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Technical Program Manager – International Communications Infrastructure; Deployments
Location:Â Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG), MD
Type:Â Hybrid (Up to 40 hours/week in-office as needed)
Salary Range: $139,000 – $174,000
About Fairwinds Technologies
Fairwinds Technologies is a U.S.-based engineering firm specializing in Satellite Communications (SATCOM), RF Transmission Systems, Network Design, Systems Integration, and Digital Signal Processing (DSP). We support Command, Control, Communications, and Computer (C4) systems in austere military environments, delivering advanced communications, networking, and IT solutions to defense and civilian agencies worldwide.
Position Overview
Fairwinds Technologies is seeking a Technical Program Manager to lead the end-to-end development and fielding of international telecom, SATCOM, and satellite gateway infrastructure in support of Department of War and commercial customers.
This role manages the lifecycle from early site identification and technical due diligence through site acquisition, permitting, partner and vendor selection, infrastructure implementation, equipment deployment, integration, acceptance, and operational turnover.
The Technical Program Manager works closely with engineering teams, logistics providers, installation and hosting partners (e.g., AST or local subcontractors), government representatives, host-nation authorities, utilities, and commercial site owners to ensure each gateway site meets technical, operational, regulatory, quality, safety, schedule, and cost requirements.
This highly field-oriented position supports multiple efforts, including DIU task orders and other international deployment initiatives, requires frequent travel and recurring on-site inspections, and reports under the R&D Programs Director.
Key Responsibilities
- Gateway Site Development & Acquisition
- Lead or support the identification, evaluation, and acquisition of international gateway sites, for permanent, temporary, and expeditionary deployments.
- Conduct and coordinate technical, operational, regulatory, environmental, security, access, constructability, utility, communications/backhaul, and infrastructure suitability assessments for overseas deployment locations.
- Plan and support domestic and international site surveys with engineering teams, subcontractors, commercial partners, government stakeholders, and host-nation representatives.
- Manage international RFIs/RFPs, competitive procurements, and acquisition activities, including requirements development, market research, proposal evaluation, vendor due diligence, and support to subcontract.
- Support commercial and technical coordination with landowners, facility operators, telecommunications providers, utilities, engineering and construction firms, local authorities, government ministries, regulatory agencies, and other host-nation stakeholders.
- Confirm real-estate, leasing, right-of-entry, land-use, zoning, environmental, construction, utility, and other site-development approvals required to support international infrastructure deployment.
- Support host-nation regulatory and governmental coordination for telecommunications operations, including spectrum authorization, frequency coordination, licensing, permitting, equipment approvals, and other country-specific regulatory requirements.
- Coordinate with U.S. Government, partner-nation government, diplomatic, military, commercial, and regulatory stakeholders to resolve deployment dependencies and enable fielding activities.
- International Deployment, Fielding & Infrastructure Implementation
- Develop and maintain integrated deployment plans spanning acquisition, regulatory approvals, site preparation, infrastructure construction, utility provisioning, equipment shipment, customs clearance, installation, integration, testing, activation, acceptance, and transition to operations.
- Support the fielding of telecommunications systems and supporting infrastructure across multiple international locations, including permanent installations, temporary operating locations, demonstrations, exercises, and operational deployments.
- Synchronize activities performed by engineering teams, subcontractors, logistics providers, telecommunications carriers, utilities, host-nation partners, and local vendors.
- Verify the coordination of international logistics, including equipment staging, packaging, transportation, freight forwarding, customs brokerage, temporary import/export, permanent importation, export compliance, in-country transportation, warehousing, inventory accountability, and configuration control.
- Coordinate applicable U.S. and host-nation import/export processes, customs documentation, shipping requirements, end-use documentation, equipment certifications, and release procedures.
- Manage site-readiness activities including civil works, power, grounding, backup power, communications circuits, backhaul, network connectivity, equipment shelters, environmental controls, physical security, and other enabling infrastructure.
- Support the coordination of spectrum and frequency activities required for fielding and testing, including spectrum requests, frequency assignments, temporary operating authorizations, interference coordination, regulatory submissions, and engagement with applicable host-nation spectrum authorities.
- Support and conduct system installation, integration, commissioning, testing, and operational activation by coordinating engineering teams, field personnel, customers, government representatives, and commercial partners.
- Conduct or coordinate recurring site inspections and deployment readiness reviews to assess schedule, workmanship, safety, quality, technical compliance, regulatory compliance, and readiness to proceed to subsequent phases.
- Lead site verification, acceptance, and transition activities, including inspection records, test and acceptance documentation, permits, licenses, configuration records, as-built information, logistics records, training documentation, and operational handover packages.
- International Program, Vendor & Stakeholder Management
- Serve as the programmatic interface among U.S. Government customers, Combatant Commands, Country Teams, partner-nation governments, regulators, telecommunications providers, commercial partners, subcontractors, and internal technical teams.
