Work Leader & Business Partner - L&AS

Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of relevant work experience is required, plus a minimum of 8 years of relevant experience; or Master's degree plus a minimum of 6 years of relevant experience.

Due to the nature of work performed within our facilities, U.S. Citizenship is required.

The Work Leader & Business Partner (Sr Adv PPM Spec) plays a critical role in strengthening program execution across the Business Area and Business Segment. This role provides day-to-day task leadership, coordination, and analytical support to program teams without direct supervisory authority, while serving as a trusted business partner to Business Area Leads, Business Segment Leads, and Program Managers.

The Work Leader ensures that analysts, planners, schedulers, and other contributors receive clear tasking, priorities, and expectations. They help translate business objectives into actionable work plans, integrate performance data across programs, and support predictable execution across both Earned Value (EV) and non-EV environments.

Key Responsibilities:

Business Partnership & Segment Support

• Serves as a key business partner to Business Area Leads, Business Segment Leads, and Program Managers, providing insight, analysis, and recommendations that strengthen execution.
• Helps leadership understand program performance trends, systemic risks, staffing needs, and opportunities for improvement.
• Ensures alignment between program execution, segment strategies, customer expectations, and business objectives.
• Supports leadership in preparing for internal reviews, customer engagements, and strategic planning activities.

Task Leadership & Work Coordination

• Provides daily tasking, prioritization, and workflow coordination for analysts, planners, schedulers, and other program contributors.
• Ensures work products meet quality standards, contractual requirements, and program expectations.
• Balances workload across team members, adjusting tasking based on program needs, risks, and schedule drivers.
• Monitors progress against assigned tasks and supports timely issue resolution.

Program Execution Support

• Supports development and maintenance of integrated program plans, schedules, and performance baselines.
• Ensures consistent application of planning, scheduling, EVMS, and performance analysis practices across EV and non-EV programs.
• Tracks work accomplished to baseline plans, identifies variances, and partners with program leadership to develop corrective actions.
• Conducts deep dive reviews to identify issues, evaluate impacts, and coordinate corrective actions.

Financial & Business Insight

• Analyzes program financial data, including cost, schedule, staffing, and material performance.
• Provides leadership with clear, data driven insights that support decision making and forecast accuracy.
• Helps evaluate profit, cash flow, and business case impacts across programs.
• Supports development of cohesive program, subcontractor, and material plans aligned with business objectives.

Risk, Opportunity & Change Management

• Supports teams in identifying, quantifying, and managing risks and opportunities.
• Coordinates mitigation and capture activities, ensuring timely follow through and integration into program plans.
• Assists in evaluating scope changes and preparing cost, schedule, and technical impacts.
• Helps decouple risk items from mainstream execution where appropriate.

Proposal & Business Development Support

• Supports proposal planning, cost estimation, and execution strategy development.
• Coordinates proposal tasking across contributors to ensure cohesive, timely, and compliant submissions.
• Provides insight into historical performance, customer expectations, and competitive positioning.
• Helps identify potential subcontractors or partners to strengthen program execution.

Cross Functional Collaboration

• Facilitates alignment across engineering, supply chain, finance, operations, and program teams.
• Ensures integrated execution by coordinating tasking and communication across functions.
• Builds strong relationships across the organization to influence without authority.
• Helps identify and implement process improvements that enhance execution consistency.

Team Enablement & Capability Development

• Coaches team members in planning, scheduling, EVMS, analysis, and execution best practices.
• Promotes a culture of transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Helps identify training needs and supports skill development across the team.
• Encourages collaboration and effective communication across programs and functions.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Strong understanding of program planning, scheduling, EVMS, and performance analysis.
• Ability to coordinate work across multiple contributors without formal supervisory authority.
• Skilled in relationship building, influence, and cross functional collaboration.
• Strong financial and analytical acumen.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to translate business objectives into actionable work plans.
• Proficiency with MS Project, Excel, PowerPoint, and related tools.
• Knowledge of government contracting, program lifecycles, and customer markets.
• Ability to coach others and promote execution excellence.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience, plus relevant experience in program execution, planning, scheduling, or program management.
• Experience supporting EV and/or non-EV programs preferred.
• Experience partnering with senior business leaders strongly preferred.

Our Commitment to You:

• An exciting career path with opportunities for continuous learning and development.
• Research oriented work, alongside award winning teams developing practical solutions for our nation’s security
• Flexible schedules with every other Friday off work, if desired (9/80 schedule)
• Competitive benefits, including 401k matching, flex time off, paid parental leave, healthcare benefits, health & wellness programs, employee resource and social groups, and more
• See more at gdmissionsystems.com/careers/why-work-for-us/benefits

Workplace Options:
This position is on-site in Bloomington MN...there will be opportunities for flex scheduling moving forward.

#LI-Hybrid

General Dynamics Mission Systems (GDMS) engineers a diverse portfolio of high technology solutions, products and services that enable customers to successfully execute missions across all domains of operation. With a global team of 12,000+ top professionals, we partner with the best in industry to expand the bounds of innovation in the defense and scientific arenas. Given the nature of our work and who we are, we value trust, honesty, alignment and transparency. We offer highly competitive benefits and pride ourselves in being a great place to work with a shared sense of purpose. You will also enjoy a flexible work environment where contributions are recognized and rewarded. If who we are and what we do resonates with you, we invite you to join our high-performance team!

Equal Opportunity Employer / Individuals with Disabilities / Protected Veterans