Program Manager

Robert Klier, PMP

Austin, Texas · *******@*****.*** · linkedin.com/in/robert-klier

Professional Summary

Strategic program and portfolio executive with 15+ years advancing technology adoption and operational excellence in defense-contracting, public-sector, and commercial domains. Promoted to lead $10M–$20M initiatives—driving digital transformation through cloud computing, analytics, and process automation. Expert at embedding agile governance, optimizing processes (33% cycle-time reduction), and securing extended partnerships while sustaining 98% user satisfaction. Trusted advisor to Fortune 500 and government clients, renowned for forging cross-functional alliances and delivering measurable business outcomes.

Core Capabilities

Program & Portfolio Leadership ($10M–$20M) Digital & Cloud Enablement (Office 365, Google Workspace, Power BI, Automation, LLMs) Agile Governance & Continuous Improvement Stakeholder Advisory & Consensus Building Compliance & Risk Management (NIST, DFARS, FedRAMP) Data-Driven Decision-Making & Executive Reporting Change Readiness & Adoption Global Delivery & Localization Vendor & Partnership Management Talent Development & Mentorship

Professional Experience

Senior Program Manager

Custom Enterprises Group · Austin, TX

January 2024–Present

Led the full-lifecycle delivery and expansion of a $10M AI and advanced-tech program across seven universities. Scaled from one task order and eight projects to four task orders and 19 projects. Architected and launched an enterprise PMO framework that standardized processes, workflows, and reporting—enabling scalable onboarding, integrated delivery systems, and sustainable growth. Provided strategic oversight to a 20-member matrix team of project managers and technical specialists, driving operational alignment and delivery excellence.

Process Efficiency: Streamlined workflows and standardized data practices, realizing an 8-hour reduction in monthly reporting cycles. Simultaneously evaluated, selected, and deployed analytics and automation platforms (Power BI, Power Automate, LLMs) to enhance organizational agility and operational efficiency.

Data analytics and Executive Dashboards: Defined key performance indicators (KPIs) - including budget, milestone, and risk metrics - and designed and implemented real-time executive dashboards reducing decision cycles while enhancing transparency.

Business Development & Client Engagement: Supported public-sector and commercial pursuits by shaping proposals, refining solution narratives, and advising on technical positioning—contributing to the award of three new task orders and expansion of the client portfolio.

Governance Forums: Established and led program review forums with 100+ participants, aligning strategy, informing funding, and strengthening governance—a model adopted by the sponsor.

Cross-agency influence: Partnered with the sponsor to analyze mandatory review requirements and identify critical submission elements. Reengineered internal processes and implemented them across all participating universities, achieving consistent review turnaround times of 1 day while ensuring secure, compliant, and timely release of materials.

Enterprise Data Solutions: Introduced uniform data-handling protocols for newly launched projects, collaborating with multiple universities to ensure consistent documentation, compliance, and access controls.

Senior Program Manager

Watermark Risk Management International · Austin, TX

May 2021–January 2024

Managed an $18M annual budget within a $3B DHS system-of-systems modernization -- integrating advanced sensing, machine-learning analytics, and secure cloud architectures—while providing strategic oversight of R&D prototype developments and delivering bi-weekly funding updates and semi-annual financial reviews to executives.

Funding Growth: Partnered with senior leadership to align budgets with program requirements and risk priorities, securing $8M in follow-on funding.

Technology Assessment Framework: Created a Technology Readiness Framework to assess prototype maturity against requirements and inform funding decisions.

PoC Direction: Directed $4M proof-of-concept (PoC) and demonstration efforts, leveraging the readiness framework to validate designs and de-risk vendor integrations.

Risk Portfolio Management: Owned the risk portfolio for two critical technologies (control module and field-ID unit), identifying technical and stakeholder risks and driving targeted mitigation strategies.

Regulatory Compliance Management: Directed cross-functional teams and vendor partners to secure stakeholder and union approvals, ensure compliance with industry and labor regulations, and streamline on-site technology demonstrations.

Talent Development: Mentored engineers and project managers in translating strategic objectives into actionable plans and fostering leadership growth.

Program Manager

Tech62 · Fairfax, VA

August 2014–May 2021

Advanced from Learning & Development Lead to Program Manager, charged with leading a 10+ member cross-functional team in the global rollout, operational readiness, and user enablement for a mission-critical SaaS atmospheric transport and dispersion modeling platform serving public- and private-sector clients. Owned end-to-end program strategy, resource allocation, and delivery scaling in compliance-heavy, security-sensitive environments.

Digital Transformation: Spearheaded digital transformation of service delivery, transitioning legacy in-person instruction to scalable virtual and hybrid models—expanding global reach while reducing operational costs.

Enablement Initiatives: Drove delivery of up to 30 SaaS platform enablement initiatives annually (U.S. & international), ensuring diverse user groups achieved readiness and operational fluency under stringent regulatory requirements.

Courseware Development: Secured extended partnership by delivering accredited flagship courseware underpinning 75% of annual enablement efforts, reducing new-hire readiness time by two weeks, and sustaining a 98% user satisfaction rating post-digital transformation.

Process Optimization: Streamlined change management and configuration procedures—reducing deployment/setup times by 25% while ensuring security and compliance.

Agile Governance: Enhanced program impact by instituting agile operational reviews and data-driven improvements, raising stakeholder satisfaction and accelerating issue-to-resolution cycles.

Talent Management: Recruited, onboarded, and managed performance of instructional staff—maintaining trainer currency, competency standards, and delivery excellence across global deployments.

Vendor Partnerships: Oversaw vendor partnerships for SaaS platform updates, bug fixes, and help-file enhancements; ensured user feedback was continually translated into actionable platform improvements.

Senior Chemical Engineer

SAIC · Fort Belvoir, VA

June 2010–July 2014

Delivered engineering analysis, consequence assessments, and decision support to inform high-stakes operational and response planning. Standardized workflows and SOPs for modeling platforms—reducing production time by 33%—and leveraged HTML/XML configurations to tailor tool parameters.

Technical Communication: Authored executive-level decision aids and technical briefs, guiding cross-functional teams and stakeholders.

Subject Matter Expertise: Selected for the global recall roster in recognition of subject-matter expertise, reliability, and analytical rigor.

Education

M.S. in Chemical Engineering

University of Alabama in Huntsville · May 2008–May 2010

B.S. in Chemical Engineering

University of Alabama in Huntsville · August 2003–May 2008

Certifications

Project Management Professional (PMP) · PMI

Contact this candidate