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EchoStar builds solutions that help families and communities stay connected. We’ll launch your career and empower you to change lives.

Our brands include Boost Mobile, DISH TV, Gen Mobile, Hughes and Sling TV. We serve millions of customers with offerings ranging from satellite to streaming services and global to personal networking solutions.

EchoStar has an exciting opportunity in our Hughes Network Systems division for a Director of Programs - Defense and Government. This role will lead a major satellite ground system program for the U.S. Department of War (DoW). This role draws on Hughes’ 50-year legacy in satellite communications to connect commercial innovation with mission-critical defense capabilities of national security significance.

The individual in this role will be a seasoned Program Manager responsible for leading the planning, execution, and delivery of a large-scale, global ground systems program for defense. This role is critical to ensuring disciplined delivery of mission-critical capabilities, bridging program execution excellence with technical rigor to meet stringent national defense requirements and to maintain a high level of customer satisfaction. This position is primarily located at our Gaithersburg, MD office, though frequent travel to both CONUS and OCONUS customer locations may be required.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the development, maintenance, and execution of all program plans (PMP, IMP, IMS) to ensure alignment with contractual milestones, deliverables, compliance standards, and customer requirements
• Lead cross-functional, multi-contractor teams across engineering, integration, test, operations, and sustainment; this includes all aspects of a satellite ground system – civils, physical construction, outdoor and indoor equipment, and complex satellite communication and network components
• Partner with Engineering leadership to manage system architecture, integration, and technical baselines, and ensure the implementation of rigorous system engineering practices
• Manage program cost, schedule, and performance using Earned Value Management (EVM), driving successful completion of major program reviews and on-time delivery of all CDRL items
• Implement structured risk and opportunity management processes, leading issue resolution and escalation processes across stakeholders
• Implement quality management processes across all phases of the lifecycle, and ensure adherence to DoD standards, cybersecurity, and mission assurance requirements
• Serve as the primary interface with the government program leadership
• Report regular program status to internal executive level stakeholders

Basic Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, aerospace, or a related field
• 18+ years of relevant work experience (15+ years with Master’s degree)
• Prior experience with the U.S. DoW, space, and/or satellite communications programs
• Must hold a U.S. government security clearance at TS/SCI

Preferred Qualifications:

• Proven leadership of large, complex programs involving ground systems and/or space architecture procurements in excess of $150M
• Project Management Institute (PMI) PMP certification or equivalent
• Expertise with Earned Value Management (EVM) and reporting
• Strong background in systems engineering processes and lifecycle management

Visa sponsorship not available for this role

We offer versatile health perks, including flexible spending accounts, HSA, a 401(k) Plan with company match, ESPP, career opportunities, and a flexible time away plan; all benefits can be viewed here: EchoStar Benefits.

The base pay range shown is a guideline. Individual total compensation will vary based on factors such as qualifications, skill level, and competencies; compensation is based on the role's location and is subject to change based on work location.

Candidates need to successfully complete a pre-employment screen, which may include a drug test and DMV check. Our company is committed to fostering an inclusive and equitable workplace where every individual has the opportunity to succeed. We are dedicated to providing individuals with criminal or arrest records a fair chance of employment in accordance with local, state, and federal laws.

The posting will be active for a minimum of 3 days. The active posting will continue to extend by 3 days until the position is filled.

We pride ourselves on developing and promoting talent as an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status. EchoStar will accommodate the sincerely held religious beliefs of employees if such accommodations are not undue hardships and are otherwise within the bounds of applicable law. All qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with local, state, and federal law. You may redact any information that identifies age, date of birth, or dates of school/graduation from your application documents before submission and throughout our application process.

EchoStar will provide reasonable accommodation to otherwise qualified job applicants and employees with known physical or mental disabilities, unless doing so poses an undue hardship on the Company, poses a direct threat of substantial harm to others, or is otherwise not required by law. EchoStar has a more detailed Accommodation Policy that applies to employees. EchoStar endeavors to make echostar.com and jobs.echostar.com accessible to users. Please contact leaves@dish.com if you would like to discuss the accessibility of our website or need assistance completing the application process. This contact information is for accommodation requests only; do not use this contact information to inquire about the status of applications.

Click the links to access the following statements: EEO Policy Statement, Pay Transparency, EEOC Know Your Rights (English/Spanish)