Principal Program Manager

As Principal Program Manager for Naval Autonomy, you'll be joining a core functional team helping Saab, Inc. deliver value to our clients. This role will focus primarily on leading and coordinating business operations and operational logistics for maritime projects, along with ensuring the best value for customers (public sector and commercial) and the Company. You will work directly with customers, as well as internal engineering, operations, data, and product teams to help maximize our customers' utility from our products and services. You will have both high-level and hands-on influence on our sales and marketing communications, ensuring that our capabilities are being conveyed both attractively and realistically. Translating customers; needs into company priorities is important: this means supporting the Customer Success, Business Development, and Sales teams closely, working hand-in-hand with Operations and Engineering to deliver results.

In this role, you will be among the senior leadership of all naval autonomy efforts to ensure seamless execution of strategic initiatives. You will take part in product development conversations, offering customer insights to align our efforts with scalable revenue opportunities.

One of the major facets of this role is managing the operational activities for the Enforcer 3 autonomous unmanned surface vessel project, Saab's new generation combat boat, and advanced unmanned underwater systems. You'll need a keen eye and great attention to detail. You will need to be able to discuss our capabilities with a strong degree of technical understanding to a wide range of audiences, potentially including engineers and scientists, intelligence analysts, procurement officers, and senior ranking officials from both the government and industry.

Specifically, a person in this role will focus on: Autonomous Unmanned Maritime Systems Program Management:

• Managing operational logistics, costs and scheduling for multiple USV and UUV projects

• Subcontract to subject matter experts to provide support in electronics, marine mechanics, operations, etc. as needed

• Build up naval autonomy operations across new business unit

• Ensure projects are successful and the customer is happy and excited

• Identify up-sell, cross-sell, and resell opportunities, especially as new features roll out

Business Strategy:

• Building scalable processes around customer success, for example, the means to provide better customer service, receive feedback, and look for opportunities to accelerate execution.

• Competitive analysis and technical communications strategies with our marketing team. This includes contributing to internal knowledge-base of product questions, iterating on corporate lexicon, and alignment with product vision.

• Technical external communications, both primary authorship and ghostwriting for the executive team, including national press, trade association articles, blog posts, and talking points to convey Saab's vision.

• Flexing your professional contacts list is a plus

Operations Strategy:

• Working closely with customers to interpret how their needs can fit into our products

• Researching and gathering user experience and customer needs from both existing and potential customers; collaborate with product team to design features and services for inclusion in the roadmap

To be successful in this role, you are a leader and a team player. You will be interacting with everyone on the team and will be cross-functional. You are empathetic and incredibly detail oriented and organized. You read documentation thoroughly and are comfortable asking questions and seeking help. You are an independent worker and critical thinker. Responsibilities include but not limited to:

• Supervise a team of operators, logisticians and support personnel.

• Engage with customers to ensure project costs, schedule and technical requirements are met.

• Ensure effective and efficient implementation of planning, operations and safety processes.

• Engage with product vendors & colleagues as required to ensure product integrity. Identify opportunities for product improvements that improve overall program affordability, as well as opportunities in adjacent market spaces.

• Interface with the Director for Naval Autonomy and organizations providing program status, issues and recommendations.

• Perform project planning including staffing, cost account management, risk management and proposal development.

• Socialize key milestones with industry, academia, and government through conference presentations, technical paper publications, and media relations.

• Develop cost estimates and support proposal efforts.

• Support strategic planning and operations reviews.

Compensation Range: $177,900 - $240,000

The compensation range provided is a general guideline. When extending an offer, Saab, Inc. considers factors including (but not limited to) the role and associated responsibilities, location, and market and business considerations, as well as the candidate's work experience, key skills, and education/training.

To be successful in this role, you will need to have the following:

• MBA/MPP in financial management, or related operations or engineering discipline with 20+ years of experience.

• Direct experience working with the U.S. Navy to lead strategy and operations activities.

• Capability to interface on an interdepartmental level and be an agent of change for process and procedural improvements.

• Explosive Ordnance Disposal command experience required, major command preferred.

• Experience and execution authority in $100M+ annual operations and maintenance budget.

• Strong interpersonal skills and an ability to build effective working relationships is a must, especially across government, industry and academic organizations.

• Excellent oral and written communication skills. Proven ability to communicate well with peers and different levels of management and the customer.

• Proven leader who motivates, inspires, and teaches others.

• Strong work ethic and self-motivation.

• Analytical and demonstrated problem solving skills.

• Must exhibit leadership for executing practical application of engineering processes on a development program and maintaining engineering rigor while balancing cost, technical, and schedule.

Desired Skills/Experience:

• MS/PhD graduate-level research or fellowships related to assess autonomous maritime systems and decision support systems.

• Current eligibility for a U.S. secret security clearance.

• Experience with maritime sensor and weapon systems and naval operations.

• Experience with Unmanned Undersea Vehicle (UUV), Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) and Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-UAS)

• Experience with EO/IR PTZ camera, passive and active radar system sensor software integration.

• Experience with Electronic Warfare Systems

• Cross-Domain experience in artificial intelligence/machine learning and radio frequency (RF) technologies.

• Interest in data fusion, classical and modern control systems, and self-healing autonomy research.

• Prior experience working with DARPA or other DoD research laboratories.

• Experience working with universities on government research contracts.

• A strong understanding of project planning including risk and opportunity management is desirable.

• An ability to operate as an engineering point of contact for the PMO, Senior Leadership and Customer.

• Strong technical leadership and demonstrated ability to successfully lead a new research and development effort, including experience leading teams of senior researchers and engineers.

• Previous costing experience on proposals.

• System integration and test experience.

• Military or DoD experience, especially with unmanned systems.

Citizenship Requirements:

Must be a U.S. citizen. Applicants selected may be subject to a government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information.

Drug-Free Workplaces:

Saab is a federal government contractor and adheres to policies and programs necessary for sustaining drug-free workplaces. As a condition of employment, candidates will be required to pass a pre-employment drug screen.

Saab provides an excellent working environment offering professional growth opportunities, competitive wages, work-life balance, business-casual atmosphere and comprehensive benefits:

• Medical, vision and dental insurance for employees and dependents

• Paid time off including: minimum of 3 weeks vacation, 5 floating holidays, 8 designated holidays, parental leave, personal illness, bereavement, jury duty, long-term and short-term disability

• 401(k) with immediate vesting on employer match

• Tuition assistance

• Student loan assistance

• Wellness account, Care.com subscription and employee assistance programs

• Employee stock purchase program with employer match

Saab is a leading defense and security company with an enduring mission, to help nations keep their people and society safe. Empowered by its 19,000 talented people, Saab constantly pushes the boundaries of technology to create a safer, more sustainable and more equitable world. In the U.S., Saab delivers advanced technology and systems, supporting the U.S. Armed Forces and the Federal Aviation Administration, as well as international and commercial partners. Headquartered in Syracuse, New York, the company has business units and local employees in eight U.S. locations.

Saab is a company where we see diversity as an asset and offer unlimited opportunities for advancing in your career. We are also a company that respects each person's needs and encourage employees to lead a balanced, rewarding life beyond work. Saab values diversity and is an Affirmative Action employer for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. Saab is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer, all qualified individuals are encouraged to apply and will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, veteran, disability status, or any other federal, state, or locally protected category.