Configuration Manager (Carlsbad)

The Senior Configuration Data Management (CDM) Manager is a strategic leader responsible for managing the government CDM team and establishing, governing, and evolving configuration management practices across government programs and contracts.This role sets expectations for data integrity, traceability, and change control across the product lifecycle and ensures alignment with company, contractual, and regulatory requirements, even when standard CM practices are not explicitly defined or broadly adopted. The Senior CDM Manager provides cross-functional leadership, drives enterprise-level process improvement, and actively influences program and functional leadership to mature Configuration Management capability, governance, and culture adoption.Work Locations (Hybrid): This is a U.S.-based hybrid role with flexibility to be based in one of the following locations:Tempe, ArizonaCarlsbad, CaliforniaDuluth, GeorgiaMarlborough, MassachusettsOverview:The Senior Configuration Data Management (CDM) Manager is an operational execution leader responsible for managing the government CDM team and implementing and operationalizing configuration management practices across government programs by deploying and sustaining CDM leadership-approved strategy, governance, standards, and tools.Enterprise CDM strategy, standards, and tool decisions are owned by CDM leadership; this role is accountable for deploying, operationalizing, and sustaining those decisions, ensuring adoption, consistency, and operational effectiveness across assigned programs.This role ensures deployment and consistent application of established expectations for data integrity, traceability, and change control across the product lifecycle and ensures alignment with company, contractual, and regulatory requirements, supporting effective execution even when standard CM practices are not explicitly defined or broadly adopted.The Senior CDM Manager provides cross-functional leadership, drives execution of CDM leadership-approved improvements, and actively influences program and functional leadership to adopt and apply established Configuration Management governance and practices. The role represents the government CDM function to programs, customers, auditors, and external authorities within defined areas of responsibility, and reports directly to the Director of Configuration Data Management.This role provides direct people leadership for an approximately 8–10-person Configuration Data Management team of individual contributors supporting both hardware and software development and sustainment programs, with responsibility for performance management, prioritization, and professional development.This is a U.S.-based hybrid opportunity.Responsibilities:Provides operational leadership and direction for hardware and software configuration management execution, while ensuring integrated hardware and software CM governance, including lifecycle control, change management, and cross-discipline integration, in support of enterprise CDM strategy and standardsProvides configuration management leadership and subject matter expertise to proposal and capture activities, including review of RFPs and SOWs for hardware, software, and integrated systems programs, contribution to CM scope definition, and input to Basis of Estimate developmentAccountable for operationalizing and sustaining organizational configuration management capability across programs and business areas by deploying established CM expectations and governanceAssesses prime and subcontract contractual, technical, and program documentation to identify CM responsibilities, risks, and dependencies (configuration identification, traceability, data management, change control, and life-cycle governance)Ensures appropriate CM work requirement flow-down, mitigation, staffing, and execution are established in partnership with program and technical leadershipLeads execution of CDM practices across multiple programs or product lines, ensuring consistency, compliance, and alignment with organizational and contractual requirementsAccountable for configuration data integrity, traceability, and change control outcomes across hardware and software baselines, including audit readiness, deficiency resolution, and sustained complianceProvides leadership and direction to the CDM team, including performance management and development of talentBuilds cross-functional partnerships with engineering, operations, quality, supply chain, and program managementTranslates enterprise and program objectives into actionable execution plans, influencing prioritization and sequencing of CDM deployment across assigned programsRepresents the CDM function to programs, customers, auditors, and regulatory authorities, escalating strategic matters as appropriateServes as subject matter expert in configuration identification, change management, data management, configuration status accounting, and audit readinessOversees day-to-day execution and adoption of approved PLM and configuration data systems, ensuring effective use of tools, workflows, and governance modelsAnticipates operational risks and resolves execution-level issues across multiple programsEnsures compliance with applicable industry standards (AS9100, EIA-649, MIL-STD-973, ISO-9001, ITAR/EAR)Monitors CDM process performance and supports continuous improvement initiativesCoaches and mentors configuration management professionals to strengthen execution discipline and consistencyQualifications:Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business, or a related field (or equivalent experience)5+ years of leadership experience managing professional staff in a CDM capacity8+ years of configuration management practices across hardware and software domains supporting government contracting programs3+ years experience operationalizing the strategy for CDM at the company and department level within a medium to large government contractor.Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional execution initiatives and manage competing operational prioritiesExperience with industry PLM systems and configuration data governance frameworksU.S. Citizenship requiredAbility to obtain and maintain a Secret Clearance