About Careertakes

👉 Important disclosure: Careertakes is a third-party recruiting platform supporting this hiring process. If selected, you will be employed directly by our client, IT.

Applicants for this role may also receive access to additional matched opportunities through the Careertakes platform.

---

Position Overview

Confidential Client (a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business headquartered in San Diego) is seeking an Entry Level Project Manager to support DoD and federal IT programs in San Diego, CA. This entry-level role is ideal for recent graduates or professionals with 0–3 years of experience who hold or can maintain an active U.S. Secret security clearance. You’ll coordinate schedules, track risks, maintain documentation in SharePoint/Teams, and support stakeholder communications on smaller projects or defined work packages.

• Location: San Diego, CA (on-site or hybrid as mission requirements dictate)
• Clearance: Active U.S. Secret (minimum) required
• Employment type: Full-time

---

What You’ll Do

• Plan, coordinate, and track project activities, schedules, milestones, and deliverables for assigned work packages or smaller projects.
• Develop and maintain project documentation — project plans, schedules, risk registers, action-item logs, status reports, and meeting minutes.
• Facilitate project meetings: prepare agendas, capture decisions and action items, and follow up to ensure timely completion.
• Monitor progress against baselines; identify issues/risks early and propose practical mitigation steps.
• Support resource coordination, basic budget/expense tracking, and timesheet oversight under senior PM guidance.
• Ensure adherence to contract requirements, quality standards (e.g., ISO 9001), RMF/security processes, and company procedures.
• Act as a routine point of contact for internal teams, subcontractors, and government stakeholders.
• Maintain project repositories in SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, or similar collaboration tools and support configuration management of artifacts.
• Assist with data calls, status reporting packages, and light proposal support.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of project management processes within a fast-paced defense IT environment.

---

Required Qualifications

• Active U.S. Secret security clearance (minimum); higher clearances preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Project Management, Information Technology, Engineering, or related field — or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 0–3 years of professional experience in project coordination, junior project management, or related roles. Relevant internships or academic project leadership experience welcome.
• Strong organizational, analytical, and time-management skills; ability to handle multiple priorities.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook; Project preferred) and collaboration platforms (Teams, SharePoint).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; professional interaction with technical teams and government customers.
• Ability to handle sensitive and classified information appropriately.
• U.S. citizenship required (due to clearance and contract requirements).

---

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting DoD, NIWC Pacific, NAVWAR, or similar federal IT, cloud, or cybersecurity programs.
• Familiarity with project management methodologies (Waterfall, Agile/Scrum basics, or hybrid) and tools such as Microsoft Project or Jira.
• Prior cleared-environment experience or knowledge of government contracting processes (CDRLs, status reporting, risk management).
• CAPM, Google Project Management Certificate, or other entry-level PM credential (or willingness to obtain).
• Veteran status or experience working with military/defense customers is a plus.

---

What We Offer

• Opportunity to build project management skills while supporting meaningful national security and defense missions.
• Mentorship from experienced Program and Project Managers.
• Collaborative culture valuing ethics, technical expertise, and professional growth.
• Competitive compensation commensurate with experience and clearance level.
• Benefits package typical for a growing SDVOSB (details provided during the hiring process).
• Clear pathway for advancement into more senior project or program management roles.

---

Compensation

• Salary Range: $80,000 - $100,000 per year (California pay-transparency disclosure: range shown reflects expected compensation for this position in San Diego, CA).

---

Equal Opportunity & Hiring Transparency

Careertakes and our client are Equal Opportunity Employers committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. We prohibit discrimination or harassment of any kind. To support a fair and efficient hiring process, AI tools may be used to assist with application review or resume screening. These tools do not replace human decision-making. Final hiring decisions are made by people.

If you have questions about how your data is used, please contact us directly.