- Manage international deployment schedules, dependencies, risks, issues, budgets, procurements, subcontractor performance, and critical-path activities across multiple countries or areas of operation.
- Develop deployment strategies that account for host-nation processes, local commercial practices, regulatory timelines, customs requirements, construction lead times, logistics constraints, and operational priorities.
- Coordinate government-to-government and government-to-commercial engagement necessary to obtain approvals, resolve deployment barriers, and maintain execution schedules.
- Identify and manage country-specific risks associated with regulatory approval, spectrum access, customs, logistics, infrastructure availability, site access, security, contracting, and host-nation support.
- Maintain integrated schedules, action trackers, risk registers, decision logs, acquisition documentation, deployment records, and executive-level reporting for international fielding activities.
- Risk, Financial & Reporting Support
- Maintain program-level and site-specific risk, issue, action, dependency, and decision tracking; elevate critical blockers affecting deployment schedules or operational objectives.
- Coordinate technical troubleshooting and corrective actions between engineering teams, vendors, hosting partners, and on-site personnel.
- Track labor, travel, procurement, and site-development expenditures against plan and support task-order execution and forecast updates.
- Provide regular, accurate program reporting to management, customers, and cross-functional teams, including schedule, financial, technical, vendor, risk, and site-readiness status.
- Maintain complete, accurate, and audit-ready project documentation across the full gateway lifecycle.
Required Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Telecommunications, Construction Management, Operations Management, Logistics, or a related technical field; advanced degree or relevant professional certification is preferred.
Minimum 8+ years of experience in technical program management, project management, infrastructure development, construction, telecom, SATCOM, or field operations.
Demonstrated experience managing complex infrastructure or technical deployment projects involving multiple vendors and stakeholder organizations.
Practical experience with site acquisition or selection, site surveys, permitting, vendor selection, construction/site preparation, equipment fielding, or infrastructure implementation.
Strong understanding of integrated project planning, schedule and budget control, risk management, contract administration, procurement, and vendor performance management.
Ability to work independently across countries, cultures, organizations, and time zones while managing multiple concurrent priorities.
Strong written and verbal communication, stakeholder engagement, problem-solving, analytical, and organizational skills.
Willingness and ability to travel internationally and conduct on-site visits under varied field conditions.
U.S. Citizenship and an active DoD Top Secret/SCI security clearance (or ability to obtain).
Additional Preferred Qualifications
Background in satellite gateway infrastructure, satellite communications, RF systems, telecommunications, networking, data centers, utilities, construction, or a related technical field.
Experience delivering overseas installations or field operations for U.S. Government, defense, commercial telecom, or other regulated customers.
Experience managing competitive procurements or RFI/RFP processes and supporting vendor qualification, proposal evaluation, and contract negotiations.
Experience working with hosting partners, installation vendors, construction contractors, engineering firms, utilities, regulators, or property owners.
Knowledge of IP networking, routers, backhaul, power systems, RF/SATCOM infrastructure, and site connectivity requirements.
Experience with international logistics, supply-chain coordination, customs, temporary import/export, and export compliance.
Proficiency with project scheduling, cost tracking, document control, and progress-reporting tools.
Working knowledge of GIS/geospatial mapping, photogrammetry, surveying, or site-assessment tools (e.g., Theodolite or comparable software).
PMP, PgMP, professional engineering, construction-management, or comparable credential preferred.
Additional regional language proficiency is a plus.
Supervisory Responsibility
This position may include direct supervisory responsibility and will require matrix leadership of cross-functional teams, partners, subcontractors, and vendors.
Work Environment
This position is performed in a hybrid office and field environment. Work may occur at construction, telecom, SATCOM, gateway, or customer sites in domestic and international locations under varied weather, access, and operating conditions.
Physical Demands
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools or controls; use fingers and hands to type or write; reach with hands and arms; talk or hear. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception
Position Type/Expected Hours of Work
This is a full-time, exempt position, working Monday through Friday; 40 hours per work week; occasional evening and weekend work may be required as job duties demand. Some flexibility in actual work hours may be offered.
Travel
Must be willing and able to travel 25–50%; frequent international deployment travel and recurring on-site inspections are required.
Work Authorization/Security Clearance
Must be eligible to work in the US and possess a Secret clearance with the ability to obtain a Top Secret/SCI level clearance.
Other Duties
Please note that this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
AAP/EEO Statement
Fairwinds Technologies, LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer – M/F/Veteran/Disability/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity
Why Join Us
- Opportunity to work on cutting-edge technologies and innovative projects, including
- DoD SBIR initiatives.
- Collaborative and inclusive work environment.
- Competitive salary and benefits package.
- Professional development and growth opportunities.
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