Principal Program Manager Jobs
Principal Program Manager jobs are open across technology, healthcare, financial services, and defense, at every level from senior program manager to VP, with specializations in product development, cross-functional delivery, and enterprise transformation. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Showing 5 of 489+ Principal Program Manager jobs
Job ID: 2618930
Location: Fort Belvoir, VA, US
Date Posted: 2026-11-09
Category: Program Management
Subcategory: Project Analyst
Schedule: Full-Time
Shift: Day Job
Travel: No
Minimum Clearance Required: TS.SCI_wPoly
Clearance Level Must Be Able to Obtain: None
Potential for Remote Work: ORA_ON_SITE
Description
SAIC is seeking an experienced program control/budget analyst to independently oversee and manage the budget and provide financial management of ongoing projects and portfolios in support of the NRO Budget Director, site senior leadership, and the NRO mission. In this role, you will regularly interface with technical planners, contract administrators, and multiple levels of government leaders and decision makers to facilitate understanding of the budget and resource requirements, and brief the status of project execution and requirements to the Budget Director and other senior leaders. The ideal candidate will be able to analyze large and complex data; apply critical problem-solving skills and proactively develop creative solutions; and effectively communicate budgetary issues, strategies, and recommendations to customers and stakeholders.
Job Responsibilities:
- Perform detailed and complex analyses of contract and non-contract budgetary and financial requirements and trends, balancing requirements against the budget.
- Participate in establishing and defining program plan requirements; develop budgets and spend plans; and monitor and report performance against plans to meet contractual, cost and schedule objectives and requirements.
- Exhibit detailed understanding of the project’s budget execution and status and be prepared to brief the execution status to leadership and/or support senior leadership briefings through the creation of budget summaries, charts, memoranda, issue papers and talking points.
- Collaborate with Contracting Officer Technical Representatives/CLIN managers to accurately fund government contracts and recommend options to fund high-priority mission essential projects.
- Identify and convey resource trade- offs within and among competing programs and propose resource realignments or other solutions to the Budget Director and site leadership to maintain program execution or to respond to unplanned circumstances.
- Develop mechanisms for monitoring project progress and works with technical planners and contract managers to apply critical problem solving skills on complex issues.
- Assist in the design, implementation, and use of corporate resource information repositories, databases, decision support tools, strategies, processes, procedures and reports to ensure accurate financial reporting and management oversight in support of program initiatives.
- Maintain appropriate internal controls to minimize data inaccuracy and/or unauthorized use of NRO funds.
- Consolidate and review program level unfunded requirements, recommending changes and prioritization to senior management.
- Review final program level Tri-Annual Unliquidated Obligation review inputs and documentation for completeness prior to submission.
Qualifications
- Clearance to be able to remain on the program: TS/SCI with Polygraph.
- Complete understanding and wide application of federal and agency-specific principles, concepts, practices, and standards, to include an understanding of the Federal Appropriations Law.
- Experience on NRO Financial systems and tools.
- Ability to learn and proficiently utilize multiple financial systems and tools to properly account for budget plans, requirements, transfers, and to complete any transaction necessary to facilitate budget execution.
- Ability to work in a dynamic budget environment which requires balancing competing priorities and critical schedules.
- Critical thinking and ability to work well with a wide variety of customers requesting financial data.
- Bachelors and fifteen (15) years or more of related experience; or Master and thirteen (13) years or more of related experience; or PhD and ten (10) years or more of related experience.
Target salary range: $140,001 - $180,000. The estimate displayed represents the typical salary range for this position based on experience and other factors.
Job ID: 2618930
Location: Fort Belvoir, VA, US
Date Posted: 2026-11-09
Category: Program Management
Subcategory: Project Analyst
Schedule: Full-Time
Shift: Day Job
Travel: No
Minimum Clearance Required: TS.SCI_wPoly
Clearance Level Must Be Able to Obtain: None
Potential for Remote Work: ORA_ON_SITE
Description
SAIC is seeking an experienced program control/budget analyst to independently oversee and manage the budget and provide financial management of ongoing projects and portfolios in support of the NRO Budget Director, site senior leadership, and the NRO mission. In this role, you will regularly interface with technical planners, contract administrators, and multiple levels of government leaders and decision makers to facilitate understanding of the budget and resource requirements, and brief the status of project execution and requirements to the Budget Director and other senior leaders. The ideal candidate will be able to analyze large and complex data; apply critical problem-solving skills and proactively develop creative solutions; and effectively communicate budgetary issues, strategies, and recommendations to customers and stakeholders.
Job Responsibilities:
- Perform detailed and complex analyses of contract and non-contract budgetary and financial requirements and trends, balancing requirements against the budget.
- Participate in establishing and defining program plan requirements; develop budgets and spend plans; and monitor and report performance against plans to meet contractual, cost and schedule objectives and requirements.
- Exhibit detailed understanding of the project’s budget execution and status and be prepared to brief the execution status to leadership and/or support senior leadership briefings through the creation of budget summaries, charts, memoranda, issue papers and talking points.
- Collaborate with Contracting Officer Technical Representatives/CLIN managers to accurately fund government contracts and recommend options to fund high-priority mission essential projects.
- Identify and convey resource trade- offs within and among competing programs and propose resource realignments or other solutions to the Budget Director and site leadership to maintain program execution or to respond to unplanned circumstances.
