Senior Program Manager – DCPDS

Senior Program Manager – DCPDS

Leidos is seeking an accomplished Senior Program Manager (PM) to lead the operation, sustainment, modernization, and lifecycle management of the Defense Civilian Personnel Data System (DCPDS), a mission-critical enterprise human resources platform supporting Department of Defense and non-DoD organizations. The DCPDS program provides operational support, maintenance, versioning, upgrades, modernization, and continuous improvement across a complex suite of enterprise HR applications and supporting environments. The program supports DoD Components including the Air Force, Army, Navy, Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS), Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), and National Guard, as well as non-DoD customers including the Executive Office of the President (EOP) and the United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM).

The environment includes DCPDS production, SQT environments and on production environments as well as Reduced Sign-On (RSO), MyBiz+, MyPerformance, Corporate Management Information System (CMIS), Current Record Mart (CRM/NDCRM), SAP Business Intelligence/Business Objects (BOBJ), External Interface Transfer System (EXITS), and associated interfaces, databases, infrastructure, cybersecurity, test, and support capabilities.

Success requires more than traditional program management. The DCPDS PM must be a mission-focused, technically credible leader who can integrate operations, application sustainment, infrastructure, cybersecurity, testing, modernization, contractual, and financial priorities while maintaining strong customer confidence and positioning the program for continued growth and future modernization.

***WORK LOCATION: Remote but MUST be in driving distance of the Mark Center in Alexandria***

Primary Responsibilities & Measures of Success
Lead Overall DCPDS Program Performance

Provide leadership and accountability for all aspects of DCPDS program execution, including application operations and sustainment, infrastructure, cybersecurity, development, testing, modernization, contractual performance, financial performance, workforce management, schedule, quality, and customer satisfaction.
Organize, direct, and manage multiple complex and interrelated technical and operational workstreams performed across contractor, subcontractor, Government, and partner organizations. Establish clear priorities, accountability, performance expectations, and decision authority across the program.
Ensure program activities, task plans, deliverables, staffing, schedules, and costs remain aligned to contractual requirements and customer mission priorities.

Success looks like: DCPDS operational, technical, contractual, financial, and schedule commitments are consistently achieved; ownership is clear across the organization; and emerging risks are addressed before they materially affect mission delivery or customer confidence.

Serve as the Accountable customer and Contract Interface
Serve as Leidos' senior program authority and primary interface with Government program leadership, contracting officials, and key mission stakeholders.
Maintain trusted relationships with senior customer leadership through transparency, consistent communication, technical credibility, and delivery of commitments. Provide accurate, decision-ready information and early visibility into risks, issues, tradeoffs, dependencies, and emerging requirements.
Translate complex technical and operational issues into understandable mission, schedule, financial, contractual, and risk implications for senior decision-makers.

Success looks like: Government leadership understands where the program stands, receives timely and actionable recommendations, and experiences with no avoidable surprises.

Integrate DCPDS Operations, Sustainment and Modernization
Lead the lifecycle management of DCPDS and its supporting applications, infrastructure, databases, interfaces, test environments, and cybersecurity capabilities.
Ensure effective integration across application sustainment, systems engineering, infrastructure operations, database administration, interfaces, testing, release management, cybersecurity, help desk, and modernization initiatives.
Balance modernization and improvement activities with the need to maintain the stability, availability, security, and performance of ongoing production operations.
Drive continuous improvement through adoption of industry best practices, automation, DevSecOps, improved testing, technical debt reduction, operational efficiencies, and modernization of legacy capabilities.

Success looks like: Sustainment and modernization activities are executed without compromising operational stability, security, or customer mission needs, and DCPDS continues to evolve while maintaining reliable service delivery.

Drive Disciplined Execution, Risk Management and Governance
Establish and maintain a disciplined program operating model that creates visibility, predictability, and accountability across all functional areas.
Manage integrated schedules, program metrics, staffing, actions, decisions, risks, issues, financial performance, contractual deliverables, and executive reporting.
Identify and mitigate technical, operational, cybersecurity, financial, contractual, schedule, workforce, and organizational risks. Escalate significant concerns early and drive cross-functional decisions to resolution.
Ensure program leadership and functional leads clearly understand responsibilities, dependencies, priorities, and expected outcomes.

Success looks like: Risks are surfaced early, decisions are timely, commitments are measurable, and the program minimizes avoidable rework, cost growth, schedule impacts, production disruptions, and customer escalations.

Own Financial, Contractual Performance, and Workforce Performance
Maintain accountability for program financial performance, staffing, labor utilization, subcontractor execution, funding, scope, schedule, and contractual obligations.
Develop and maintain technical, financial, and performance reporting that clearly communicates program health to Leidos and Government leadership.
Monitor scope and emerging requirements to identify potential out-of-scope work, contract changes, staffing impacts, and funding requirements before execution risk is introduced.
Ensure staffing levels, skill mix, organizational structure, and leadership are aligned to operational needs and future program objectives.

Success looks like: The program operates within funded and contractual parameters, maintains disciplined cost and scope management, achieves financial objectives, and has the right workforce aligned to mission requirements.

Lead, Develop and Motivate DCPDS Team
Lead a high-performing, cross-functional workforce supporting a complex enterprise mission.
Establish clear expectations and accountability, develop future leaders, remove organizational barriers, and create an environment where teams surface problems early and work collaboratively across functional boundaries.
Motivate teams through periods of high operational tempo, modernization, change, or customer scrutiny while maintaining focus on mission outcomes.
Foster strong collaboration among Leidos personnel, subcontractors, Government stakeholders, and technology partners.

