# Mission Director - Aerial Combat

**Company:** [Applied Intuition](https://hotfix.jobs/companies/applied-intuition)
**Location:** Arlington, VA
**Role:** Business Development
**Salary:** $200k – $300k/yr
**Experience:** 15+ years
**Skills:** ppbe, pom process, congressional appropriations, congressional authorization, aerial combat, autonomous systems, unmanned aerial systems, defense acquisition, strategic business development, program shaping, dod, security clearance
**Posted:** 2026-08-06

> Senior strategic growth leader for an aerial combat autonomy portfolio, shaping defense opportunities and cultivating senior government relationships across Air Force, Army, Navy, and SOCOM stakeholders. Requires 15–25 years of DoD aerial combat or acquisition experience, deep program knowledge, relevant relationships, and an active Secret or Top Secret clearance.

## Job Description

## 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.

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