Director, Air Vehicle Portfolio
KBR, Lexington Park, MD, United States
Director, Air Vehicle Portfolio
KBR's Mission Engineering organization delivers mission-critical engineering, integration, and lifecycle support solutions to the U.S. Department of Defense. With deep expertise across mission engineering, modeling and simulation, cyber-enabled transformation, air vehicle integration, and sustainment, KBR partners closely with government customers to enable operational readiness across manned and unmanned aviation platforms. KBR is committed to the highest standards of ethics, data security, and responsible information management in support of national security missions. The Director, Air Vehicle Portfolio is a senior leadership role responsible for the execution, growth, and long-term performance of a diverse $50M$80M portfolio supporting manned and unmanned aviation programs to the US Navy. This role provides strategic and operational leadership across flight test, systems engineering, integration, and lifecycle support efforts, ensuring disciplined program execution while driving sustained portfolio growth aligned with customer priorities and KBR strategic objectives. The Portfolio Director serves as the primary senior interface to key government customers, internal executives, and functional leaders, with full accountability for financial performance, cost and schedule execution, customer satisfaction, on-contract growth, and new business development. Success in this role is measured by consistent revenue and margin performance, effective pipeline development and award conversion, strong customer relationships, and the development of high-performing program and technical teams. Roles & Responsibilities
Portfolio Leadership & Execution:
Provide end-to-end leadership for a $50M+ portfolio, ensuring disciplined execution across cost, schedule, scope, and technical performance. Oversee multiple programs and teams across flight test, systems engineering, integration, and lifecycle support domains. Ensure effective application of program management best practices, including earned value management, critical path analysis, and risk management. Drive continuous improvement in execution performance, quality, and operational efficiency. Financial Management & Corporate Reporting:
Maintain full accountability for portfolio financial performance, including revenue, margin, cost control, and forecast accuracy. Partner closely with functional organizations to manage budgets, financial reporting, and variance analysis. Lead development and execution of the Annual Operating Plan (AOP) and long-range strategic plans (STRAP) for the portfolio. Ensure compliance with KBR financial, contracting, and governance requirements. Customer Engagement & Mission Impact:
Serve as the senior KBR representative to key government customers and stakeholders. Build and sustain trusted customer relationships that enable mission success and long-term growth. Ensure programs deliver measurable mission impact aligned with customer operational priorities. Anticipate evolving customer needs and position the portfolio to respond proactively. Growth & New Business Development:
Own portfolio growth strategy, including pipeline development, capture support, and transition from award to execution. Collaborate with Business Development to shape opportunities, influence acquisition strategies, and support proposal development. Ensure effective conversion of pipeline opportunities into contract awards and funded work. Align portfolio growth initiatives with enterprise-level strategic priorities. Process, Standards & Functional Leadership:
Serve as a program management domain expert, with experience in PM process architecture and evaluation frameworks (e.g., SEI/CMMI, TL9000 or equivalent). Lead large, cross-functional teams through process improvement initiatives and execution roadmaps. Integrate program management, engineering, quality, and financial disciplines to optimize outcomes. Maintain awareness of program management trends, tools, and best practices across industry and academia. Leadership:
Build, lead, and mentor high-performing program and functional leaders. Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and mission focus. Support workforce planning, talent development, and succession planning across the portfolio. Basic Qualifications
Education: BS/BA Experience: at least 12 years of directly related experience. In lieu of formal education, 20 years of directly related experience. Extensive experience leading large, complex DoD aviation or mission engineering portfolios. Proven success managing $50M$80M programs or portfolios with full P&L responsibility. Deep understanding of program management methodologies, financial management, and earned value principles. Demonstrated ability to build senior-level customer relationships and drive new business growth. Strong leadership presence with the ability to align teams, influence stakeholders, and deliver results in mission-critical environments. Clearance & Citizenship: Secret security clearance; U.S. citizenship required. Preferred Qualifications
Advanced Degrees (M.S. / MBA) preferred. Extensive program management experience and increasing leadership responsibility. Preferred cross-functional and business experiences. Compensation
Basic Compensation: $198,000 - $270,000. The salary range posted is based on the national average. The offered rate will be based on the selected candidate's location, knowledge, skills, abilities, and/or experience, contract affordability, and in consideration of internal parity. Additional Compensation: KBR may offer bonuses, commissions, or other forms of compensation to certain job titles or levels, per internal policy or contractual designation. Additional compensation may be in the form of sign on bonus, relocation benefits, short term incentives, long term incentives, or discretionary payments for exceptional performance. Benefits: KBR offers a selection of competitive lifestyle benefits which could include a 401K plan with company match, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, AD&D, flexible spending account, disability, paid time off, or flexible work schedule. We support career advancement through professional training and development. KBR Values
