Vice President, Federal IT Programs

About the role

Unissant, Inc. delivers innovative capabilities to the agencies that keep our nation healthy and safe. We apply our domain expertise, data acumen, and technology know-how to achieve breakthrough results for our clients. We are seeking a Vice President, Federal IT Programs to lead a large, complex IT portfolio for our client in the Washington, DC metro area.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the senior liaison with the federal customer, owning executive‑level communication, priority setting, and issue resolution.
• Provide executive oversight of multiple programs and contracts, covering software development, modernization, cloud, data/analytics/AI, and IT operations/O&M.
• Lead as the prime contractor over multiple subcontractors, setting clear expectations, driving accountability, and ensuring Unissant maintains strategic and delivery control.
• Own portfolio‑level program management: schedules, deliverables, staffing, onboarding, subcontract administration, and compliance.
• Lead and develop senior leaders and technical teams, managing resources, succession, and performance across a workforce of 150+ personnel.
• Own financial performance (P&L, budgets, forecasts, margins) and define KPIs and metrics to monitor delivery and report results to Unissant executives and the customer.
• Collaborate with Government CORs, other contractors, and Unissant PMs to ensure milestone delivery, manage risk and issues, and escalate critical items as needed.
• Drive application development, digital modernization, and data/AI initiatives to improve mission outcomes and portfolio efficiency.
• Identify and pursue opportunities to expand scope, building business cases that clearly articulate value and ROI.
• Oversee clearance submissions, PIV card processing, GFE issuance, and government documentation required for contract execution.

Requirements

• 15+ years of leadership in IT systems integration and/or large IT services organizations.
• Direct experience overseeing portfolios or program sets with annual revenue in the $80M–$150M+ range and total contract values nearing $200M.
• Strong background leading complex, multi‑contractor environments, including assertive prime leadership over multiple subcontractors.
• Experience leading agile software delivery, application modernization, cloud migration, and data/analytics/AI‑enabled solutions.
• Proven ability to build and grow high‑performing teams focused on application development, digital modernization, data analytics, and AI, and to mentor senior leaders in these domains.
• Demonstrated success in conflict resolution and turnaround efforts, including re‑establishing prime control on challenged programs.
• Proven ability to manage large software development and IT operations efforts, identify risks, and implement effective mitigation strategies.
• Working knowledge of Agile (Scrum, SAFe, DevOps/DevSecOps) at scale.
• Knowledge of and experience with Department of Homeland Security customers, missions, and systems, preferably with Customs and Border Protection (CBP)

Qualifications

Bachelor's Degree required; preferred fields include Computer Science, Information Technology, Information Systems, Operations Management, or related areas. MBA/Master's Degree in a relevant field preferred.

Skills

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; comfortable presenting to executive and senior government audiences.
• Ability to translate complex technical and strategic information for non‑technical stakeholders.
• Strong influencing skills in matrixed and multi‑partner environments.

Clearance Requirements

Existing DHS CBP clearance and/or TS/SCI is required.

Work Location and Environment

5 days a week on‑site in the Northern Virginia / Washington, DC metro area, with occasional travel to other customer or Unissant HQ facility. Routine office environment. May be required to lift up to ten (10) pounds. Flexible in working extended hours.