Project Manger

 Project Manager - Covan Group

BLUF

The Junior Project Manager (Jr. ProjMgr) oversees defined workstreams or small projects under the guidance of senior project leadership. This role builds foundational project management competency through planning, coordination, communication, and disciplined execution aligned with Covan Group standards.

Company Overview

Covan Group is a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) based in the National Capital Region. Our team consists of high-performing, experienced, and adaptive veterans and civilians who bring a multi-tiered perspective and deep expertise to our clients. Covan Group combines military and civilian experience across key areas, including MAGTF Planning, MEU and Special Operations, Military Instruction, Fires, Networking, Data Analytics, and Multimedia Production. Our capabilities are rooted in experience at all levels, from squad leaders to division leaders. With a strong foundation of recently separated service members—many still serving in the reserve component—Covan Group provides clients with firsthand military insight into research, development, and operational innovation.

Key Outcomes (First 90–180 Days)

• Learns and understands assigned project scope, customer expectations, schedules, support requirements, and delegated authorities.
• Develops a working understanding of project resources, cost controls, dependencies, readiness criteria, and reporting requirements.
• Demonstrates reliable coordination of project activities, meetings, deliverables, and cross-functional support.
• Identifies risks, schedule pressures, resource gaps, and decisions requiring timely elevation to senior project leadership.
• Builds effective working relationships with internal teams, partners, and customers while improving project tracking and closeout discipline.

Core Responsibilities

• Coordinate with clients, internal teams, and leadership to support project execution.
• Manage project timelines, deliverables, and documentation for assigned workstreams.
• Support budget tracking, risk identification, and corrective actions under senior guidance.
• Direct small teams or individual contributors during specific phases of project execution.
• Prepare and maintain schedules, trackers, briefs, meeting notes, and action-item lists.
• Ensure compliance with timekeeping, expense reporting, and administrative standards.
• Facilitate communication between stakeholders to ensure alignment and accountability.
• Provide surge or on-site support during events, milestones, or customer engagements.

Project Responsibilities

The Junior Project Manager coordinates assigned Experiment Division projects and workstreams under Senior Program Manager direction. The role integrates schedules, personnel, support requirements, cost records, and deliverables within delegated authority. It produces organized project execution, clear status reporting, and timely escalation of decisions.

• Coordinate assigned project activities from initial planning through closeout.
• Maintain schedules, milestones, action trackers, decision logs, and readiness checklists.
• Synchronize personnel, equipment, facilities, travel, logistics, and technical support.
• Coordinate vendors, partners, and internal functional teams on assigned requirements.
• Prepare and facilitate planning meetings, reviews, rehearsals, and status updates.
• Support approved budget forecasts, cost tracking, purchase coordination, and documentation.
• Monitor risks, issues, dependencies, and performance and recommend corrective actions.
• Develop, coordinate, and track briefs, reports, schedules, and other project deliverables.
• Elevate proposed scope, financial, contractual, personnel, and customer-commitment changes.
• Consolidate project records, lessons learned, and closeout actions.

Required Qualifications

• Ability to obtain and maintain a DoD security clearance.
• Military experience at the NCO/SNCO or officer level, OR equivalent project, operational, or program experience within a federal or state organization.
• Demonstrated project coordination or task management experience appropriate to the junior level.
• Strong communication, organization, prioritization, and stakeholder-coordination skills.
• Education requirement may be satisfied with appropriate experience.
• Ability to maintain schedules, resource records, and professional deliverables within delegated authority.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in defense contracting, DoD environments, or military leadership roles.
• Project-management training, PMP/CAPM coursework, or comparable credential.
• Relevant degree or equivalent experience.
• Defense, experimentation, test, or field-event coordination experience.

Specialized Tools / Systems / Capabilities

• Microsoft 365 and approved collaboration tools.
• Project schedules, action trackers, decision logs, and readiness checklists.
• Budget and cost trackers; risk, staffing, and deliverable registers.
• Project plans, briefs, reports, and other approved project-management records.

Clearance Requirements

• Secret eligibility required; Secret preferred. Higher access only as required by the assigned contract or program.
• Must comply with all security protocols and reporting requirements.

Work Environment & Travel

• Remote-first role with approximately 50-80% annual travel to customer, laboratory, and event locations.
• Event execution may require extended days, shift work, early mornings, evenings, weekends, and schedule changes.
• Travel governed by Covan Group's Travel Policy.

Compensation

2026 Pay Band: $83,000 – $113,000

EEOC & Accommodation Statement

Covan Group provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants. Reasonable accommodations are available upon request.