KBR is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, veteran status, genetic information, union status and/or beliefs, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. KBR Delivering Solutions, Changing the World. KBR brings together the best and brightest to deliver science, technology and engineering solutions that help governments and companies around the world accomplish their most critical missions and objectives. In everything we do, we are guided by our ONE KBR Values: We Value Our People We create diverse, inclusive environments in which each person can feel safe, respected and valued, and where everyone has opportunities to grow and reach their full potential. We Deliver We are uncompromising in our commitment to deliver innovative, high-quality, technology-led solutions for our customers and exceptional, sustainable value for all our stakeholders. We Are People of Integrity We value honesty, trust, courage, fairness, prudence and tenacity. We believe doing what's right for the planet, the communities where we work, and our people is good for business. We Empower We empower our people with a shared purpose, the right tools and the supportive culture they need to be proactive decision-makers, to be adaptive to change, and to succeed. We Are a Team of Teams We have a will to succeed, but we value the achievements of our team of teams over individual accomplishments. Our collective focus makes us a better, stronger, more effective company. We have also embedded environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles in every business operation and corporate function. Not only are we committed to operating safely, sustainably and equitably, but we are also committed to using our capabilities and expertise to help our customers accomplish their sustainability goals. Worldwide, KBR employs a diverse workforce approximately 29,000 people strong, with customers in more than 80 countries and operations in 40 countries. Fraud Alert
Fraud has infiltrated the job placement market via the internet, email and direct phone contact. Attempts have included unauthorized use of KBR's name and logo to solicit potential job seekers or to extend false job offers. Bad actors may mix in fake job advertisements with legitimate postings. These ads can include contact instructions and require job seekers to send sensitive personal information or money to pay for visa applications, processing fees, etc., in exchange for consideration for a high-paying position. KBR will never ask for any sort of advance payment as part of the recruiting/hiring process. Candidate profiles are carefully managed to protect personal information.
KBR's Mission Engineering organization delivers mission-critical engineering, integration, and lifecycle support solutions to the U.S. Department of Defense. With deep expertise across mission engineering, modeling and simulation, cyber-enabled transformation, air vehicle integration, and sustainment, KBR partners closely with government customers to enable operational readiness across manned and unmanned aviation platforms. KBR is committed to the highest standards of ethics, data security, and responsible information management in support of national security missions. The Director, Air Vehicle Portfolio is a senior leadership role responsible for the execution, growth, and long-term performance of a diverse $50M$80M portfolio supporting manned and unmanned aviation programs to the US Navy. This role provides strategic and operational leadership across flight test, systems engineering, integration, and lifecycle support efforts, ensuring disciplined program execution while driving sustained portfolio growth aligned with customer priorities and KBR strategic objectives. The Portfolio Director serves as the primary senior interface to key government customers, internal executives, and functional leaders, with full accountability for financial performance, cost and schedule execution, customer satisfaction, on-contract growth, and new business development. Success in this role is measured by consistent revenue and margin performance, effective pipeline development and award conversion, strong customer relationships, and the development of high-performing program and technical teams. Roles & Responsibilities
Portfolio Leadership & Execution:
Provide end-to-end leadership for a $50M+ portfolio, ensuring disciplined execution across cost, schedule, scope, and technical performance. Oversee multiple programs and teams across flight test, systems engineering, integration, and lifecycle support domains. Ensure effective application of program management best practices, including earned value management, critical path analysis, and risk management. Drive continuous improvement in execution performance, quality, and operational efficiency. Financial Management & Corporate Reporting:
Maintain full accountability for portfolio financial performance, including revenue, margin, cost control, and forecast accuracy. Partner closely with functional organizations to manage budgets, financial reporting, and variance analysis. Lead development and execution of the Annual Operating Plan (AOP) and long-range strategic plans (STRAP) for the portfolio. Ensure compliance with KBR financial, contracting, and governance requirements. Customer Engagement & Mission Impact:
Serve as the senior KBR representative to key government customers and stakeholders. Build and sustain trusted customer relationships that enable mission success and long-term growth. Ensure programs deliver measurable mission impact aligned with customer operational priorities. Anticipate evolving customer needs and position the portfolio to respond proactively. Growth & New Business Development:
