Program Manager, New Graduate Experience

POSITION OVERVIEW 

Anduril is seeking an exceptional Program Manager to lead the strategy, execution, and continuous improvement of our New Grad and Rotational Programs at scale. This role will own end-to-end program management for 300-500+ participants annually across two distinct programs: a New Grad Program with quarterly cohorts (direct-hire participating in structured 3-month onboarding experiences) and a Rotational Programs (multi-assignment development tracks for early-career talent). You'll have responsibility for rotational program design, cross-functional stakeholder engagement, operational excellence, and talent conversion strategies. This is a high-impact, high-visibility role for a strategic operator who thrives in fast-paced, mission-driven environments and has a proven track record of scaling early career and rotational programs that deliver measurable business outcomes. As an internal program manager focused on people operations, you will drive organizational initiatives that serve internal stakeholders while establishing best practices that influence broader talent programs across Anduril. 

The ideal candidate combines strategic thinking with flawless execution, operational rigor, possesses deep expertise in rotational program frameworks, and demonstrates executive-level communication skills. You will partner with Engineering, Product, Operations, and Business leadership to ensure our new grad and rotational talent pipeline strengthens Anduril's competitive advantage in building critical defense technology. 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES 

Program Strategy & Design 

• Design, implement, and continuously optimize rotational program structures for technical and business new grad and rotational cohorts, including rotation frameworks, learning curricula, mentorship models, and performance evaluation systems 

• Develop multi-year program roadmaps aligned with Anduril's growth trajectory, workforce planning needs, and strategic talent priorities 

• Build scalable frameworks for quarterly new graduate cohort onboarding, rotation transitions, manager enablement, and conversion decision-making processes 

• Partner with senior leadership to define success metrics, program KPIs, and ROI models that demonstrate program impact on business outcomes 

Operational Execution & Program Management 

• Own end-to-end lifecycle management for new grads and rotational participants annually: from offer acceptance through onboarding, rotations, performance tracking, and conversion to full-time roles 

• Orchestrate complex, multi-stakeholder processes across recruiting, onboarding, facilities, IT, security clearances, and business units to ensure seamless program execution 

• Manage program operations including cohort scheduling, rotation placement logistics, travel coordination, program communications, and participant experience touchpoints 

• Build and maintain scalable systems, dashboards, and reporting mechanisms to track participant progress, rotation outcomes, manager satisfaction, and conversion rates 

Stakeholder Management & Leadership Partnership 

• Serve as the primary point of contact for all new grad and rotational program stakeholders, including hiring managers, senior engineering leaders, business unit heads, and executive sponsors 

• Partner with cross-functional teams (Recruiting, HR, Learning & Development) to ensure alignment on program goals, candidate pipelines, and organizational readiness 

• Lead regular program review meetings with leadership, presenting data-driven insights, program health metrics, and strategic recommendations 

• Influence and advise senior leaders on rotation placement strategies, talent allocation decisions, and organizational capacity planning 

Talent Development & Participant Experience 

• Design and deliver high-impact learning experiences, technical skill-building workshops, leadership development sessions, and cohort-building activities 

• Build mentorship and sponsorship frameworks that connect new grads and rotational participants with senior technical leaders and executives across the organization 

• Monitor participant engagement, satisfaction, and performance; proactively identify and address challenges impacting program success or participant retention 

• Cultivate a high-performing, mission-driven culture within new grad and rotational cohorts that reflects Anduril's values and commitment to national security outcomes 

Continuous Improvement & Thought Leadership 

• Conduct ongoing program assessments through quantitative analysis, stakeholder feedback, and industry benchmarking to identify optimization opportunities 

• Stay ahead of industry trends in early career program design, rotational frameworks, and Gen Z talent engagement strategies 

• Lead post-program retrospectives and implement data-driven improvements to enhance program outcomes, participant satisfaction, and business impact 

• Build scalable playbooks, documentation, and knowledge management systems to support program growth and team expansion 

• Serve as a subject matter expert and mentor to junior Program Managers on the Emerging Talent team, providing guidance on complex program challenges, best practices, and professional development 

• Lead mentorship programming for new grad and rotational participants, connecting them with senior leaders and establishing frameworks that can be replicated across other talent initiatives 

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS 

• 5+ years of program management experience, with at least 4 years specifically managing early career, rotational, or leadership development programs at scale (200+ participants annually) 

• Proven track record designing and executing rotational program frameworks for emerging talent (engineering, product, data science, etc.) with measurable success metrics 

• Demonstrated expertise in stakeholder management and executive communication, with ability to influence senior leaders and navigate complex organizational dynamics 

• Strong analytical and data-driven decision-making skills; experience building dashboards, tracking KPIs, and presenting insights to leadership audiences 

• Exceptional project management capabilities with demonstrated ability to manage multiple concurrent workstreams, meet aggressive deadlines, and deliver flawless execution in high-growth environments 

• Experience working in fast-paced, mission-driven organizations (tech startups, defense/aerospace, management consulting, or similar high-performance cultures) 

• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, with ability to craft executive-level documentation, facilitate workshops, and deliver compelling presentations 

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and work experience 

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS 

• Experience managing programs in defense, aerospace, or national security sectors; familiarity with security clearance processes 

• Background in technical recruiting, university relations, or talent acquisition strategy with understanding of engineering talent pipelines 

• Experience scaling programs from 100-200 participants to 300-500+; demonstrated ability to build scalable systems and processes 

• Proficiency with program management tools (Lever, Greenhouse, Airtable, Tableau) and HRIS systems 

• Prior experience as a rotational program participant, people manager of early career talent, or mentor to junior program management professionals 

• Passion for developing next-generation technical talent and building world-class organizational capabilities 

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE IN THIS ROLE 

• In 6 months: You have established trust with key stakeholders, mapped all program workflows, identified quick-win optimizations, and launched at least one cohort with measurably improved participant and manager satisfaction 

• In 9 months: You have redesigned rotational frameworks for scalability, built executive-facing dashboards that provide real-time program health visibility, and increased conversion rates or reduced time-to-full-productivity metrics 

• In 12 months: You are recognized as the go-to expert on new grad and rotational programs across Anduril, have scaled operations to support participants, and have built playbooks that enable team expansion and program replication across new locations or business units