Senior Defense Systems Program Manager
Carlsbad, CA
Category: Program/Project Management
Industry: Technology
Standard Hours: Open
Reference ID: JN -112026-109297
Date Posted: 11/01/2026
Shortcut: http://careers.eliassen.com/rzyiLa
Description:
On-site in Carlsbad, CA
Our client seeks a senior, technically oriented Defense Systems Program Manager to own complex sensing-related programs and potentially a broader portfolio. The role requires a technical leader who transitioned into program management, can understand the technology deeply enough to challenge engineering leadership, and will maintain responsibility for overall program execution within classified SAP and SCI environments.
Due to federal security clearance requirements, applicant must be a United States Citizen with an active Top Secret clearance. Due to client requirements, applicants must be willing and able to work on a w2 basis. For our w2 consultants, we offer a great benefits package that includes Medical, Dental, and Vision benefits, 401k with company matching, and life insurance.
Rate: $100 to $125/hr. w2
Responsibilities:
- Own defense programs or portfolios from technical strategy through execution.
- Serve as the primary accountable leader for program performance.
- Understand the organization's technical vision and proactively drive execution against it.
- Work closely with Project Engineers, architects, and technical leadership.
- Challenge technical assumptions, schedules, risks, and engineering approaches when appropriate.
- Manage complex customer and stakeholder relationships.
- Coordinate program priorities across engineering, leadership, customers, and mission stakeholders.
- Proactively identify opportunities, risks, and next steps rather than waiting for assigned tasks.
- Navigate classified program environments, including SAP and SCI programs.
Experience Requirements:
- Approximately 10–12+ years of relevant engineering, program-management, or defense-systems experience.
- Strong technical foundation, ideally beginning as an engineer or technical systems professional.
- Experience leading complex defense technology programs.
- Experience with radar, RF, sensing, ISR, electronic warfare, or similarly complex technical systems preferred.
- Demonstrated experience operating within Special Access Program (SAP) and SCI environments.
- Ability to understand sophisticated engineering efforts without needing to personally write code.
- Executive-level communication and stakeholder-management skills.
- Strong ownership mentality and ability to operate autonomously.
Skills, experience, and other compensable factors will be considered when determining pay rate. The pay range provided in this posting reflects a W2 hourly rate; other employment options may be available that may result in pay outside of the provided range.
W2 employees of Eliassen Group who are regularly scheduled to work 30 or more hours per week are eligible for the following benefits: medical (choice of 3 plans), dental, vision, pre-tax accounts, other voluntary benefits including life and disability insurance, 401(k) with match, and sick time if required by law in the worked-in state/locality.
If anyone reaches out to you about an open position connected with Eliassen Group, please ensure that you are working directly with us by confirming the following:
· When you work with Eliassen Group, all email communication will come from an Eliassen.com address, never Gmail, Yahoo, etc.
· Eliassen Group will never ask you for personal information (home address, bank account, or check routing number) until you have worked with someone clearly associated with Eliassen Group.
If you have any indication of fraudulent activity, please contact fraud@eliassen.com.
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Eliassen Group is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, protected veteran status, or disability status. Eliassen Group’s Affirmative Action Plan (AAP) is available for inspection by any employee or applicant for employment upon request, during normal business hours of Monday through Friday, 8:30am to 5:30pm EST. Interested persons should contact Phaedra Wells at pwells@eliassen.com for assistance. It is unlawful in Massachusetts and Maryland to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.
Applicants with disabilities that believe they require an accommodation or assistance with a position, please email our HR team at hradmin@eliassen.com. This email inbox is designed exclusively to assist job seekers whose disability prevents them from being able to apply online. Emails sent for other purposes will not receive a response.
Please be advised that a number of fraudulent job postings have been released under the Eliassen Group brand.
Unfortunately, fraudulent job postings can happen. If anyone reaches out to you about an open position connected with Eliassen Group, never provide personal or financial information to anyone who is not clearly associated with Eliassen Group
If anyone seemingly from Eliassen Group has ever requested this personal information in the past or does so in the future, please contact fraud@eliassen.com.
Please ensure that you are working directly with us by confirming the following:
- When you work with Eliassen Group, all email communication will come from an Eliassen.com address, never Gmail, Yahoo, etc.
- Eliassen Group will never ask you for personal information (home address, bank account, or check routing number) until you have worked with someone clearly associated with Eliassen Group, as indicated above