Senior Program Manager, Shipbuilding

Saronic Technologies is a leader in revolutionizing autonomy at sea, dedicated to developing state-of-the-art solutions that enhance maritime operations through autonomous and intelligent platforms. JOB OVERVIEW Saronic Technologies is seeking a Program Manager to own the execution and delivery of major shipbuilding programs. Saronic’s shipbuilding capacity exists at our shipyard in Franklin, LA and Port Alpha in Brownsville, TX. The PM will manage large-scale production and is accountable for cost, schedule, scope, and customer outcomes from contract award through delivery and sustainment. Saronic’s ships are built at production scale and fielded across a wide and evolving range of complex missions. The Program Manager must pair deep expertise in large-scale shipbuilding and rate production with an instinct for modular kits, payloads, and mission-package integration—understanding how a common hull is configured, re-configured, and sustained to meet diverse customer needs. This role owns the balance between production throughput and mission flexibility. The Program Manager serves as the primary customer-facing relationship owner. Partnering closely with the internal Saronic growth, engineering, production and quality teams, the right candidate brings the customer fluency to manage government stakeholders and contracts. The PM should also have the acumen to make technical decisions aligned to the customer needs and contract requirements, and the programmatic discipline to deliver a large, complex platform at scale. RESPONSIBILITIES Program Ownership & Delivery - Own end-to-end execution of a commercial and/or Government Shipbuilding program, holding accountability for cost, schedule, scope, and quality from award through delivery and sustainment. - Serve as a leader and owner of the customer contract, deliverables, milestones, CDRLs, and contractual obligations. - Build and maintain the integrated program plan, aligning productions scheduled, engineering milestones, and integration timelines to customer commitments. - Drive risk and opportunity management across the program, escalating and resolving issues that threaten cost, schedule, or performance. - Report program health, forecasts, and decisions to Saronic leadership and customer stakeholders. Large-Scale Production Interface - Partner with the Franklin and/or Port Alpha production team to plan and execute rate production large Ships (autonomous or manned), from long-lead procurement through hull construction, outfitting, and delivery. - Monitor build sequencing, work breakdown, and production milestones to protect throughput while meeting quality and acceptance criteria. - Monitor and mitigate production risks—supply chain, labor, tooling, and facility constraints—unique to large-vessel shipbuilding. - Coordinate with Quality and Production to ensure build configurations and acceptance events meet customer and contractual standards. Kit & Mission Package Integration - Own the configuration strategy for the ship class across a variety of mission packages, kits, and payloads on a common production hull. - Partner with Mission Package Integration Managers to plan integration of bespoke and commercial-off-the-shelf kits into the production and delivery flow. - Balance production standardization against mission-driven variance, protecting throughput while enabling flexibility. - Ensure integration timelines, dependencies, and configuration baselines are reflected in the master program plan. - Capture mission-package lessons learned and feed them back into production and product roadmaps. Customer & Stakeholder Engagement - Serve as the primary point of contact for customers, managing expectations, requirements, and relationships across the program lifecycle. - Elicit and clarify evolving mission needs, translating them into actionable program and technical direction. - Lead program reviews, delivery events, and technical exchanges with government stakeholders, operators, and evaluators. - Deliver clear, concise program updates and after-action reporting to leadership and customer audiences. Cross-Functional Leadership - Direct and synchronize a cross-functional program team spanning Production, Engineering, Software, Mission Services, and Forward Deployed Engineering. - Partner with Technical Program Managers to align technical execution with programmatic commitments. - Make and defend tradeoff decisions across capability, schedule, cost, and risk. - Drive disciplined configuration management across vessels, kits, payloads, and software versions QUALIFICATIONS - Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Naval Architecture, or a related technical field. - 9+ years of experience in program management of large-scale production, shipbuilding, or complex defense development programs. Program Management experience of Unmanned Surface Vessels highly desirable. - Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to interface confidently with technical and non-technical audiences. - Demonstrated ownership of cost, schedule, and scope on programs of significant size and complexity. - Experience managing production at rate, including supply chain, build sequencing, and delivery of large or complex hardware systems highly desirable. - Proven ability to manage government or defense customers, contracts, and deliverables. - Willingness to travel up to 25% of the time. - Secret security clearance eligibility required, active preferred. PHYSICAL DEMANDS - Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer - Occasional standing and walking within the office - Manual dexterity to operate a computer keyboard, mouse, and other office equipment - Visual acuity to read screens, documents, and reports - Occasional reaching, bending, or stooping to access file drawers, cabinets, or office supplies - Lifting and carrying items up to 20 pounds occasionally (e.g., office supplies, packages) KEY COMPETENCIES - Can own a large, complex program end-to-end while balancing production throughput against mission flexibility. - Can connect production and configuration decisions to overall program cost, schedule, and mission outcomes. - Can translate evolving customer requirements into disciplined, executable program plans. - Leadership of high-performing, cross-functional, and distributed teams. - Established track record of clear, consistent, and correct communications with peers, leaders, and external stakeholders. - Comfort guiding customers through ambiguous or evolving requirements and shaping actionable solutions. BENEFITS Medical Insurance: Comprehensive health insurance plans covering a range of services Saronic pays 100% of the premium for employees and 80% for dependents Dental and Vision Insurance: Coverage for routine dental check-ups, orthodontics, and vision care Saronic pays 100% of the premium under the basic plan for employees and 80% for dependents Time Off: Generous PTO and Holidays Parental Leave: Paid maternity and paternity leave to support new parents Competitive Salary: Industry-standard salaries with opportunities for performance-based bonuses Retirement Plan: 401(k) plan with company match Stock Options: Equity options to give employees a stake in the company’s success Life and Disability Insurance: Basic life insurance and short- and long-term disability coverage Pet Insurance: Discounted pet insurance options including 24/7 Telehealth helpline Additional Perks: Free lunch benefit and unlimited free drinks and snacks in the office Saronic CCPA Notice for Candidates and California Employees https://saronic-assets-public.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/Saronic%20CCPA%20Notice%20for%20Candidates%20and%20California%20Employees.pdf If this role is based in the United States, it requires access to export-controlled information or items that require “U.S. Person” status. As defined by U.S. law, individuals who are any one of the following are considered to be a “U.S. Person”: (1) U.S. citizens, (2) legal permanent residents (a.k.a. green card holders), and (3) certain protected classes of asylees and refugees, as defined in 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3) https://www.govinfo.gov/link/uscode/8/1324b. Saronic does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, color, religion, age, national origin, marital status, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other reason prohibited by law in provision of employment opportunities and benefits. We are also committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities.