Deputy Program Manager, Shipbuilding

Saronic Technologies is seeking a Deputy Program Manager (DPM) 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 support large-scale production and is accountable for cost, schedule, scope, and customer outcomes from contract award through delivery and sustainment. The DPM must pair deep expertise in large-scale shipbuilding and rate production with an instinct for modular kits, payloads, and mission-package integration. The Deputy Program Manager is a customer-facing stakeholder who partners closely with internal Saronic growth, engineering, production and quality teams.

Responsibilities

Support daily drumbeat and execution of a commercial and/or Government Shipbuilding program, holding responsibility for cost, schedule, scope, and quality from award through delivery and sustainment; Serve as a driver and steward of the customer contract, deliverables, milestones, CDRLs, and contractual obligations; Execute the integrated program plan, aligning production schedules, engineering milestones, and integration timelines to customer commitments; Drive risk and opportunity management across the program; Support reporting and internal briefing of program health, forecasts, and decisions to Saronic leadership and customer stakeholders; Partner with the Franklin and/or Port Alpha production team to plan and execute rate production of 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 including supply chain, labor, tooling, and facility constraints; Coordinate with Quality and Production to ensure build configurations and acceptance events meet customer and contractual standards; Execute 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; Balance production standardization against mission-driven variance; 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; Serve as a 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; Support and synchronize a cross-functional program team spanning Production, Engineering, Software, Mission Services, and Forward Deployed Engineering; Partner with cross-functional and technical partners to align technical execution with programmatic commitments; Synthesize tradeoff decisions across capability, schedule, cost, and risk; Execute disciplined configuration management across vessels, kits, payloads, and software versions

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Naval Architecture, or a related technical field; 4-6+ years of experience in program management of large-scale production, shipbuilding, or complex defense development programs; 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; Proven ability to manage government or defense customers, contracts, and deliverables

Nice to have

Program management experience of Unmanned Surface Vessels; Experience managing production at rate, including supply chain, build sequencing, and delivery of large or complex hardware systems; Comfort guiding customers through ambiguous or evolving requirements and shaping actionable solutions

Benefits

Comprehensive medical insurance, with Saronic paying 100% of the premium for employees and 80% for dependents; Dental and vision insurance, with Saronic paying 100% of the basic plan premium for employees and 80% for dependents; Generous PTO and holidays; Paid maternity and paternity leave; Competitive salary with opportunities for performance-based bonuses; 401(k) plan with company match; Stock options; Basic life insurance and short- and long-term disability coverage; Discounted pet insurance with 24/7 telehealth helpline; Free lunch, unlimited free drinks and snacks in the office