Program Manager

Role Overview

The Program Manager is Aquia's primary owner of contract performance on a single large federal engagement. You are accountable for the full lifecycle of program delivery- from client relationships and staffing to budget, risk, and organic growth. You operate as the final escalation point internally and the strategic face of Aquia externally, building the long-term partnership with government stakeholders while ensuring the day-to-day program runs with discipline and excellence.

As Program Manager, you work with significant autonomy. You don’t want a playbook handed to you- you want to write it, execute against it, and adapt it when the environment changes.

Key Responsibilities

Contract Performance & Delivery Oversight

• Serve as the accountable lead for all contract deliverables, milestones, and performance outcomes
• Maintain a strategic contract roadmap aligned to the client's mission priorities and evolving needs
• Own the program risk register, integrating inputs from project and product leads; ensure risks are identified, tracked, and actively mitigated
• Oversee program budget and burn rate; proactively flag variances and model corrective actions
• Monitor contract health against PWS/SOW requirements; escalate issues before they become findings

Client Relationships & Stakeholder Management

• Act as Aquia's primary point of contact with the Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) and key government stakeholders
• Build and maintain strategic relationships across the client organization, including leadership levels above the day-to-day POC
• Negotiate scope, timelines, and contract adjustments with the customer as program conditions evolve
• Lead CPARS preparation and manage the formal performance evaluation process
• Represent Aquia with credibility during audits, reviews, and executive touchpoints

Reporting & Communication

• Produce and own monthly Program Status Reports (internal and external), ensuring accuracy, consistency, and strategic framing 
• Fulfill all program-level reporting requirements as defined in the contract PWS/SOW
• Serve as incident response communications lead, coordinating Aquia's response posture and stakeholder notifications
• Act as the final internal and client-facing escalation point for program issues

Staffing & Team Leadership

• Define roles and responsibilities across the program team, including subcontractors
• Manage subcontractor relationships: performance, deliverables, and compliance with contract terms
• Own onboarding and offboarding for all program personnelAddress issues in partnership with Project Managers; create conditions for team performance and retention
• Partner with Aquia recruiting and hiring managers on backfill and growth hiring for your program

Business Development & Organic Growth

• Identify and pursue organic growth opportunities within your portfolio; document and communicate white space to Aquia business development leadership
• Contribute to proposal efforts and past performance write-ups tied to your program
• Represent Aquia's capabilities in client conversations in a way that positions the firm for expanded work

Required Qualifications

You must be a US Citizen or Permanent Resident, currently residing in the US, and able to obtain Public Trust clearance.

Experience

• 8+ years of program or project management experience in federal IT contractingPMP, PgMP, CSM, or equivalent program management certification
• Direct experience supporting CMS programs required
• Demonstrated experience owning contract performance on a federal program- including COR relationships, deliverables, and CPARS
• Experience managing teams of 20+ people, including subcontractors or matrixed staff
• Proven track record managing program budgets and burn rate in a T&M or fixed-price federal contract environment
• Experience negotiating scope changes and contract modifications with government clients

Domain Knowledge

• Working knowledge of FAR/DFARS and contract vehicle structures (IDIQ, BPA, T&M, FFP)
• Familiarity with federal IT compliance frameworks: FISMA, NIST 800-53, and FedRAMP concepts
• Exposure to digital modernization, cloud modernization, or cybersecurity programs preferred
• Understanding of federal program reporting requirements (status reports, CDRLs, deliverable tracking)

Skills & Competencies

• Exceptional written and verbal communication; able to translate technical delivery status into executive-level narratives
• Strong judgment in ambiguous situations; knows when to escalate, when to decide, and when to involve others
• Organized and detail-oriented without losing sight of the strategic picture
• Comfortable managing conflict- with clients, subcontractors, and internal team members- professionally and effectively
• Collaborative partner to Aquia project managers, technical leads, and internal operations

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with Medicare parts A/B/C/DExperience with agile delivery in a federal context (SAFe, Scrum, or hybrid)
• Familiarity with Aquia's core practice areas: security, compliance, engineering, and UX/UI
• Experience supporting agency-wide programs with multiple workstreams and cross-functional teams