Program Manager, Software
Program Manager in Swarm Aero's PMO running a software-centric defense program for its swarming-UAV Command & Control software — owning cost, schedule, scope, and risk, mapping agile delivery to DoD contract milestones, and coordinating integration with aircraft, partner hardware, and government systems.
- Compensation
- $175K–$200K / yr
- Location
- Oxnard
- Work setup
- Onsite
- Seniority
- Not specified
- Employment
- Contract
- Experience
- 3+ years
- Category
- Project management
- Posted
Skills
Must have
- 6+ years of program or technical program management, including 3+ years owning software or software-intensive programs for DoD or other government customers
- Fluency in agile delivery (Scrum, Kanban, SAFe or similar) mapped to milestone-based defense contracts
- Technical depth to follow architecture discussions, challenge estimates, and spot integration risk early
- Experience delivering software that integrates with hardware: autonomy, C2, mission systems, avionics, or similar
- Hands-on with schedule and backlog tools (Jira, Smartsheet, MS Project or similar) and budget tracking
- Comfort leading customer reviews and owning contract deliverables
- Clear, direct communicator able to brief engineers and program officers
- U.S. person status per ITAR and ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance
Nice to have
- Software engineering background
- Program experience on UAS autonomy, collaborative autonomy, or C2 software
- Experience with DoD software acquisition pathways, OTAs, or SBIR contracts
- Exposure to DevSecOps, software factories, or ATO and RMF processes
- Background at a startup or fast-scaling defense tech company
- Active Secret clearance or higher
- PMP, PMI-ACP, SAFe, or DAWIA Program Management certification
Full description
Swarm Aero is redefining air power, building the largest swarming UAV and the most versatile swarming aircraft network in the world. The company is moving quickly to launch the first aircraft designed specifically for swarming, as well as the Command & Control software to mobilize swarms of thousands of heterogeneous autonomous assets and empower human operators to achieve superhuman results.
The team has created and exited multiple startups, negotiated defense deals worth billions of dollars, and designed and built 30+ novel aircraft, with aerospace experience from Scaled Composites, Airbus, Archer Aviation, Blue Origin, and Boom Supersonic.
We are scaling fast, and our software work now carries real customer commitments: releases tied to milestones, integration with hardware we don't always own, and demos that have to work the first time. We need a Program Manager who can run a software-heavy defense program with the rigor of a hardware program and the speed of a software team.
You will join our Program Management Office, reporting to the Director of PMO, and own cost, schedule, scope, and risk for a software-centric program. You will sit with engineering leads, product, and our forward deployed engineers, and you will be the person who can tell a customer exactly what ships, when, and what it took to get there.
What you'll do
- Own the program plan and integrated schedule, tying sprint and release plans to contract milestones, demos, and customer events
- Translate customer requirements into a prioritized, traceable backlog with engineering and product, and manage scope changes against cost and schedule
- Run the program cadence: release planning, weekly program reviews, risk and issue boards, and monthly status to leadership and customers
- Manage program budget and burn, including labor across multiple engineering teams, and flag variance early with a recovery plan
- Coordinate software integration with aircraft, partner hardware, and government systems, including test events, field exercises, and demonstrations
- Drive software delivery and accreditation work with our DevSecOps team: deliverable packages, documentation, and cyber and ATO requirements where they apply
- Lead customer-facing milestone reviews and own contract deliverables (CDRLs, status reports, technical data)
- Partner with the Director of PMO to build program practices that fit how software teams actually work, without adding bureaucracy
What you bring
- 6+ years of program or technical program management, with at least 3 years owning software or software-intensive programs for DoD or other government customers
- Fluency in agile delivery (Scrum, Kanban, SAFe or similar) and experience mapping it to milestone-based defense contracts