Senior Project Manager

Job Title | Job Code: 

Senior Project Manager | VSE 006 

Department:  

Operations 

FLSA Status: 

Exempt 

Reports to: 

VP of Project & Mission Management 

Job Group: 

Professional 

Location 

Houston, TX 

Position Description 

Voyager Space Exploration is seeking a Senior Project Manager. The Senior Project Manager will be responsible for planning and executing projects from concept to completion, ensuring all phases are managed effectively. They will develop and maintain customer relationships during the project, coordinate with technical teams, and prepare comprehensive project proposals. Additionally, the role involves assessing team performance, managing budgets and schedules, and providing regular status reports to stakeholders. This position requires a candidate with a solid track record of project management experience and the ability to lead projects in a dynamic and fast-paced environment. 

Essential Duties 

Project Management 

1. Develop, maintain, and oversee project scope, schedule, and budget, ensuring projects remain on track, within budget, and that they meet all requirements.
2. Provide regular, detailed reporting on project status to the project team, key stakeholders, and executive leadership, ensuring complete transparency and accountability.
3. Proactively identify, manage, and mitigate scope creep, ensuring project boundaries are clearly defined and adhered to, while effectively managing change requests.
4. Capture and document lessons learned throughout the project life cycle, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and knowledge sharing within the project management function.
5. Actively and collaboratively manages projects, working with both internal and external team members and stakeholders to drive desired outcomes.
6. Follows company-defined project management processes and best practices.
7. Establish and maintain strong, long-term relationships with customers, ensuring their requirements are consistently met and their expectations exceeded.
8. Support comprehensive, high-impact project proposals with detailed input from technical and financial stakeholders, ensuring documentation is thorough, compelling, and strategically aligned.
9. Oversee relationships with external suppliers, working with Contracts to create statements of work, negotiate contractual requirements, and ensure supplier performance aligns with project goals.
10. As needed, support leadership with the operation of the PMO and with maintaining a company project management methodology.

People Leadership 

1. Lead cross-functional teams, including technical and project staff, to define tasks, schedules, levels of effort, and technical direction, ensuring seamless alignment with overarching project goals.
2. Train, coach, and mentor project management staff, fostering professional growth and ensuring the development of a high-performing project team.
3. Continuously evaluate and enhance the performance of the project team, addressing resource constraints and needs with senior management to ensure timely resolution and optimal team function.

Additional Responsibilities 

• At all times exemplify the core Values of Integrity, Respect, and Humility
• A self-starter with a roll-up-the-sleeves mentality; desire to innovate and work in a hands-on and fast-paced environment
• Excellent time management and people leadership skills
• Travel of up to 30%
• Other duties as assigned

Supervisory Responsibilities 

• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing team by fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and excellence, ensuring effective communication and coordination within the organization.

Competencies 

Education:  

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited four-year college or university in mechanical, electrical, aerospace, chemical engineering, physics, materials science, computer science / engineering, mathematics, or business required.
• Master's degree or equivalent preferred.

Experience: 

• Required 
  • 5-10 years' experience in program/project management, project engineering, systems engineering, and/or product development required
  • Experience with common project management frameworks, tools, and software
  • Experience working with government and commercial aerospace customers and a familiarity with launch vehicles and/or payload development.
  • Experience working with CubeSats, Small Satellites, or any other platforms or payloads designed for operation in space (design, build, test, analysis, launch, operation, etc.).

• Preferred
  • Experience or familiarity with biological or chemical processes, in basic laboratory principles and techniques, or the ability to quickly gain knowledge with biological or chemical processes preferred.

Certifications & Licenses: 

• PMP credential required.
• Lean Six Sigma certification at green belt or higher preferred.

Talents:  

• Critical & Strategic Thinking
• People Leadership
• Decision Making
• Adapts to Change 
• Attention to Detail  
• Business Acumen 
• Enthusiastic Attitude
• Oral and written technical and non-technical communication

Physical Requirements 

1. The work is sedentary, requiring low levels of physical activity. A candidate should be able to exert up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally, and all other sedentary criteria are met.
2. The workplace operates under core working hours as defined by company policy. However, work schedules may vary based on business needs.  If a schedule needs to be changed, managers will notify their employees.
3. The work requires close visual acuity to perform activities. A candidate should be able to do the following activities without issue: preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal; extensive reading; visual inspection involving small defects, small parts, and/or operation of machines (including inspection); using measurement devices; and/or assembly or fabrication of parts at distances close to the eyes; operate motor vehicles or heavy equipment.
4. The work will require the employee to make repetitive motions and manipulate objects using their arms, hands, and fingers. The employee will be required to express and exchange ideas using spoken instructions accurately, loudly, and quickly. The employee will also need to discriminate sound at normal speaking levels without correction and can receive detailed information through oral communications.