
Senior Project/Operations Manager
Applied Research Associates, Inc.
Alexandria, VAJob$190–225K/yrSeen todaySeen in employer's feed today
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At a glance
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Requirements
Credentials this posting asks for.
Job overview
Applied Research Associates seeks an experienced Senior Project/Operations Manager to oversee a team supporting a large, multi-CLIN contract for defense offices. The role includes managing work in research and development portfolio management, nuclear surety requirements and cybersecurity threats, and supporting division business development and proposals. The manager will supervise program staff and work onsite in northern Virginia, with telecommuting as approved by the customer.
Skills & qualifications
Skills
Qualifications
Full job description
Description
The Missions, Concepts and Capabilities (MCC) division of Applied Research Associates, Inc. (ARA) is seeking an experienced Senior Project/Operations Manager to support Mission Concepts and Capabilities Division in the management of a large, multi-CLIN contract supporting the Office of the Undersecretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment and the Office of the Assistant Secretary of War for Nuclear Deterrence – Chemical, Biological Defense Programs. The successful candidate will oversee a team responsible for advising and assisting with Planning, Programming, Budget, and Execution and Portfolio Management of research and development projects; Nuclear Forces Portfolio Management; Emergent Threats and other Nuclear Surety Requirements; and Nuclear Surety Cybersecurity Threats. The candidate will also support Division business development and proposal initiatives and supervise program staff. This position is onsite in the northern Virginia region, with telecommuting as approved by the customer.
The position may require an interview with the customer.
Required Qualifications:
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Master’s degree or bachelor’s degree with 12-15 years of relevant experience
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DoW Top Secret clearance with SCI eligibility
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Demonstrated interface with Government task leads, contracting officer’s representatives, contracting officers, program staff, and subcontractors
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10+ years of contract program management experience
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10+ years of supervisory experience, including geographically dispersed teams
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Experience in financial tracking, budget development, program analysis, and proposal pricing and review
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Proven ability to operate as part of a multi-disciplinary team
Desired Qualifications:
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20+ years of progressive, relevant experience
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Master’s degree in recognized engineering, scientific, technical, management or related discipline
Compensation & Benefits: Pay Ranges: From $190,000.00 - $225,000.00 per year based on years of experience, degree and any special skills and knowledge that you may bring to the position. We mostly reserve the upper half of our compensation bands for internal growth. During all call with one of our recruiters or hiring managers, they can further clarify the salary range and total compensation. ARA offers competitive benefits that address our employees’ needs now and in the future. Learn more about each of our benefits at https://www.ara.com/benefits/
COMPANY INFORMATION:
Applied Research Associates, Inc. is an employee-owned international research and engineering company recognized for providing technically superior solutions to complex and challenging problems in the physical sciences. The company, founded in Albuquerque, NM, in 1979, currently employs over 1200 professionals. ARA offices throughout the United States and Canada provide a broad range of technical expertise in defense technologies, civil technologies, computer software and simulation, systems analysis, environmental technologies, and testing and measurement. The corporation also provides sophisticated technical products for environmental site characterization, pavement analysis, and robotics.
At ARA, employees are our greatest assets. The corporation realizes that employee ownership fosters greater creativity and initiative along with higher performance and customer satisfaction levels. ARA gives its employees the tools, training, and opportunities to take more active roles as owners. The culture is challenging; innovation and experimentation are the norm. Employees are eligible for contributions which not only add to the company’s success, but also their own through the Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). The motto, “Engineering and Science for Fun and Profit” sums up the ARA experience. For additional information and an opportunity to join this unique workplace, please visit our website at www.ara.com .
Please apply at www.careers.ara.com for the Senior Project/Operations Manager position.
Qualifications
Behaviors
Required
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Team Player: Works well as a member of a group
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Leader: Inspires teammates to follow them
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Enthusiastic: Shows intense and eager enjoyment and interest
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Detail Oriented: Capable of carrying out a given task with all details necessary to get the task done well
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Dedicated: Devoted to a task or purpose with loyalty or integrity
Motivations
Required
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Self-Starter: Inspired to perform without outside help
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Peer Recognition: Inspired to perform well by the praise of coworkers
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Goal Completion: Inspired to perform well by the completion of tasks
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Ability to Make an Impact: Inspired to perform well by the ability to contribute to the success of a project or the organization
Education
Required
- Bachelors or better
Preferred
- Masters or better
Experience
Required
- 12-15 years: Relevant work experience
Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.
For further information, please review the Know Your Rights (https://www.eeoc.gov/poster) notice from the Department of Labor.
How this job compares
Set against the 14,730 open Project Management jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 10, 2026.
- Pay
- This posting$190–225K/yr
- Virginia median$113–166K/yr504 salary ranges
- US median$102–166K/yr9,573 salary ranges
This range's midpoint, $208K, is 47% above the Virginia median midpoint ($141K) — in the top quarter of Project Management salary ranges in Virginia.
- Openings
- Olive Jobs lists 708 open Project Management jobs in Virginia and 14,730 across the US. 5% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
- Hiring the most in Virginia
- Capital One64 open
- M. C. Dean62 open
- Amazon38 open
- Experience
- This posting asks for at least 10 years of experience — more than three in four Project Management postings that state a minimum ask for (median 5 years, across 11,813 postings).
- Education
- 5,637 of the 14,730 open Project Management jobs (38%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.
Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 10, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.
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