The future of aerospace and defense starts here.
Ursa Major was founded to revolutionize how America and its allies access and apply high-performance propulsion, from hypersonics to solid rocket motors, satellite maneuvering and launch. We design and deliver propulsion and defense systems that solve the most urgent and critical national security demands.
The Senior Program Manager is a leader who drives customer requirements, schedules, resources, and overall program progress to ensure customer satisfaction and our business success. The Senior Program Manager owns on-time execution of customer deliverables, can excel as a technical liaison, and can bring together complex technical and operational inputs to meet program milestones.
Responsibilities:
- Drives program progress, from identification of market need through sustainment and obsolescence
- Manages the customer relationship and is responsible for customer satisfaction
- Responsible for defining program objectives and aligning resources required to execute
- Responsible for the program budget, schedule, and Key Results (KRs) and their performance; regularly monitors and reports on program health, including ownership of Program Review material preparation and presentation
- Owns the schedule for the program. Responsible for pulling inputs from across the company and re-baselining as changes occur.
- Owns evaluation of technical and program risks/opportunities, drives mitigations of risk and realization of opportunities
- Identifies and helps realize program or product opportunities to strength the business
- Drives program technical and operational objectives, while ensuring program progress and on-time delivery
- Serve as the primary customer point of contact (POC), manage contract scope, prepare material for and hosting regular customer check-in meetings, and lead the preparation of contract deliverables
- Collaborates with team members to write, review, and deliver technical deliverables
- Support business development and capture efforts with programmatic inputs, including cost and schedule.
Required Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering
- 8+ year’s experience of program management or aerospace leadership
- Must be able to perform work subject to ITAR/EAR regulations and/or program requirements
- Proven program management experience, preferably in the defense, national security, or aerospace domains
- Proven experience leading a team of peers to field integrated products to real operating environments
- Adaptive and introspective, willing to learn, teach, lead, and follow
Preferred Experience:
- Advanced degree in a technical field
- Experience with Department of Defense (DoD) and Government Contracts
- Leadership and team building skills to include fostering collaborative and positive cultures, formal and informal influencing skills, and team empowerment and motivation expertise
- Problem solving skills and knowledge of program management tools and procedures
- Excellent oral and written communication skills
Colorado law requires us to tell you the base compensation range of this role, which is $135,000 - $163,000, determined by your education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities. What we can’t quantify for you are the exciting challenges, supportive team, and amazing culture we enjoy.
Classification: Full-time Exempt
Benefits Include: (Please note, Interns are not eligible for benefits)
- Unlimited PTO - Vacation, Sick, Personal, and Bereavement
- Paid Parental and Adoptive Leave
- Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance
- Tax Advantage Accounts (HSA/FSA)
- Employer Paid Short and Long Term Disability, Basic Life, AD&D
- Additional Benefit Options Including Voluntary Life and Emergency Medical Transport
- EAP Program
- Retirement Savings Plan - 401k with Company Match
- Equity Grants in the Company
How To Apply:
Interested candidates are encouraged to apply by filling out the application below and clicking "Submit Application". This position will be posted for a minimum of 3 days and will remain open until filled or adjusted based on the volume of applicants.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering
- 8+ years experience in program management or aerospace leadership
- Ability to perform work subject to ITAR/EAR regulations
- Proven program management experience
- Proven experience leading teams to field integrated products in operational environments
- Must be a U.S. Person (U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident)
- Eligibility to obtain and maintain a U.S. Security Clearance
- Experience in defense, national security, or aerospace domains
- Adaptive, willing to learn, teach, lead, and follow (soft skills)
- Advanced degree in a technical field
- Experience with Department of Defense and government contracts
- Leadership, team building, and formal/informal influencing skills
- Knowledge of program management tools and procedures; strong problem-solving skills
- Excellent oral and written communication skills
What the Team is Saying
Ursa Major Compensation & Benefits Highlights
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Time off is structured with an unlimited PTO policy plus two companywide paid breaks (mid‑summer and year‑end), creating predictable downtime alongside flexibility. Company holidays and shutdowns are consistently highlighted across employer materials and third‑party profiles.
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Healthcare Strength — Health coverage is described as comprehensive, including medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, life/AD&D, and short‑term disability, with mental‑health resources also noted. These elements appear on the company’s careers page and are echoed by external listings.
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Parental & Family Support — Paid parental and adoptive leave are emphasized, alongside family supports such as an onsite Mother’s Room and company‑sponsored family events. External profiles characterize the parental offering as generous.
Ursa Major Insights
What We Do
Ursa Major was founded to address a critical shortfall in the U.S. industrial base and bring a new model to aerospace and defense systems: we design and manufacture the world’s leading propulsion systems for space, hypersonic applications, and missile systems. Our products and technologies require an extraordinary team – a team that will mold tomorrow’s technologies while deploying today’s best. We are an intrinsically motivated team that has a passion for solving problems and empowering each other every day to develop our skills, knowing that there is always room for growth.
Why Work With Us
We believe that each unique team member fuels the creativity necessary to build the world’s best propulsion systems. This is realized as a deeply held commitment to celebrating individuality, hiring talent across all backgrounds and experiences, building a culture of inclusion, and constantly challenging ourselves to improve.
Gallery
Ursa Major Offices
OnSite Workspace
Most employees work on-site with some positions allowing hybrid and/or remote work.
