Subcontract Program Manager II

Job Title: Subcontract Program Manager IIJob Description

The Subcontract Program Manager II will serve as the primary representative responsible for supplier performance and subcontract execution on a newly awarded, missioncritical defense program. Embedded at a major supplier site in the Boston area, this individual will act as the key interface between the supplier and the broader program team, ensuring that execution aligns with technical, schedule, cost, contractual, and quality objectives. The role requires a blend of aerospace and defense program management, supplier and subcontract management, and defense contracting expertise, and offers significant autonomy, visibility, and strategic influence on a highpriority national defense effort.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary program representative at a critical supplier location, acting as the main liaison between the supplier and the program team.
• Monitor supplier performance and execution against program commitments, ensuring adherence to technical, schedule, cost, contractual, and quality objectives.
• Lead supplier meetings and program reviews, driving alignment on milestones, deliverables, and performance expectations.
• Manage cost, schedule, technical, contractual, and risk elements of the subcontract, serving as the escalation point for supplier performance concerns.
• Develop and implement mitigation and recovery plans to address cost overruns, schedule delays, quality issues, or technical challenges.
• Coordinate closely with Program Management, Engineering, Operations, Quality, Contracts, and Supply Chain teams to ensure integrated program execution.
• Manage major subcontractors and supplier relationships throughout the program lifecycle, fostering strong, collaborative partnerships.
• Evaluate supplier risks, track issues, and ensure corrective actions are identified, implemented, and verified for effectiveness.
• Support supplier negotiations and subcontract execution activities, including changes to scope, terms, and conditions.
• Ensure compliance with contract requirements and Statements of Work, including deliverable and reporting obligations.
• Monitor supplier deliverables, milestones, and performance metrics, and drive accountability for meeting program objectives.
• Provide executivelevel status updates and supplier health assessments, including risk, issue, and opportunity reporting.
• Support material planning, supplier forecasting, and execution strategies to ensure timely availability of parts, components, and services.
• Participate in source selection activities, proposal reviews, and subcontract strategy discussions as required by the program.
• Act as the "eyes and ears" of the program at the supplier site, identifying emerging issues early and driving proactive resolution.
• Travel periodically to Colorado for onboarding, integration meetings, program reviews, and customer discussions.

Essential Skills

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain, Engineering, Program Management, Operations, or a related field.
• At least 4 years of experience in Program Management, Supplier Management, Subcontract Management, or Supply Chain Program Management.
• Proven experience managing supplier performance on aerospace or defense programs.
• Strong understanding of program execution, schedule management, and risk management in a complex, regulated environment.
• Demonstrated ability to operate independently with limited management oversight, making sound decisions and driving results.
• Ability to influence supplier organizations and crossfunctional stakeholders without direct authority.
• Strong communication, leadership, and stakeholder management skills, including the ability to present to executive audiences.
• Active Secret Security Clearance.
• Ability to work onsite in Peabody, MA at least three days per week.
• Experience with supplier program management in defense environments.
• Familiarity with Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) and Defense Federal Acquisition Regulations (DFAR).
• Experience with major subcontracts and defense contracting practices.
• Deliverable management and Statement of Work (SOW) management experience, including oversight of missile systems and acquisitions.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Missile program experience supporting complex weapon systems.
• Prior experience working on missile programs with major defense contractors.
• Defense subcontract management experience across the program lifecycle.
• FAR and DFAR familiarity and practical application in subcontract execution.
• Program management experience supporting complex weapon systems and regulated defense programs.
• Technical or engineering degree, particularly in fields related to aerospace or defense systems.
• Broader aerospace and defense industry experience, including supplier oversight in highly regulated environments.
• Experience providing supplier oversight for regulated defense programs, including compliance and audit support.

Work Environment

This role is primarily based at a supplier facility in the Peabody, Massachusetts area, with regular onsite presence required and periodic travel to Colorado for onboarding, program reviews, customer discussions, and integration meetings. The work environment is highly collaborative, involving daily interaction with supplier leadership, engineering teams, operations personnel, and program stakeholders across Program Management, Engineering, Operations, Contracts, Supply Chain, and Quality. The position offers high visibility within the organization and significant exposure to senior defense leadership. The successful candidate will operate with substantial autonomy, often serving as the onsite authority for program matters, and must be comfortable handling ambiguity, identifying issues before they become problems, and driving accountability across multiple organizations. The culture emphasizes missioncritical national defense priorities, strategic influence, and independent ownership of supplier execution, providing an opportunity to make a direct impact on one of the organizations most important defense programs.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Peabody, MA.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $75.00 - $85.00/hr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following: Medical, dental & vision Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital 401(k) Retirement Plan Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) Short and long-term disability Health Spending Account (HSA) Transportation benefits Employee Assistance Program Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Workplace Type

This is a hybrid position in Peabody,MA.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Oct 16, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email actalentaccommodation@actalentservices.com for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.