Program Manager, Defense Contracts
Hyliion, a clean-power company developing KARNO distributed generators, seeks a Program Manager in Cincinnati, Ohio to lead government and defense programs end to end — from SBIR/BAA proposal writing through contract execution and delivery — coordinating engineering, finance, and supply chain while managing compliance like FAR/DFARS, DCAA audits, PIEE/WAWF, and SAM.gov.
- Compensation
- Not disclosed
- Location
- Cincinnati, Ohio
- Work setup
- Not specified
- Seniority
- Not specified
- Employment
- Contract
- Experience
- Not specified
- Category
- Project management
- Posted
Skills
Must have
- Bachelor's degree in engineering, business, or a related field
- Minimum 5 years of experience in government program/project management, government contract execution, proposal development, or a related role
- Strong program management skills: planning and tracking scope, requirements, schedules, costs, risks, and deliverables
- Clear, concise writing and communication skills, including persuasive proposals and accurate program reports
- Technical aptitude and a record of resolving complex issues
- Familiarity with government contracting and ability to learn and apply contract, reporting, and compliance requirements
- Experience with program management tools and Microsoft Office applications
- Ability to work collaboratively, adapt to changing priorities, and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment
- Ability to communicate effectively with customers, internal teams, suppliers, and external partners
- Experience with high-voltage systems and associated safety protocols
- Ability to travel up to 10% to visit customers, engineering providers, and hardware suppliers
Nice to have
- Experience with government compliance, reporting, or audit activities
- Experience in a technology environment
- Project Management Professional (PMP) certification
Full description
Hyliion is committed to creating innovative solutions that enable clean, flexible and affordable electricity production. The Company’s primary focus is to develop distributed power generators that can operate on various fuel sources to future-proof against an ever-changing energy economy.
Job Purpose
The Program Manager, Defense Contracts is responsible for leading Hyliion’s government and defense programs from opportunity review and proposal development through contract execution and customer delivery. The role coordinates engineering, operations, finance, business development, supply chain, and external partners to turn customer requirements into executable plans and keep scope, schedule, cost, risks, and deliverables on track. The position serves as the primary customer interface for assigned programs, including government program offices, contracting officers, and technical points of contact. The role also leads the preparation of government proposals, including Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) proposals, Broad Agency Announcements (BAAs), and white papers. The position supports contract administration, reporting, and government compliance activities required by each program.
AI at Hyliion
At Hyliion, AI is core to how we work. We equip every team member with leading AI tools and count on you to use them — to move faster, solve harder problems, and help us realize the full potential of KARNO technology for the world.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Lead cross-functional planning and execution of government and military programs, coordinating internal teams, suppliers, and external stakeholders.
- Review solicitations, contracts, statements of work, specifications, and customer commitments, and translate them into a requirements and deliverables matrix, work plans, schedules, owners, and acceptance criteria.
- Build and maintain integrated program schedules, such as Gantt charts, and track milestones, dependencies, decisions, risks, issues, and corrective actions. Identify schedule or delivery concerns early and develop recovery plans.
- Coordinate technical and operational work to keep requirements and specifications aligned with system designs and customer expectations. Track hardware, software, and system deliverables through prototype and production schedules.
- Serve as the primary customer interface for assigned programs, managing day-to-day communication with government program offices, contracting officers, and technical points of contact, and ensuring customer priorities are reflected in program execution.
- Lead regular internal and customer program reviews. Prepare status materials covering technical progress, schedule, deliverables, risks, and spending, and provide weekly health updates and monthly reports as required.