Mission Director - Aerial Combat

Responsibilities

• Cultivate senior-level, trust-based relationships with PEOs, program managers (O-6+), requirements officers, and CTO offices within US Air Force PEO ISR SOF, NAVAIR, SOCOM (Defense Autonomous Warfare Group), and US Army PM UAS.
• Shape opportunities 12–18 months in advance by influencing requirements, acquisition strategies, and program structures before they reach the public domain.
• Lead strategic customer discovery to understand long-term capability roadmaps, budget trajectories across PPBE cycles, and political dynamics within the aerial combat community.
• Build credibility as a senior voice on aerial combat autonomy and translate operational warfighter problems into technology requirements that drive program shaping.
• Maintain backchannel sources of information across the aerial combat and weapons communities and establish senior-level escalation paths for strategic deals facing political or programmatic obstacles.
• Make pursue-versus-walk-away decisions and partner with Account Executives, Capture Managers, and Engineers to convert strategic shaping into winning pipeline.

Requirements

• 15–25 years of experience in or around DoD aerial combat operations and acquisition, such as military O-5/O-6 operational aviation leadership, GS-15/SES acquisition or requirements experience, or senior industry business development/strategic growth leadership.
• Executive-level expertise in the PPBE cycle and POM process, including navigating Congressional authorization and appropriation dynamics.
• Warm relationships within US Air Force PEO ISR SOF, NAVAIR, SOCOM (particularly the Defense Autonomous Warfare Group), or US Army PM UAS.
• Deep understanding of aerial combat capability gaps and force-structure challenges.
• Comfort operating at the white-space stage of programs and identifying opportunities without formal names, budget lines, or acquisition strategies.
• Active Secret or Top Secret security clearance.

Nice-to-haves

• Prior experience as a Program Manager at DARPA, DIU, AFWERX, Army Applications Lab, or SOFWERX.
• Familiarity with DoD autonomy programs or direct operational experience with group 1–3 unmanned aerial systems in combat or training environments.
• Track record of positioning commercial autonomy technology for government adoption.

Compensation and Benefits

• Base salary, equity, and benefits are included in the total compensation package.
• Benefits may include health, dental, vision, life and disability insurance, 401(k) retirement benefits with employer match, learning and wellness stipends, and paid time off.
• The ATS salary range is $200,000–$300,000 annually.
• The posting also states a location-specific base salary range of $20,000–$250,000 annually; this range is suspiciously inconsistent with the ATS range and is not used here.