Program Manager III Software Development Classified

Program Manager, Classified Software Development

Location: Colorado Springs, CO
Clearance: Active Top Secret required; TS/SCI strongly preferred
Work Environment: Hybrid, with regular on-site work in a SCIF at customer location in Colorado Springs
Certification: PMP required

Position Summary

Government Acquisitions, Inc. (GAI) is seeking an experienced Program Manager to lead a major software development program supporting the U.S. Department of Defense. This individual will have overall responsibility for program execution, customer satisfaction, technical delivery, schedule, financial performance, contractual compliance, and coordination across government and industry stakeholders.

The ideal candidate combines strong program management discipline with experience delivering software and technology solutions in classified DoD environments. The Program Manager should understand the unique challenges associated with developing, integrating, testing, deploying, and sustaining software on classified government networks, including experience supporting products through Interim Authorization to Test (IATT) and Authorization to Operate (ATO) processes.

This is a hands-on leadership role requiring someone who can operate comfortably with senior government customers, software development and cybersecurity teams, contracting personnel, subcontractors, and executive leadership.

Key Responsibilities

Program Leadership & Execution

• Serve as the primary GAI leader responsible for successful execution of the program, including cost, schedule, performance, quality, risk, and customer satisfaction.
• Establish and maintain the program management framework, including the integrated program schedule, milestones, deliverables, dependencies, risks, and performance metrics.
• Lead program reviews and provide clear reporting on program health, accomplishments, risks, issues, financial performance, and corrective actions.
• Identify program risks early and drive mitigation plans to resolution.
• Coordinate activities across software engineering, cybersecurity, systems engineering, testing, deployment, infrastructure, operations, and other program functions.
• Manage subcontractors, technology partners, and other third parties supporting program execution.
• Ensure contractual requirements and deliverables are understood, assigned, tracked, and completed on schedule.

Software Development Program Management

• Lead execution of complex software development and integration efforts supporting DoD missions.
• Work closely with engineering and product leadership to establish development priorities, release schedules, testing milestones, deployment plans, and customer acceptance criteria.
• Provide program-level oversight of Agile software development activities, including sprint/release planning, backlog priorities, dependencies, and delivery milestones.
• Coordinate software releases across development, test, staging, and operational environments.
• Translate customer mission requirements into executable program plans and measurable outcomes.

Cybersecurity, IATT & ATO

• Lead or coordinate program activities necessary to successfully move software solutions through DoD cybersecurity authorization processes.
• Demonstrate practical experience supporting IATT and ATO activities for DoD information systems and software applications.
• Partner closely with cybersecurity, ISSM/ISSO, engineering, and government security personnel to ensure security requirements are incorporated into the development lifecycle rather than addressed only at deployment.
• Coordinate cybersecurity artifacts, testing, remediation, documentation, and program schedules required to support authorization milestones.
• Track vulnerabilities, findings, POA&Ms, security controls, testing dependencies, and other issues that could affect authorization or deployment.
• Experience supporting authorization and deployment on JWICS and/or other classified DoD or Intelligence Community networks is strongly preferred.

Government & Customer Engagement

• Serve as a trusted day-to-day interface with government program leadership, contracting officials, technical stakeholders, cybersecurity personnel, and mission users.
• Lead customer meetings, program reviews, technical reviews, status briefings, and executive-level presentations.
• Develop strong working relationships with government stakeholders and proactively manage expectations, priorities, issues, and changes.
• Communicate complex technical and programmatic issues clearly to both technical and nontechnical audiences.
• Support contract modifications, change management, scope discussions, and new program requirements as necessary.

Financial & Contract Management

• Manage program budgets, forecasts, staffing plans, and financial performance.
• Monitor actual performance against program baselines and quickly identify schedule, cost, or resource variances.
• Work collaboratively with GAI finance, contracts, security, recruiting, engineering, and executive leadership.
• Support contract deliverables, subcontractor performance, invoicing, forecasting, and other program-management requirements.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business, engineering, computer science, information technology, or another relevant field.
• PMP certification in active/good standing.
• Experience handling multiple ARO's with multiple funding streams
• 5+ years of experience managing DoD (DoW) programs, with responsibility for program cost, schedule, performance, and customer relationships.
• Demonstrated experience managing software development, software deployment, systems integration, DevSecOps, or other technically complex programs.
• Experience supporting software or information systems through the DoD IATT and ATO process.
• Working knowledge of DoD cybersecurity and Risk Management Framework processes as they relate to developing, testing, authorizing, and deploying software.
• Experience working with software engineering, cybersecurity, systems engineering, and technical delivery teams.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple workstreams, schedules, dependencies, deliverables, and stakeholders.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including experience presenting program status to senior government and corporate leadership.
• Experience working within classified environments and appropriately handling classified information.
• Active Top Secret security clearance required.
• Ability and willingness to work regularly in a SCIF several days per week based on customer and program requirements.
• Must be located in, or willing to relocate to, the Colorado Springs, CO or Los Angeles, CA area.

Preferred Qualifications

• Active TS/SCI clearance.
• Prior experience managing software programs operating on JWICS or other classified DoD/IC networks.
• Direct experience taking one or more software products or systems from development through IATT, ATO, deployment, and operational use.
• Experience with Agile and DevSecOps software development environments.
• Familiarity with the DoD Risk Management Framework (RMF) and cybersecurity authorization lifecycle.
• Experience coordinating with government cybersecurity organizations, ISSMs, ISSOs, Authorizing Officials, engineering teams, and security control assessors.
• Experience with cloud, containerized, data, AI/ML, or other modern software architectures in classified environments.
• Experience leading geographically distributed development and program teams.
• Previous responsibility for program financial performance, staffing, subcontractors, and customer satisfaction.

What Success Looks Like

The successful candidate will be able to take ownership of a complex classified software program and create the structure, visibility, and accountability necessary to deliver consistently. Within the first several months, this individual should be able to:

1. Establish a strong working relationship with the government customer and program stakeholders.
2. Develop an integrated view of program scope, schedule, deliverables, staffing, risks, and financial performance.
3. Align software development milestones with cybersecurity, IATT/ATO, testing, and deployment requirements.
4. Implement an executive-level reporting cadence that gives GAI and the customer early visibility into risks and decisions.
5. Create a disciplined path from software development through authorization and deployment onto the target classified networks.
6. Build a high-performing program culture focused on mission outcomes, accountability, responsiveness, and customer trust.