Senior Program Manager

GDIT is seeking a Program Manager - Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) / Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems (CUAS) to lead the delivery of enterprise-scale capabilities that protect personnel, facilities, and operations.

The Program Manager will integrate strategy, governance, acquisition support, systems engineering, operations, training, sustainment, compliance, and stakeholder engagement into a unified program that supports mission objectives. Success requires experience leading complex UAS and CUAS programs, advancing organizational capabilities, integrating emerging technologies, and driving operational adoption across large federal environments.

HOW A PROGRAM MANAGER - UAS / CUAS WILL MAKE AN IMPACT

Strategic Leadership & Branch Program Governance

• Develop and execute multi-year program strategies, capability roadmaps, implementation plans, and performance metrics aligned to mission priorities.
• Advise Government leadership on investments, resource requirements, risks, and opportunities to expand and optimize UAS/CUAS capabilities.
• Lead an integrated program management structure that aligns technical, operational, acquisition, logistics, security, training, and financial activities.
• Establish effective governance, executive reporting, risk management, integrated scheduling, and performance tracking processes.

Program Delivery & Capability Advancement

• Direct the full lifecycle delivery of UAS and CUAS initiatives, including development requirements, market research, testing, fielding, operations, sustainment, and continuous improvement.
• Advance organizational capability maturity through assessments, gap analysis, workforce planning, process development, and operational integration.
• Develop and maintain concepts of operations, standard operating procedures, deployment plans, readiness criteria, lifecycle management processes, and configuration controls.
• Manage concurrent efforts across multiple stakeholders and locations while maintaining alignment to cost, schedule, performance, security, and mission objectives.
• Lead change management, communications, and knowledge transfer activities that support durable mission outcomes.

Technology Integration, Evaluation & Vendor Management

• Support evaluation, selection, integration, and sustainment of UAS/CUAS sensors, command-and-control systems, communications, effectors, data services, and supporting infrastructure.
• Apply expertise across leading UAS/CUAS hardware, software, integration, and service providers to inform technology decisions.
• Establish requirements traceability, technical evaluation criteria, interoperability objectives, acceptance standards, and modernization roadmaps.
• Coordinate demonstrations, pilots, operational assessments, testing activities, technical interchange meetings, and after-action reviews.
• Manage subcontractor and OEM relationships, including performance, integration dependencies, licensing, sustainment, and supply-chain considerations.

Operations, Readiness, Training & Sustainment

• Develop scalable operational models supporting fixed-site, mobile, expeditionary, and event-driven mission requirements, as authorized by the Government.
• Establish readiness reporting, maintenance planning, configuration management, asset accountability, technical documentation, and sustainment processes.
• Develop training, qualifications, exercise, and proficiency programs for operators, maintainers, analysts, and program personnel.
• Implement operational reporting, lessons learned, incident response, and continuous improvement processes to enhance mission effectiveness.
• Plan and oversee long-term sustainment and operational support across geographically dispersed locations.

Security, Safety, Policy & Risk Management

• Ensure compliance with applicable federal laws, policies, aviation and spectrum requirements, cybersecurity controls, privacy considerations, records management obligations, export controls, and authorities governing CUAS operations.
• Collaborate with legal, policy, security, acquisition, intelligence, aviation, cybersecurity, spectrum, facilities, and operational stakeholders to resolve constraints and support program execution.
• Integrate cybersecurity, supply-chain risk management, physical security, operational security, system assurance, and safety practices throughout the program lifecycle.
• Lead risk management, contingency planning, audit support, corrective actions, and executive-level risk communication.

Financial, Acquisition & Workforce Management

• Manage program financial performance, staffing, resource allocation, subcontractor oversight, forecasting, and execution against established baselines.
• Support acquisition activities, including market research, technical requirements development, statements of work, evaluation criteria, cost inputs, source selection support, and post-award oversight.
• Recruit, develop, and lead multidisciplinary teams spanning program management, operations, engineering, cybersecurity, logistics, training, integration, and field support.
• Foster a culture of accountability, safety, compliance, collaboration, innovation, and mission excellence.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO SUCCEED

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering, aviation, computer science, cybersecurity, systems engineering, business, program management, or a related discipline required; master’s degree preferred.

Experience

12+ years of progressively responsible program leadership experience supporting complex federal technology, security, aviation, defense, or mission operations programs.

UAS / CUAS Leadership

5+ years leading UAS, CUAS, airspace security, or closely related programs, including demonstrated experience maturing at least one program, office, branch, or enterprise capability from initial concept through sustained operations.

Federal Agency Experience

Demonstrated success advising and supporting a large federal department or agency as it matured UAS / CUAS capabilities, governance, workforce, policy, technology, and operational processes.

Program Scale

Experience leading multidisciplinary, multi-contractor teams; geographically dispersed operations; complex stakeholder environments; and concurrent technical and operational workstreams.

Technical Experience

Working knowledge of UAS / CUAS architectures, sensors, command-and-control, integration, communications, data, testing, deployment, training, logistics, and lifecycle sustainment. Direct experience with solutions from the named providers or comparable industry platforms is strongly preferred.

Acquisition & Compliance

Experience supporting federal acquisition and vendor management and operating within applicable safety, aviation, spectrum, cybersecurity, privacy, supply-chain, and legal/policy constraints.

Certifications

Project Management Professional (PMP) required or must be obtained within an employer-defined period. Relevant UAS, aviation, systems engineering, cybersecurity, or acquisition credentials are preferred.

Executive Communication

Exceptional ability to communicate complex technical, operational, policy, and risk matters to senior Government executives, operational users, contracting officials, and industry partners.

Security Clearance

Current, in-scope investigation allowing ability to obtain a Top Secret clearance.

Location & Travel

National Capital Region hybrid presence with regular on-site customer engagement. CONUS and OCONUS travel is expected, including travel to operational sites, demonstrations, exercises, and industry locations.

PREFERRED DIFFERENTIATORS

• Experience developing enterprise UAS / CUAS strategies and roadmaps across both domestic and international operating environments.

• Experience with open architecture, multi-vendor integration, technology insertion, test and evaluation, and transition from pilot to sustained operations.

• Experience building Government workforce proficiency and transferring program knowledge, data, processes, and technical baselines to federal personnel.

• Experience managing sensitive operational technologies and coordinating among legal, policy, intelligence, law-enforcement, aviation, cybersecurity, acquisition, and customer stakeholders.