Senior Program Manager (Defense)

Position Summary

We are hiring an experienced Program Manager to lead execution of our defense programs. You will own day-to-day delivery across our DARPA and ARL contracts; coordinating multidisciplinary engineering teams, owning the customer relationship, and making sure we ship technical milestones on time and on budget. You will also partner closely with our leadership and business development team to shape and win new defense contracts. This role is central to our growth and reports to the VP of Engineering.

About the role

This role requires 10+ years of project or program management experience in a defense, aerospace, or deep-tech environment, with direct ownership of government-funded R&D programs. You should have demonstrated success delivering on DARPA, service research lab (ARL, AFRL, ONR, NRL), or equivalent DoD contracts - including running program reviews and customer-facing milestones. Proven experience leading engineering teams in a hardware or photonics/optics environment; comfort operating at the intersection of technical depth and program mechanics is essential. Hands-on experience supporting business development and proposal preparation - writing management volumes, building integrated master schedules, and partnering with technical PIs is desirable. Working fluency with FAR/DFARS, CDRLs, DCAA-compliant cost accounting, and export control (ITAR/EAR) in a startup or small-business setting is required. Excellent written and verbal communication skills are necessary. U.S. citizenship is required. Ability to obtain and maintain a DoD security clearance is preferred. A bachelor's degree in engineering, physics, or a related technical field is advantageous. Prior experience at a Series A / early-stage defense or deep-tech startup is desirable. Direct experience with nano-optics, photonics, freeform optics, metasurfaces, or EO/IR systems is beneficial. Experience authoring or leading winning SBIR Phase II, STRATFI/TACFI, or OTA proposals is advantageous. Experience with ASANA as a project management tool is helpful. Experience with leading and participating in color team reviews is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Own program delivery. Lead planning, scheduling, risk management, and execution across multiple concurrent defense programs, ensuring cost, schedule, and technical performance targets are met.
• Direct engineering teams. Direct cross-functional teams of optical, mechanical, electrical, and software engineers - setting priorities, removing blockers, and keeping the team aligned to milestones.
• Run the customer relationship. Serve as the primary point of contact for DARPA, ARL, and other DoD customers and primes; lead program reviews, technical interchange meetings, and formal deliverable submissions.
• Manage contracts and compliance. Oversee SOW execution, modifications, deliverables (CDRLs), and reporting in coordination with Contracts and Finance; ensure adherence to FAR/DFARS, DCAA-compliant timekeeping, and applicable export control requirements.
• Support new business. Partner with BD and technical leads on capture strategy, teaming, color team reviews, cost narratives, and authoring the management and execution sections of proposals for SBIR/STTR, BAA, OTA, and prime-sub opportunities.
• Build the PM function. Establish the tooling, templates, and cadence (EVM-lite, risk registers, integrated schedules) that scale as we grow the program portfolio through Series A.

Requirements

10+ years of project or program management experience in a defense, aerospace, or deep-tech environment, with direct ownership of government-funded R&D programs.

Demonstrated success delivering on DARPA, service research lab (ARL, AFRL, ONR, NRL), or equivalent DoD contracts - including running program reviews and customer-facing milestones.

Proven experience leading engineering teams in a hardware or photonics/optics environment; comfort operating at the intersection of technical depth and program mechanics.

Hands-on experience supporting business development and proposal preparation - writing management volumes, building integrated master schedules, and partnering with technical PIs.

Working fluency with FAR/DFARS, CDRLs, DCAA-compliant cost accounting, and export control (ITAR/EAR) in a startup or small-business setting.

Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

U.S. citizenship required. Ability to obtain and maintain a DoD security clearance is preferred.

A bachelor's degree in engineering, physics, or a related technical field is advantageous.

Prior experience at a Series A / early-stage defense or deep-tech startup is desirable.

Direct experience with nano-optics, photonics, freeform optics, metasurfaces, or EO/IR systems is beneficial.

Experience authoring or leading winning SBIR Phase II, STRATFI/TACFI, or OTA proposals is advantageous.

Experience with ASANA as a project management tool is helpful.

Experience with leading and participating in color team reviews is desirable.

Qualifications

Hands-on experience supporting business development and proposal preparation - writing management volumes, building integrated master schedules, and partnering with technical PIs.

Working fluency with FAR/DFARS, CDRLs, DCAA-compliant cost accounting, and export control (ITAR/EAR) in a startup or small-business setting.

Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

U.S. citizenship required. Ability to obtain and maintain a DoD security clearance is preferred.

A bachelor's degree in engineering, physics, or a related technical field is advantageous.

Prior experience at a Series A / early-stage defense or deep-tech startup is desirable.

Direct experience with nano-optics, photonics, freeform optics, metasurfaces, or EO/IR systems is beneficial.

Experience authoring or leading winning SBIR Phase II, STRATFI/TACFI, or OTA proposals is advantageous.

Experience with ASANA as a project management tool is helpful.

Experience with leading and participating in color team reviews is desirable.

Skills

Project management experience in a defense, aerospace, or deep-tech environment.

Leadership of engineering teams in a hardware or photonics/optics environment.

Business development and proposal preparation skills.

FAR/DFARS, CDRLs, DCAA-compliant cost accounting, and export control (ITAR/EAR) knowledge.

Effective communication skills.

Benefits

The salary range for this role is $130,000 - $170,000+ (depending on experience), as well as equity. We are committed to equitable compensation across our company. We offer 401(k), multiple healthcare schemes and an annual reimbursement, to give our employees greater flexibility with the benefits that meet their needs. We offer four weeks of PTO, plus 10 public holidays.

Pay

The salary range for this role is $130,000 - $170,000+ (depending on experience).

Schedule

N/A