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CHAOS Industries · 20 hours ago

IT & Cybersecurity Program Manager

Hawthorne, CA

Full-time

Onsite

Senior Level

$180K/yr - $215K/yr

5+ years exp

CHAOS Industries is redefining modern defense with innovative systems built by military veterans and tech innovators. The Program Manager will lead IT and cybersecurity initiatives, establishing project governance and ensuring compliance with DoD requirements while driving organizational development.

AerospaceGovernmentMilitaryNational Security

Work & Life Balance

No H1B

Security Clearance Required

U.S. Citizen Only

Responsibilities

Establish the initial project and program management framework for the department using Disciplined Agile (DA) methodology principles—context-driven, fit-for-purpose, minimal bureaucracy, focused on flow and value delivery

Partner with company leadership to align IT and cybersecurity projects and programs with strategic objectives, customer commitments, and compliance requirements

Drive continuous improvement in ways of working (WoW), team throughput, and technical delivery processes

Introduce scalable governance, reporting, and project controls appropriate for a startup working in regulated DoD environments

Build foundational project and program management practices from the ground up, shaping organizational standards and preparing the company for future PMO implementation.Champion organizational readiness for a future PMO, including intake processes, prioritization models, work visualization, and cross-team coordination

Lead end-to-end delivery of IT and cybersecurity initiatives supporting DoD programs, including infrastructure buildouts, system implementations, secure network deployments, enterprise tools, and software or automation capabilities

Build adaptive project plans that incorporate hybrid approaches (Agile, Lean, Kanban, iterative, traditional) selected based on context, constraints, and government customer expectations

Manage scope, schedules, risks, and resources while maintaining alignment with contract deliverables, DoD technical requirements, and security standards

Coordinate across internal engineering, cybersecurity, compliance, facilities, and operations teams as well as any third-party partners or contractors

Build transparent communication channels and cadence-based reporting for executive leadership and DoD customers

Ensure all program activities comply with DoD cybersecurity requirements, including NIST 800-171/CMMC

Maintain strict adherence to ITAR, EAR, and all export control regulations

Help establish and uphold policies and procedures for handling CUI and classified materials; ensure teams understand and adhere to secure work protocols

Partner with Information Assurance, Security, IT, and other enterprise teams to support assessment and accreditation activities

Build compliance checkpoints into program workflows to reduce rework, improve audit readiness, and maintain compliance programs post-operationalization

Operate programs in alignment with FAR/DFARS, contract requirements, and customer expectations

Track and report deliverables, milestones, burn-down/burn-up metrics, risks, and performance indicators

Prepare briefings, status updates, and customer communications for government program offices and oversight personnel

Support on proposals, capture activities, Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) estimates, and technical inputs for new business opportunities

Provide project and program management leadership to establish scalable standards, best practices, and governance frameworks, guiding the evolution toward a formal Project Management Office (PMO)

Lead cross-functional teams across cyber, IT operations, engineering, product, and other business functions, fostering collaboration and execution

Mentor teams on Disciplined Agile, Definition-of-Done delivery practices, and effective work orchestration

Facilitate cross-departmental relationship building, ensuring alignment and transparency across teams

Build a culture of incremental improvement, throughput optimization, and value-focused execution

Guide workforce planning, performance evaluations, and professional development for project personnel

Qualification

IT project managementCybersecurity project managementDisciplined Agile methodologyDoD compliance knowledgeProject management toolsRisk managementDevSecOps conceptsTeam leadershipCross-functional collaborationCommunication skillsMentoring

Required

Must be a U.S. citizen eligible for access to government facilities and sensitive information

Ability to obtain additional clearances as required by contract

Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Cybersecurity, Computer Science, Business, or related field

5+ years of IT and/or cybersecurity project and/or program management experience, including 3+ years supporting DoD or federal programs

Proven ability to manage programs of $1M+ value and teams of 10+ members

Experience leading in environments without strong existing project management structures

Experience scaling project and program operations within a startup or early-stage organization

Expert proficiency with project and work management tools (MS Project, Jira, Smartsheet), platforms, and agile methodologies

Solid grasp of risk management, critical path analysis, and dependency mapping

Strong understanding of DoD IT systems, architectures, and cybersecurity frameworks

Familiarity with systems development lifecycle methodologies and DevSecOps concepts

Preferred

Active Secret clearance

Advanced degree in a related field

Experience working directly with DoD agencies or military branches

Prior military service or extensive interaction with uniformed services

Experience supporting both CONUS and OCONUS operations

Valuable certifications: PMP, PgMP, Disciplined Agile Scrum Master/Agile/Scrum, or equivalent, CISSP, ITIL, Security+, or higher DoD 8570 IAT Level II certification