The posting
Why This Role Matters Bluestaq’s programs are the proof: real contracts, real customers, real impact on the mission. The Program Director owns that portfolio end to end: the person who makes the hard call early, clears what’s in the way, and keeps programs moving forward. You’ll lead a portfolio spanning national security space missions and allied coalition programs, and the Program Managers, Portfolio Managers, and Product Owners who run it. You coach them to run their programs and lead their teams well. As a peer to Growth, Engineering, and Program Operations leadership, you keep everyone pulling in the same direction through alignment, not authority. Every program is different, and your job is to meet each one where it is: give every PM clear direction, real backup when it matters, and the judgment to know when to step in and when to get out of the way. AI is part of how we work here. You use it yourself, and you bring your team along. And when the playbook doesn’t fit, you build a better one. Creative problem-solving is how we work.
Key Responsibilities
- Set direction for the portfolio and make the call early, before analysis turns into delay.
- Tell your team what you know, what you don’t know yet, and when you’ll know more. Keep the information moving; that’s how trust is built here. Explain the why behind changes, especially the ones you didn’t choose.
- Face problems directly, with customers, your team, and leadership. Early, honest conversations keep trust intact.
- Spot delivery risk early (resourcing, technical debt, cross-team dependencies) and clear it so programs stay on schedule.
- Give your team air cover: back their good bets and defend their judgment up the chain.
- Make AI part of how your programs work: reporting, status tracking, cost and schedule tracking, backlog tools. Model it yourself, and bring your Program Managers, Portfolio Managers, and Product Owners along.
- Spend your first 60 days learning each program. Every program is different, so let what you learn shape how you lead it.
- Own execution of Bluestaq’s full program portfolio: plan it, coordinate it, deliver it, and review it regularly against budget, schedule, and contract deliverables.
- Be the visible leader in high-stakes customer conversations. Build trust that holds under pressure, and make it stronger with every interaction.
- Coach your team members so they can run their own programs and teams well: real feedback, and the authority to act on it.
- Hold a high bar and keep your team energized, not exhausted. High standards, high trust.
- Build shared playbooks for how programs plan, report, and escalate, and standardize where it helps each program run better.
- Connect programs that share opportunities or overlapping work, especially across engineering and product, so good ideas spread instead of staying siloed.
- Make sure every program has real financial forecasting and cost visibility, so leadership always knows where spend stands.
- Partner with the Contracts Lead, Finance, and your Program and Portfolio Managers to keep contract documentation current: contracts, subcontracts, NDAs, Teaming Agreements, mods, and CPAR responses.
- Partner with the Growth Team on RFIs, proposal input, and pursuit strategy for existing programs. Growth leads capture; you bring the program insight and customer access.
- Partner with the Program Operations Director on cross-program process and tooling, and with the Engineering Director on delivery alignment and technical risk.
- Brief the executives ahead of customer and stakeholder engagements, and keep leadership current on program performance.
- Find subcontractors and delivery partners who make the portfolio more resilient.
- Own hiring, training, time charging, performance, and advancement for your team.
Required Qualifications
- 14+ years leading complex, high-stakes Defense and Intelligence Community programs.
- Working knowledge of US government acquisition: FAR/DFARS, funding cycles, and contract types.
- Comfortable owning high-pressure customer escalations and rebuilding trust for follow-on work.
- Strong in front of customers: able to brief and connect with audiences from engineers to senior executives.
- Proven mentor to Program Managers: direct feedback and real coaching, not just oversight.
- Decisive under ambiguity. Makes the call early instead of letting it sit.
- Direct, frequent communicator. Explains decisions, including the ones you didn’t make, instead of letting silence fill the gap.
- Ability to travel up to 20%.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience scaling programs from prototype to sustainment at a federal contractor or similar.
- Experience with military and civilian space community.
- Experience with international partner programs (manning, time zone, and control considerations).
Required Experience and Education
- Bachelor’s degree in engineering, computer science, systems engineering, business administration or a related field and 14+ years of Program Management and Systems Engineering experience, OR
- Associate degree in a related field and 18+ years of combined military or civilian analysis/operations experience, OR
- High School Diploma/GED and 26+ years of combined engineering and space operations experience.
Salary Range (US)
$250,000—$350,000 USD
Clearance Requirement: This position may require an active TS/SCI Clearance. Current clearance holders are strongly encouraged to apply. If you don't currently hold one, Bluestaq will sponsor eligible candidates through the clearance process based on program needs.
Relocation: Relocation assistance is available for full-time positions.
About Bluestaq At Bluestaq, we build secure data platforms that matter for space missions, national defense, healthcare systems, and commercial innovation. Founded in 2018, we've become a leader in enterprise software and secure data management by staying focused on what counts: modern architecture, operational excellence, and mission impact.
We're engineers, problem-solvers, and builders who take the mission seriously, but not ourselves. We automate the repeatable, question the status quo, and design systems that are as reliable as they are scalable. Whether we're supporting space, defense systems, or healthcare advancements, we build with the same principles: cloud-native solutions, security by design, and relentless simplicity.
What We Offer: For full-time positions
- 100% employer-paid health, dental, and vision for you and your dependents
- Up to 6% match to 401(k) contributions with additional discretionary 4% profit share on day one. Roth options available; no vesting period.
- Every role is eligible for an annual performance bonus
- $200,000 employer-paid life insurance, plus short- and long-term disability coverage
- $5,000 annual professional development budget per employee
- 20 days PTO, plus 8 paid holidays
- Pet insurance, onsite gym, and flexible schedule
Bluestaq is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We prohibit unlawful discrimination against applicants or employees on the basis age 40 and over, color, disability, gender identity, genetic information, military or veteran status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or any other status protected by state or local law.
Bluestaq will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with known disabilities and employees whose work requirements interfere with a religious belief unless doing so would result in an undue hardship to Bluestaq or a direct threat. Employees needing such accommodation are instructed to contact Human Resources immediately at [email protected].
Applications will be accepted for 60 days beyond the posting date, or until the position is filled, whichever comes first.