Success looks like: Employees understand their role in the mission, leaders take ownership of outcomes, teams collaborate effectively, and the program attracts, develops, and retains strong technical and program talent.
Shape the DCPDS Strategic Roadmap and Follow-on Opportunity
Partner with Government stakeholders and Leidos leadership to help shape the future direction of DCPDS.
Develop and communicate a strategic roadmap that balances sustainment, operational improvement, modernization, technology refresh, automation, cybersecurity, interface modernization, data capabilities, and integration with future HR solutions.
Support follow-on contract and recompete activities by providing program performance insights, technical strategies, lessons learned, customer priorities, staffing approaches, and differentiated solutions.
Serve as a thought leader who anticipates customer challenges and identifies practical approaches to improve mission outcomes.

Success looks like: Leidos is positioned as a strategic partner for the future of DCPDS, with a credible roadmap that supports continued mission relevance, modernization, and successful follow-on opportunities.
Drive On-Contract Growth and Innovation
Continuously identify opportunities to provide additional value within the existing customer mission.
Generate and mature ideas for on-contract growth, modernization, automation, application and interface improvements, analytics, operational efficiencies, and technical enhancements.
Work with customer and Leidos growth organizations to translate mission needs into executable technical approaches, ROMs, white papers, proposals, contract modifications, or follow-on opportunities.
Balance innovation with affordability, mission priorities, operational risk, and contractual constraints.

Success looks like: The program consistently identifies actionable growth opportunities that address real customer needs, strengthen the DCPDS mission, and expand Leidos' role as a trusted modernization partner.

Ideal Candidate
The ideal candidate is an experienced DoD enterprise IT and application program leader who combines strong executive-level program management with sufficient technical depth to lead a complex, mission-critical HR environment.

The successful candidate understands that DCPDS requires the integration of mission, applications, infrastructure, databases, cybersecurity, testing, interfaces, operations, contracts, finances, and people rather than management of each area independently.

The successful candidate:

• Leads with accountability, integrity, sound judgment, and transparency.

• Is a strong thought leader and strategist capable of translating customer mission needs into executable program and technical strategies.

• Demonstrates strong executive presence and builds trusted relationships with senior Government and Leidos leadership.

• Creates clarity in complex environments where requirements, priorities, technical dependencies, or authorities may be ambiguous.

• Communicates effectively with senior executives, contracting organizations, technical teams, end users, and external partners.

• Identifies and manages meaningful technical, financial, contractual, operational, workforce, and schedule risk.

• Understands the relationship between application sustainment, infrastructure operations, cybersecurity, testing, interfaces, modernization, and production stability.

• Leads effectively through both direct authority and influence.

• Motivates and develops high-performing technical and program teams.

• Challenges assumptions constructively and makes difficult recommendations when required.

• Identifies growth opportunities and develops innovative approaches that improve customer mission outcomes.

• Maintains focus on measurable mission results rather than activity alone.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree with 12+ years of relevant experience, or master's degree with 10+ years of relevant experience; additional relevant experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.

• 7+ years of experience managing complex IT, software, application sustainment, or enterprise technology programs.

• Demonstrated experience leading multidisciplinary teams across operations, engineering, application development, sustainment, cybersecurity, testing, and program management.

• Experience serving as a Program Manager, Deputy Program Manager, or equivalent leader on a complex Government or DoD program.

• Strong experience managing program financials, staffing, scope, schedule, risk, subcontractors, and contractual deliverables.

• Demonstrated experience briefing senior Government and corporate executives.

• Experience managing mission-critical production environments requiring high availability, disciplined release management, and operational continuity.

• Strong written and verbal communication, negotiation, organizational leadership, and problem-solving skills.

• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification or equivalent program management experience.

• Must have a current Public Trust Clearance or higher.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting DoD personnel, human capital, ERP, Oracle E-Business Suite, or enterprise HR systems.

• Previous DCPDS, DMDC, DHRA, or comparable DoD enterprise application experience.

• Experience managing Oracle-based enterprise application environments, databases, reporting platforms, data warehouses, and complex system interfaces.

• Experience leading modernization, cloud migration, DevSecOps transformation, test automation, API/interface modernization, or major database/application transformation efforts.

• Experience integrating application sustainment, infrastructure operations, cybersecurity, systems engineering, testing, and modernization into a unified delivery model.

• Experience supporting RMF/ATO, FIAR/audit activities, cybersecurity compliance, and DoD production environments.

• Demonstrated experience developing follow-on strategies, shaping customer requirements, identifying on-contract growth, and supporting captures or proposals.

• Proven ability to lead successfully during periods of modernization, production challenges, organizational change, or heightened customer scrutiny.

• transparency, consistency, and results.

What Success Looks Like
The successful DCPDS Program Manager will create an environment where the Government has confidence in Leidos' delivery, program leadership has clear visibility into performance and risk, functional organizations understand their accountability, employees understand the mission and priorities, and issues are surfaced and addressed before they become customer surprises.

The PM will sustain reliable DCPDS operations while positioning the program for continued modernization, innovation, growth, and long-term mission relevance.
If you're looking for comfort, keep scrolling. At Leidos, we outthink, outbuild, and outpace the status quo — because the mission demands it. We're not hiring followers. We're recruiting the ones who disrupt, provoke, and refuse to fail. Step 10 is ancient history. We're already at step 30 — and moving faster than anyone else dares.
Original Posting:
October 9, 2026For U.S. Positions: While subject to change based on business needs, Leidos reasonably anticipates that this job requisition will remain open for at least 3 days with an anticipated close date of no earlier than 3 days after the original posting date as listed above.

Pay Range:
Pay Range $154,050.00 - $278,475.00The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.
Originally posted on Himalayas