Program Manager Government Shipbuilding

TOTE Services, an affiliate of TOTE, LLC (“TOTE”) and an industry leader in ship management, marine operations, and vessel construction management, is seeking a Program Manager with Commercial and Government Shipbuilding experience to lead a complex, high-value domestic shipbuilding program. This position will be in Philadelphia, PA and will report to the Vice President of New Construction.

This role is intended for a senior, executive-level leader who combines strategic oversight with hands-on execution. The Program Manager (PM) has overall authority and accountability for the planning, coordination, execution, and delivery of a high-value shipbuilding program supporting the construction and transition of vessel(s) into government service.

The PM serves as the primary point of accountability for program success—owning cost, schedule, technical performance, and contractual compliance—while leading a multidisciplinary team of in-house and subcontracted resources. This role requires both executive-level stakeholder engagement and a willingness to operate within the details to ensure disciplined execution. The PM will lead risk-based decision-making that directly impacts program financials, schedule, and performance outcomes.

Direct engagement with Government stakeholders, oversight of contract compliance, and consistent, high-quality program reporting are critical to success in this role. The ideal candidate brings strong leadership presence, sound business judgment, and the ability to influence outcomes across a complex stakeholder environment.

The ideal candidate will have a minimum of 15 years of progressive program management experience in U.S. shipbuilding, with demonstrated expertise in cost, schedule, and performance oversight on large-scale, high-value programs.

At TOTE Services, we value hard work, integrity, and an unwavering commitment to exceptional customer service. We invest in our people by providing access to a broad range of training and development programs, along with meaningful opportunities for career growth. While our teams support some of the nation’s most complex and demanding maritime projects, we are equally committed to fostering a healthy work-life balance, recognizing that the long-term success of our company depends on the well-being of our employees.

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

• Promote the TOTE Services safety culture and ensure safety remains a core leadership priority across all program activities.

• Lead and integrate a broad group of in-house and subcontracted resources across design, construction, testing, delivery, and warranty, ensuring alignment with overall program objectives.

• Provide executive leadership and direction to a multidisciplinary organization; support the recruitment, development, and retention of high-performing technical and program management talent.

• Serve as the primary interface with the Government customer, representing TOTE Services at both the working and executive levels on all matters related to contract execution, program performance, and strategic alignment.

• Deliver formal program reporting to Government stakeholders, including clear communication of program status, financial performance, risks, and key decisions.

• Maintain full accountability for program financial performance, including forecasting, variance analysis, and alignment with corporate financial objectives.

• Oversee subcontractor performance to ensure adherence to contractual requirements, quality standards, and delivery expectations; drive accountability across the supply chain.

• Lead program-level risk management, including identification, assessment, mitigation planning, and execution of risk response strategies tied to cost, schedule, and technical performance.

• Execute and govern the change management process, including development and negotiation of technical and contractual change packages with clear cost and schedule impacts.

• Provide leadership oversight to technical teams to ensure achievement of vessel design and system engineering requirements, including technical data packages, configuration management, cybersecurity, and logistics deliverables.

• Support the development, negotiation, and execution of shipyard and subcontractor agreements, ensuring alignment with all Government requirements.

• Maintain strong relationships with regulatory bodies, including ABS, to resolve complex classification and compliance issues.

• Partner closely with Finance to develop and sustain robust financial models, ensuring leadership visibility into program performance and financial impacts of key decisions.

• Ensure compliance with all applicable Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) requirements, including effective flow-down and tracking within subcontracting structures.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Naval Architecture, Marine Engineering, Construction Management, Business Administration, Shipyard Management, or related field from an accredited university or a State/Federal Maritime Academy.

• 15+ years of progressive program management experience in vessel construction; experience leading large-scale, high-value commercial or U.S. Government shipbuilding programs is strongly preferred.

• Demonstrated experience with full lifecycle program leadership, including design, construction, delivery, and warranty phases.

• Professional Engineer (PE) and/or Project Management Professional (PMP) certification is preferred.

Competencies and Skills:

The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities required to effectively perform the duties of this position.

• Proven ability to lead complex, high-value programs with full accountability for cost, schedule, and technical performance.

• Strong knowledge of Government contracting, including contract types, structure, and administration.

• Demonstrated experience with FAR/DFARS compliance and flow-down of requirements to subcontractors.

• Executive-level communication skills, with the ability to clearly and effectively engage stakeholders at all levels, including senior Government officials.

• Strong technical acumen across vessel design, construction, and ship systems.

• Ability to build and sustain trusted relationships across a diverse and complex stakeholder environment.

• Advanced financial and business acumen, including budgeting, forecasting, and performance analysis.

• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite and SharePoint.

• Must be eligible to obtain and maintain a DoD Secret Security Clearance.

• Ability to travel as required to support program execution.