Project Manager - Product Operations

At Two Six Technologies, we build, deploy, and implement innovative products that solve the world’s most complex challenges today. Through unrivaled collaboration and unwavering trust, we push the boundaries of what’s possible to empower our team and support our customers in building a safer global future.

About the Role

Our Product Operations team is looking for a Project Manager to own the end-to-end Authority to Operate (ATO) and certification process, including NIAP Common Criteria, CSfC, and FIPS 140-3 validation for our product lines. You will ensure these systems are authorized for deployment on DoD and IC networks and remain in continuous compliance. As a secondary responsibility, you will support the Product Operations Lead on initiatives for the hardware team, including R&D-to-Manufacturing process development, BOM maintenance in Arena, and vendor data accuracy in Ariba. This is a hybrid position based in our Arlington or Herndon, VA office, with 10-20% travel required to interface with customers and employees on cleared programs.

Responsibilities

• ATO Ownership (End-to-End): Own the end-to-end process for getting authorized for deployment on DoD and IC systems, then manage continuous certification, accreditation, risk assessment, and security requirements.
• NIAP / Common Criteria, CSfC & FIPS 140-3: Serve as the go-to expert on the certification and continuous authorization process across NIAP Common Criteria, CSfC, and FIPS 140-3 validation, ensuring compliance with government requirements and policies.
• Cross-Functional Requirements & Reciprocity: Work with stakeholders inside and outside the company, including tech leads, product managers, and existing IC/DoD customers, to define requirements and actions needed to achieve ATO certification and pursue reciprocal ATOs.
• DevSecOps & Secure SDLC: Steward a DevSecOps approach with product and engineering teams to ensure security is designed in from the start, and create artifacts needed to support a secure software development lifecycle.
• Continuous Compliance: Support ongoing system improvements to maintain certification and accreditation status, including additional hardware and cybersecurity certification processes (e.g., FIPS 140-3 validation) from a project management perspective.
• Process & Standards Development: Partner with the Product Operations Lead to build R&D-to-manufacturing processes and standards, including hand-off procedures, work instructions, and stage-gate criteria for transitioning products from engineering into production.
• BOM Management (Arena): Support accurate Bills of Materials in Arena for TST hardware product lines (mechanical and electrical) to ensure each BOM reflects the current engineering configuration before release to Manufacturing.
• Vendor Data Accuracy (Ariba): Help maintain accurate, up-to-date vendor records in Ariba, including pricing, lead times, part numbers, and sourcing details, so the Manufacturing team has reliable information for planning and execution.
• Status Reporting: Provide the Product Operations Lead and Product Leadership team with regular, consolidated status on ATO and certification milestones and, secondarily, on Product Operations initiatives supporting the hardware team.
• Documentation & Audit Readiness: Maintain certification and process documentation to ensure both compliance and Product Operations functions are repeatable and audit-ready, reducing reliance on institutional knowledge.

Requirements

• 7+ years of project or program management experience within a defense contracting or high-assurance hardware/software environment.
• Experience certifying software and hardware systems on both DoD and IC networks.
• Experience certifying commercial technologies in addition to government-owned technologies.
• Experience with hardware certifications and cybersecurity validation, such as FIPS 140-3, for high-assurance product lines.
• Interest in supporting US government national security missions across the intelligence and defense communities.
• Active TS/SCI security clearance.

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with PLM and vendor/procurement management systems (e.g., Arena, Ariba) or similar tools.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• Life and disability insurance.
• Retirement benefits.
• Paid leave.
• Tuition assistance and professional development.

Pay

Salary Range: $140,000 - $190,000 USD (annual). This is a general guideline and not a guarantee of salary. The specific salary offered is determined by factors including education, experience, knowledge, skills, geographic location, as well as contract-specific affordability and organizational requirements.

Schedule

This is a hybrid position requiring work from our Arlington or Herndon, VA office. Some travel (10-20%) will be required to interface with customers and employees collaborating on cleared programs.