter. This is a great opportunity to work at a company that is on the leading edge of the HEL industry and provides a culture of excellence and commitment to delivering solutions to the warfighter and our country.
Headquartered in Camas, Washington, nLIGHT is a publicly listed company (NASDAQ: LASR).
Summary:
We are seeking an experienced Program Manager to lead the planning, execution, and delivery of complex Department of Defense (DoD) programs. The Program Manager will oversee program scope, cost, schedule, performance, and customer satisfaction while ensuring compliance with DoD policies, contractual requirements, and organizational standards. This role requires strong leadership, stakeholder management, and experience working within DoD acquisition frameworks. The candidate will be responsible for successful execution and programmatic tracking support for High Energy Laser (HEL) Weapon Systems and/or HEL Beam Control Systems (BCS). Work with Program Technical Leads to develop and manage program plans, resource allocation, schedule, budget, risk definition and tracking, and track execution against program plans and metrics. Provide regular written and verbal reports to peers and management. Implement appropriate business and operations systems in support of program execution needs. The Program Manager must be expert at working with MSOffice based tools (Excel, MS Project, PowerPoint, Word) to support budget management, bill of materials management, cost tracking and controls, and schedule management and controls. Work with Program Technical Leads, engineering teams, and accounting and supply chain to document and report task progress and set goals and objectives. Support configuration management through the system design, development, integration, and test phases. Responsible for supporting the development and integration of artifacts for formal DoD acquisition design reviews (Status Reports, CoDR, SRR, PDR, IBR, etc.). The ideal candidate has a strong technical background, DoD Program Management experience, and is strong at mentorship, teaching, and has experience with agile software development principles and processes.
All applicants must possess or be qualified to obtain a U.S. DoD Personnel Security Clearance. Preference will be given to candidates with an existing U.S. DoD Personnel Security Clearance. Further information on requirements to obtain a security clearance is available at: https://www.dcsa.mil/mc/pv/mbi/gicp/. Please review this information before applying.
Responsibilities:
- Serve as the primary point of contact with DoD customers, stakeholders, and subcontractors.
- Lead program planning, budgeting, scheduling, and performance tracking.
- Manage program teams across engineering, logistics, security, and support functions.
- Develop program documentation (e.g., Program Management Plans, risk registers, decision briefs).
- Monitor contract performance, deliverables, and earned value management (EVM) metrics as required.
- Prepare and present program status reports, milestones, and reviews (e.g., IPTs, PMRs).
- Identify, mitigate, and manage program risks, issues, and opportunities.
- Oversee subcontractor performance and contract modifications.
- Actively manage technical teams to ensure efficient and rapid execution of complex systems
Required Experience / Capability:
- Commitment to Excellence. Attention to Detail. Pride in Workmanship.
- 10+ years of experience managing DoD programs
- Demonstrated experience working with DoD customers and acquisition processes.
- Proven ability to manage complex programs with cross-functional teams.
- Strong communication, negotiation, and leadership skills.
- Ability to manage budgets, schedules, and performance metrics.
- Experience with risk management and issue resolution.
- Proficiency with program management tools (MS Project, Jira, EVM tools, etc.).
- Ability to work in a dynamic environment and maintain composure and good working relationships under pressure.
- Superior problem-solving ability and ability to absorb information from multiple sources to reach a solution.
- Develop and maintain documentation in support of formal DoD acquisition design reviews (i.e. CoDR, SRR, PDR, IBR, CDR, TRR, etc.)
- Technical Presentation and Report Writing Skills (i.e. good technical writing skills are critical)
- Vendor management experience.
Additional Desired Experience / Capability
- Master’s degree (MBA, MS Systems Engineering, or related field).
- Experience in functional and performance requirements allocation and tracking.
- Experience in System Engineering tools: Model-based Systems Engineering tools.
- Experience with High Energy Laser systems.
- Experience with electro-optical systems including acquisition, pointing, and tracking and/or Adaptive Optical (AO) Systems.
- Configuration Management for laser and electro-optical systems, in particular for high power applications.
Benefits Summary:
- 4 weeks of Paid Time Off per year
- 11 paid Holidays
- Employee Stock Purchase Plan
- Tuition Assistance Program
- Health (ACA Gold Plan), Vision and Dental Care paid by employer 100% for Employee and 75% for Dependents
- Paid Family Leave, Short and Long Term Disability paid by employer 100%
- Competitive 401k with company match and immediate vesting
Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or age. For more information about our commitment to equal employment opportunity, please see this government poster: Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal. If you are an individual with a disability and need a reasonable accommodation in the application or hiring process, please contact Human Resources at HR@nlightdefense.com.
Benefits
Education Stipend
Tuition Assistance Program
Equity Compensation
Competitive 401k with company match and immediate vesting
Health Insurance
Short and Long Term Disability paid by employer 100%
Paid Parental Leave
Paid Family Leave
Paid Time Off
11 paid Holidays
Stock Options
Employee Stock Purchase Plan
nLIGHT is a premier provider of high-power semiconductors and fiber lasers, catering to industrial, microfabrication, and aerospace & defense applications. We specialize in cutting-edge laser technology and are also a leader in developing Directed Energy systems for the Department of Defense, delivering high-performance solutions in a rapidly growing market.
Senior Program Manager