Program Manager

Who We Are Every organization runs on intelligence: years of accumulated knowledge, decisions, and context. As AI takes on more of that work, companies face a choice: rent that intelligence from vendors who keep the data, the context, and the results, or own it. OpenTeams exists to make ownership possible. Founded by Travis Oliphant, creator of NumPy and SciPy, and built by people with deep roots across the open-source ecosystem, including NumPy, SciPy, PyTorch, and Jupyter, we help enterprises and governments build AI they control, govern, and evolve themselves. If that sounds like your kind of work, we'd like to meet you. Program Manager Location: Washington, DC; Denver, CO; or Colorado Springs, CO preferred (hybrid). Highly qualified candidates outside these locations may also be considered for unclassified work . Work Authorization: U.S. citizenship required Clearance: An active TS/SCI clearance with CI polygraph is strongly preferred. Candidates without an active clearance may be considered for unclassified work but must be eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance Salary Range: $145,000–$250,000 USD, dependent on experience level and location About the Role We're looking for a Program Manager to run an AI/ML platform program supporting national security missions. This is a role for someone who has done milestone-based work before and understands that on a fixed-price program, the schedule is the budget. You own execution end to end: cost, schedule, performance, milestone acceptance, contract deliverables, subcontractor performance, and risk and change management. You track Government dependencies and chase them down before they turn into slips. And you hold the day-to-day relationship with the Government program office — you're who they call, and you're who comes back with the answer. Our program teams are intentionally small and senior. There's no layer between you and the work, which means the things that actually keep complex programs moving — surfacing dependencies early, documenting decisions when they're made, escalating risk before it's a problem — are yours to do, not to hand off. This position is contingent upon contract award. Travel of up to 25% may be required, primarily to Government facilities and between company locations. Classified work and certain Government engagements require an appropriate clearance and onsite presence in an accredited facility. Key Responsibilities Own program cost, schedule, performance, and execution throughout the period of performance Develop and maintain the integrated program schedule and drive milestones to Government acceptance Manage contract deliverables, including technical reports, architecture documentation, recurring status reports, and program risk records Ensure deliverables meet contractual deadlines, quality expectations, and documented acceptance criteria Track Government-furnished equipment, information, access, and personnel dependencies against required dates Document and escalate late or at-risk Government dependencies, including anticipated schedule impact and proposed remedies Manage subcontractor and vendor performance, deliverables, staffing, and invoicing as part of an integrated program team Coordinate cleared subcontractor personnel and professional services engagements Support facility and personnel security processing and coordinate the security onboarding of program staff Maintain the program risk register, decision log, assumptions, issues, and mitigation plans Manage material scope, schedule, or dependency deviations through documented change-management processes Support requests for equitable adjustments or other contractual remedies when appropriate Serve as the primary programmatic interface to Government program and contracting stakeholders Coordinate activities across multiple Government stakeholder organizations Prepare for and lead program reviews, milestone reviews, status meetings, and executive briefings Partner with technical leadership to translate engineering progress, constraints, and risks into clear program-level reporting Required Skills & Experience U.S. citizenship and eligibility to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance 8+ years of program or project management experience supporting Department of Defense, Intelligence Community, or comparable Government programs Direct ownership of cost, schedule, performance, and milestone acceptance for firm-fixed-price or milestone-based delivery Experience managing programs awarded through Other Transaction authority, Commercial Solutions Opening processes, or comparable rapid-acquisition vehicles Experience managing Government-furnished dependencies and formally escalating Government actions that affect contractor performance or schedule Experience managing subcontractors as part of an integrated program team, including personnel, deliverables, performance, and invoicing Working knowledge of Risk Management Framework accreditation timelines and the program dependencies associated with achieving an Authority to Operate Experience maintaining program schedules, risk registers, decision logs, change records, and formal contract deliverables Strong written communication skills suitable for Government correspondence, program reviews, contractual deliverables, and executive reporting Ability to communicate effectively with Government program officials, contracting stakeholders, technical leaders, security personnel, and subcontractors Bachelor’s degree in a technical or business field, or equivalent practical experience Nice to Have Active TS/SCI clearance with CI polygraph Project Management Professional certification or an equivalent program-management credential Experience delivering AI/ML platforms, analytics systems, or software capabilities into classified environments Experience working for a nontraditional defense contractor or commercial software company serving Government customers Familiarity with facility-clearance processing and DD Form 254 administration Experience managing personnel-security and classified onboarding activities Experience supporting defense innovation organizations or rapid prototyping initiatives Experience coordinating programs involving multiple agencies or Government stakeholder organizations Technical familiarity with cloud platforms, AI/ML infrastructure, or software delivery programs What We Offer Medical, Dental & Vision – 100% paid for employees, 75% for dependents 401(k) Match – Up to 5% with full vesting after 2 years Unlimited PTO – With a required minimum of 15 days off annually Fully Remote Setup – Includes up to $3,000 equipment reimbursement Continuous Education – Includes up to $500 reimbursement Disability & Life Insurance – 100% employer-paid HSA & FSA Options – With monthly HSA contributions from OpenTeams Grow With Us At OpenTeams, growth isn’t just about the company—it’s about you. We believe the best careers are built at the edge of your potential. That is where new tools, ideas, and technologies change the world. Here, you’ll work alongside pioneers of AI, solving problems that matter: making AI more transparent, more ethical, and more empowering. As your skills grow, our career framework provides a pathway and recognition of that increased impact. Opportunities aren’t limited by geography. You’ll collaborate with global experts, contribute to open source projects that power the world’s technology, and stretch your skills daily. That global perspective and diversity makes our solution more universal and robust. We are committed to continuing to celebrate diversity on our team. Supported people are successful people. We offer 100% employer paid medical premiums for employees and self-managed PTO with a minimum time off requirement, so that our teams are able to do their best work. We invest in curiosity, creativity, and ownership. That means you’ll be trusted to boldly innovate, supported to learn fast, and celebrated for successful collaboration. Commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging OpenTeams understands that valuing diverse creative practices and forms of knowledge is crucial to and enriches the company’s core mission. We encourage applications from everyone, including members of all equity-seeking communities, such as (but certainly not limited to) women, racialized and Indigenous persons, disabled people, persons of all sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions. We are an equal opportunity employer - all qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for recruitment, interviews, employment, training, compensation, promotion, and related activities. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, gender, gender identity, gender expression, color, national origin, pregnancy, ancestry, domestic partner status, disability, sexual orientation, age, genetic predisposition, medical condition, marital status, citizenship status, military or veteran status, or any other basis covered by applicable laws. OpenTeams will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on these characteristics or any other unlawful behavior, conduct, or purpose.