Own portfolio growth strategy, including pipeline development, capture support, and transition from award to execution. Collaborate with Business Development to shape opportunities, influence acquisition strategies, and support proposal development. Ensure effective conversion of pipeline opportunities into contract awards and funded work. Align portfolio growth initiatives with enterprise-level strategic priorities. Process, Standards & Functional Leadership:
Serve as a program management domain expert, with experience in PM process architecture and evaluation frameworks (e.g., SEI/CMMI, TL9000 or equivalent). Lead large, cross-functional teams through process improvement initiatives and execution roadmaps. Integrate program management, engineering, quality, and financial disciplines to optimize outcomes. Maintain awareness of program management trends, tools, and best practices across industry and academia. Leadership:
Build, lead, and mentor high-performing program and functional leaders. Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and mission focus. Support workforce planning, talent development, and succession planning across the portfolio. Basic Qualifications
Education: BS/BA Experience: at least 12 years of directly related experience. In lieu of formal education, 20 years of directly related experience. Extensive experience leading large, complex DoD aviation or mission engineering portfolios. Proven success managing $50M$80M programs or portfolios with full P&L responsibility. Deep understanding of program management methodologies, financial management, and earned value principles. Demonstrated ability to build senior-level customer relationships and drive new business growth. Strong leadership presence with the ability to align teams, influence stakeholders, and deliver results in mission-critical environments. Clearance & Citizenship: Secret security clearance; U.S. citizenship required. Preferred Qualifications
Advanced Degrees (M.S. / MBA) preferred. Extensive program management experience and increasing leadership responsibility. Preferred cross-functional and business experiences. Compensation
Basic Compensation: $198,000 - $270,000. The salary range posted is based on the national average. The offered rate will be based on the selected candidate's location, knowledge, skills, abilities, and/or experience, contract affordability, and in consideration of internal parity. Additional Compensation: KBR may offer bonuses, commissions, or other forms of compensation to certain job titles or levels, per internal policy or contractual designation. Additional compensation may be in the form of sign on bonus, relocation benefits, short term incentives, long term incentives, or discretionary payments for exceptional performance. Benefits: KBR offers a selection of competitive lifestyle benefits which could include a 401K plan with company match, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, AD&D, flexible spending account, disability, paid time off, or flexible work schedule. We support career advancement through professional training and development. KBR Values
KBR is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, veteran status, genetic information, union status and/or beliefs, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. KBR Delivering Solutions, Changing the World. KBR brings together the best and brightest to deliver science, technology and engineering solutions that help governments and companies around the world accomplish their most critical missions and objectives. In everything we do, we are guided by our ONE KBR Values: We Value Our People We create diverse, inclusive environments in which each person can feel safe, respected and valued, and where everyone has opportunities to grow and reach their full potential. We Deliver We are uncompromising in our commitment to deliver innovative, high-quality, technology-led solutions for our customers and exceptional, sustainable value for all our stakeholders. We Are People of Integrity We value honesty, trust, courage, fairness, prudence and tenacity. We believe doing what's right for the planet, the communities where we work, and our people is good for business. We Empower We empower our people with a shared purpose, the right tools and the supportive culture they need to be proactive decision-makers, to be adaptive to change, and to succeed. We Are a Team of Teams We have a will to succeed, but we value the achievements of our team of teams over individual accomplishments. Our collective focus makes us a better, stronger, more effective company. We have also embedded environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles in every business operation and corporate function. Not only are we committed to operating safely, sustainably and equitably, but we are also committed to using our capabilities and expertise to help our customers accomplish their sustainability goals. Worldwide, KBR employs a diverse workforce approximately 29,000 people strong, with customers in more than 80 countries and operations in 40 countries. Fraud Alert
Fraud has infiltrated the job placement market via the internet, email and direct phone contact. Attempts have included unauthorized use of KBR's name and logo to solicit potential job seekers or to extend false job offers. Bad actors may mix in fake job advertisements with legitimate postings. These ads can include contact instructions and require job seekers to send sensitive personal information or money to pay for visa applications, processing fees, etc., in exchange for consideration for a high-paying position. KBR will never ask for any sort of advance payment as part of the recruiting/hiring process. Candidate profiles are carefully managed to protect personal information.