- Develop mechanisms for monitoring project progress and works with technical planners and contract managers to apply critical problem solving skills on complex issues.
- Assist in the design, implementation, and use of corporate resource information repositories, databases, decision support tools, strategies, processes, procedures and reports to ensure accurate financial reporting and management oversight in support of program initiatives.
- Maintain appropriate internal controls to minimize data inaccuracy and/or unauthorized use of NRO funds.
- Consolidate and review program level unfunded requirements, recommending changes and prioritization to senior management.
- Review final program level Tri-Annual Unliquidated Obligation review inputs and documentation for completeness prior to submission.
Qualifications
- Clearance to be able to remain on the program: TS/SCI with Polygraph.
- Complete understanding and wide application of federal and agency-specific principles, concepts, practices, and standards, to include an understanding of the Federal Appropriations Law.
- Experience on NRO Financial systems and tools.
- Ability to learn and proficiently utilize multiple financial systems and tools to properly account for budget plans, requirements, transfers, and to complete any transaction necessary to facilitate budget execution.
- Ability to work in a dynamic budget environment which requires balancing competing priorities and critical schedules.
- Critical thinking and ability to work well with a wide variety of customers requesting financial data.
- Bachelors and fifteen (15) years or more of related experience; or Master and thirteen (13) years or more of related experience; or PhD and ten (10) years or more of related experience.
Target salary range: $140,001 - $180,000. The estimate displayed represents the typical salary range for this position based on experience and other factors.
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Find JobsPrincipal Program Manager Job Market
Who's Hiring
- Amazon67
- Oracle63
- Northrop Grumman47
- Raytheon21
- Microsoft21
Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software22
- Retail8
- E-Commerce & Online Marketplaces8
- Electronics & Hardware5
- Education4
What Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in principal program manager jobs.
- 7 or more years of program or project management experience across complex initiatives
- Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams without direct reporting authority
- Experience with agile, SAFe, or hybrid delivery frameworks at the program level
- Proficiency with program management tools such as Jira, Smartsheet, or MS Project
- PMP, PgMP, or equivalent program management certification preferred or required
- Bachelor's degree in a technical, business, or engineering field, with an advanced degree often preferred
Tips for Your Principal Program Manager Job Search
Quantify program scope on your resume
Principal program managers are expected to run multi-workstream initiatives, so your resume needs numbers that reflect that scale. Show budget ownership, team size across functions, and delivery timelines on your two or three biggest programs, not just project names.
Distinguish yourself from project managers
Many listings conflate the two titles, but hiring teams want someone who sets program strategy, not just tracks milestones. Use your resume and cover letter to highlight decisions you owned at the portfolio or roadmap level, not task execution.
Target companies by program maturity stage
A principal program manager role at a Series B startup means building operating structures from scratch, while the same title at a large enterprise means inheriting complex governance. Know which environment suits you before you apply, and filter your search accordingly.
Apply early to roles that fit
Migrate Mate lists principal program manager openings from across the United States in one place, so you can find roles that match and apply directly to each listing.
Prepare a cross-functional influence story
Interviewers at the principal level almost always probe how you drive alignment without direct authority. Prepare two or three specific examples where you resolved competing priorities between engineering, product, and business stakeholders, and name the outcome in measurable terms.
Negotiate total compensation, not just base
Principal program manager offers at larger companies often include equity refreshes and performance bonuses that exceed base salary growth over time. Before you accept, ask how equity vesting schedules work and what the bonus structure looks like at your level specifically.
Principal Program Manager Jobs: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies are hiring the most principal program managers?
The most active employers for principal program managers right now are Amazon, Oracle, and Northrop Grumman, and the most openings are in California, Washington, and Tennessee, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Technology, defense, and large healthcare systems consistently post the highest volume of principal program manager roles.
How many principal program manager jobs are remote?
About 47% of principal program manager openings are fully remote or hybrid as of November 2026, reflecting the role's reliance on collaboration tools and virtual stakeholder management. Sub-areas like enterprise transformation, cloud program management, and digital product delivery tend to have the highest share of remote-eligible positions.
How do you become a principal program manager?
Start by building a foundation in project delivery, then move into roles where you own a program with multiple dependent workstreams rather than a single project. Earn a recognized certification such as PgMP to signal portfolio-level competency. Seek out opportunities to lead cross-functional initiatives, present to senior leadership, and demonstrate that you can align competing priorities across business units before targeting a principal title.
Can I get a principal program manager job with little experience?
Moving directly into a principal program manager role with little experience is uncommon because the title typically requires a proven record of leading large, multi-team programs. A practical path is to take a senior program manager role first, own a high-visibility initiative end to end, and build relationships with engineering and product leaders who can advocate for your promotion or hire you into a principal position.
What does the principal program manager interview process look like?
The process typically begins with a recruiter screen, followed by a hiring manager conversation focused on program scope and leadership style. From there, most companies run a panel of behavioral interviews covering cross-functional influence, ambiguity management, and stakeholder conflict. Some employers add a case study or presentation where you walk through how you would structure and govern a complex program from inception to delivery.
Where can I find and apply to principal program manager jobs?
You can find and apply to principal program manager jobs on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings from across the United States. Find roles that match your experience and specialization, then apply directly to each listing from the job page.
See All 489+ Principal Program Manager Jobs
Find roles that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
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