US NATO Program Manager

<p><strong>Why This Role Matters</strong></p> <p>The US NATO Program Manager is accountable for how the NATO portfolio executes day-to-day. You own the schedule, the risk register, the financials, and the cross-functional coordination that keeps delivery on track. The NATO Portfolio Manager sets the strategic direction — you make it happen.</p> <p>Your role is upstream — making sure the right commitments exist — and downstream — making sure what gets built matches what was promised. When programs deliver on time and customers trust what they see, you're the reason. When something starts to drift, you're the first to surface it, and the first to arrive with a plan.</p> <p><strong>What You'll Own</strong></p> <p>Program Execution & Delivery</p> <ul> <li>Own cost, schedule, risk, and performance for the US NATO program management area within the NATO portfolio from planning through sustainment and closeout.</li> <li>Drive cross-functional execution across engineering, product, and operations to ensure contract fidelity and mission success.</li> <li>Manage cross-functional dependencies, internal handoffs, and subcontractor coordination with Bluestaq UK and Europe.</li> <li>Maintain program artifacts: schedules, risk registers, action item logs, and status reports.</li> <li>Champion AI adoption across the program team — identify where AI tools sharpen reporting, surface risk faster, and reduce manual overhead.</li> </ul> <p>Customer Engagement & Communication</p> <ul> <li>Serve as the working-level point of contact for NATO customers; build and sustain trusted relationships with customer technical teams and program offices.</li> <li>Support the Portfolio Manager in senior customer interactions; ensure they are never surprised by program status.</li> <li>Produce a written brief-back within 24 hours of every customer-facing meeting — program reviews, sprint reviews, technical exchange meetings, or bilaterals — and distribute to the program team.</li> <li>Align with Engineering and Product on capacity before accepting any new customer commitment.</li> <li>Prepare and lead program reviews, milestone briefings, and customer status updates.</li> </ul> <p>Compliance & Contract Management</p> <ul> <li>Navigate NATO-specific procurement processes, funding mechanisms, security requirements, and export controls; ensure full compliance.</li> <li>Coordinate day-to-day execution with Bluestaq UK and Europe subsidiaries — task assignment, delivery tracking, schedule integration, and technical handoffs.</li> <li>Align program execution with contract deliverables, DoD standards, and reporting requirements (CDRLs, CPARs).</li> <li>Maintain