Vice President of Programs

Vice President of Programs

OWT Global is seeking an anticipatory, financially grounded program executive to lead a company-wide PMO and ensure new and existing programs are ready, predictable and reliably executed.

Location: Tampa, Florida, with regular in-person leadership at OWT Global headquarters

Reports to: Chief Executive Officer

Travel: Up to 25%, based on customer and program needs

Classification: Full-time, executive leadership

About OWT Global

OWT Global is a mission-focused defense services and solutions company that operationalizes technology across C5ISR, unmanned systems, counter-UAS, systems integration, training, field support and sustainment. Founded in 2010 and headquartered in Tampa, Florida, OWT supports U.S. government customers and mission partners in the United States and abroad.

Our veteran-rich workforce brings firsthand mission understanding to every engagement. We value speed, accountability, teamwork, sound judgment and doing what is right for the customer. As OWT enters its next phase of growth, we are strengthening the operating model required to scale without losing the responsiveness and mission focus that distinguish the company.

Position Overview

The Vice President of Programs will lead OWT Global's company-wide Program Management Office and own readiness, mobilization and execution oversight across all programs. Reporting directly to the CEO, this executive is a peer to the Vice President of Strategy and Growth and operates within the enterprise priorities and cross-functional coordination led by the Senior Vice President. The Vice President of Programs holds Program Directors accountable for their assigned programs and maintains a company-wide view of portfolio health, capacity, risk and execution.

Direct reports include the Program Directors for UxS, C5ISRT and ADAD and the Director of Mission Readiness. The role also oversees all program managers and the company-wide PMO.

The successful candidate will establish a practical and repeatable framework for program planning, award readiness, mobilization, financial management, delivery oversight, risk management and executive visibility. This role requires more than strong task execution. The executive must anticipate second- and third-order effects, connect activity across the portfolio, identify risks before they become problems and focus Directors and program managers on the work that matters most.

Executive Relationships and Enterprise Alignment

The Vice President of Programs defines and forecasts program requirements, integrated timelines and readiness commitments. Working through the Senior Vice President and Controller, the role secures corporate-support and Finance commitments. Functional leaders retain accountability for policy and professional standards; the Vice President of Programs remains accountable for portfolio performance and execution outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

PMO Leadership and Program Governance

• Optimize and lead a company-wide PMO that provides consistent governance, standards and executive visibility across all programs.

• Establish a practical program lifecycle, operating cadence, decision rights, performance measures and escalation paths that improve accountability and speed.

• Maintain an integrated portfolio view of program health, staffing, milestones, deliverables, financial performance, customer commitments and risk.

• Reduce key-person dependencies by creating repeatable program processes, common tools, clear ownership and disciplined documentation.

Award Readiness and Mobilization

• Lead execution planning for priority pursuits so staffing, infrastructure, systems and support requirements are understood well before contract start.

• Create scalable readiness gates, mobilization playbooks and integrated launch plans for new programs, task orders and contract expansions.

• Translate program plans into time-phased requirements for recruiting, onboarding, security, contracts, payroll, IT, facilities, travel and logistics.

• Coordinate functional owners and program leaders to onboard and deploy large, geographically distributed teams on compressed timelines while maintaining quality and compliance.

Portfolio Oversight and Program Execution

• Set consistent standards for program baselines, integrated planning, delivery, risk management, customer communication and corrective action.

• Maintain executive visibility across the portfolio and hold Program Directors accountable for the performance, financial results, risk management and customer outcomes of their assigned programs.

• Lead disciplined program reviews and develop Directors and program managers through clear expectations, coaching and performance accountability.

• Identify cross-program risks, resource conflicts, dependencies and execution trends early, then drive timely decisions and resolution.

Program Financial and Contractual Performance

• Own program budgets, forecasts, estimates-at-completion assumptions and corrective actions, partnering with the Controller on standards, independent validation and company reporting.

• Ensure program plans reflect contract requirements, pricing assumptions, labor mix, indirect-rate impacts, deliverables and delivery economics.

• Strengthen the handoff from capture and proposal through award, mobilization and steady-state execution.

• Build financial and contractual fluency among program leaders so decisions protect mission outcomes, customer commitments and enterprise value.

Cross-Functional Coordination and Executive Visibility

• Partner with the Vice President of Strategy and Growth to translate the pipeline and capture strategy into credible execution and transition plans.

• Partner with the Senior Vice President to translate portfolio requirements into corporate-support commitments and with the Controller to align budgets, forecasts and reporting.

• Provide the CEO, Senior Vice President and executive team with fact-based visibility into program readiness, performance, capacity, risk and required decisions, supporting Board reporting as requested.

• Preserve OWT's entrepreneurial pace and mission-first culture while introducing the program discipline required for sustained growth and delivery reliability.

Required Qualifications

• 15 or more years of progressive leadership experience in defense, federal contracting or government services, including at least seven years leading programs, portfolios or a PMO.

• Demonstrated success establishing program governance and mobilizing major awards, task orders or multi-site programs with significant workforce growth.

• Strong command of program and portfolio financial management, including budgets, forecasts, estimates at completion, revenue, margin, utilization and indirect costs.

• Working knowledge of FAR and DFARS requirements and experience executing cost-reimbursement, time-and-materials and firm-fixed-price work within IDIQ and task-order environments.

• Proven ability to coordinate recruiting, HR, security, contracts, finance, IT and logistics into integrated program launch and delivery while respecting functional ownership.

• Demonstrated ability to lead in a matrixed executive environment and secure cross-functional commitments while respecting functional accountability.

• Experience leading distributed, customer-facing teams in complex, high-accountability environments.

• Exceptional portfolio planning, prioritization, communication and decision-making skills, with the ability to move fluidly between executive-level oversight and program detail.

• Master's degree or an equivalent combination of education and relevant executive experience.

• U.S. citizenship and the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government security clearance.

• Ability to work regularly from OWT Global's Tampa headquarters and travel as mission and customer needs require.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience as a Vice President of Program Management, PMO leader, portfolio executive, Mission Director or comparable leader in the defense services space.

• Experience building a PMO and helping a defense services business scale.

• Operational experience in C5ISR, unmanned systems, counter-UAS, and/or system integration services.

• Experience with large IDIQ vehicles, rapid task-order mobilization, joint ventures and cleared, geographically dispersed workforces.

• Familiarity with DCAA, DCMA, DCSA, CMMC, NIST and ISO-aligned operating environments.

• PMP, PgMP, DAWIA, FAC-P/PM or a comparable program management credential.

• Prior military or government experience aligned around OWT Global’s current and emerging customer base.

• Deltek CostPoint experience – ideally hands-on use of Projects and Planning Domains