VP Programmes

SE3Labs; München; On-site; EUR 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Real Ownership

Work Environment to Excel at

AI-boosted workplace

31 Paid Days Off

Well-being Access

Team Offsites

Mentorship

Job summary

SE3 Labs is seeking a VP of Programs to lead government programme pursuits from requirements through procurement to contract award. You will work with founders, commercial leadership and engineers in Munich, building a small programmes team while remaining hands-on in pursuits.

You will shape bids that integrate technical, commercial and delivery input, and you will manage relationships with government offices and end users to ensure successful outcomes.

Qualifications

• You take ownership of outcomes and drive decisions with clear deliverables.
• You have led or contributed to winning government programmes with measurable impact.
• You know government defence procurement processes and bid from requirement to award. You’re based in Munich or willing to relocate; English fluency required; German is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Programme Capture: Lead pursuit of government programmes, shaping requirements early and building the case for SE3's systems.
• Bids & Proposals: Own bids end to end, integrating technical, commercial and delivery input.
• Procurement to Contract: Guide opportunities through procurement, negotiation and award.
• Customer Relationships: Build trusted relationships with government programme offices and end users.
• Delivery Alignment: Align with engineering and delivery to ensure realistic commitments.
• Programmes Team: Hire and develop a small programmes and bid-management team.

Skills

Programme leadership

Bid management

Government procurement

Strategic planning

Engagement with engineers

Decision making

Team mentoring

Job description

Join SE3 Labs as VP of Programs

Lead SE3's pursuit of government programmes, from first requirement to contract award, and help build the team that wins them.

About SE3

SE3 Labs builds spatial intelligence and autonomy software for unmanned systems. We combine 3D computer vision, state estimation and AI to help autonomous platforms perceive their surroundings, know where they are and operate when GPS and other sensors become unreliable. Defence is a core application of our work today.

We are growing to a team of 100+ people. Join at a stage where you can shape our Programmes team, help build the team and grow your responsibilities as the company expands.

About the Role

As VP of Programs, you'll lead SE3's most important government programme pursuits, taking opportunities from early requirements through procurement, bid and negotiation to contract award. You'll work closely with our founders, commercial leadership and engineers in Munich, and build a small programmes team around you while staying hands-on in every pursuit. Your work decides which of our capabilities reach long-term service with government customers.

What You'll Work On

• Programme Capture: Lead the pursuit of government programmes, shaping requirements early and building the case for SE3's systems.

• Bids & Proposals: Own bids and proposals end to end, bringing together technical, commercial and delivery input from across the company.

• Procurement to Contract: Guide opportunities through procurement processes, commercial negotiation and contract award.

• Customer Relationships: Build trusted relationships with government programme offices and end users.

• Delivery Alignment: Work with engineering and delivery teams so that commitments are realistic and programmes are set up to succeed after award.

• Programmes Team: Hire and develop a small team of programme and bid managers as our pipeline grows.

Your Profile

• You take ownership of outcomes and remove obstacles without waiting for direction. You turn discussions into clear decisions and decisions into deliverables, and you hold yourself and your team to a consistently high standard.

• You have played a lead role in winning government programmes, with a clear personal contribution to the outcome.

• You know government defence customers and their procurement processes, and you have managed bids from requirement to award.

• You have led or mentored a team and want to build one, while still doing much of the work yourself.

• You work well with engineers and can turn technical capability into a credible, compelling proposal.

• You move quickly and take responsibility in an early-stage company, and you're based in Munich or willing to relocate.

• You speak fluent English; German is a plus. Given the nature of SE3's work in the defence sector, candidates must be eligible to work on defence-related projects and, where required, obtain the relevant security clearance.

Especially Valued Bonus Skills

• Military experience.

• Experience in defence programme management or a government programme office.

• An established network across European defence customers.

• Experience with autonomous systems, UAVs or software-defined defence.

Perks & Benefits

• Real Ownership: Participate in SE3's growth through our employee participation programme

• Work Environment to Excel at: Find a high-quality and modern toolset, flat hierarchy and a skilled, driven team which will push the limits together with you

• AI-boosted workplace: We empower every employee with best-in-class AI tools and agents, giving you unlimited access to the latest advancements and a true productivity edge

• 31 Paid Days Off: 30 vacation days plus your birthday off

• Well-being Access: Free membership to gyms, yoga, and wellness through EGYM Wellpass

• Team Offsites: We go on 2 company retreats per year, our last ones were in Italy and Greece

• Mentorship: Work closely with experienced engineers and get paired with a professional mentor to support your growth

Our Process

1. Intro Call (30 min): Let's get to know each other.

2. Case Study (90 min): We work through a realistic bid or programme capture scenario together.

3. Deep-Dive Interview (1 hr): We dive into programmes you have helped win, bids you have led and how you work with engineering teams.

4. Team Dinner / Lunch: Meet the team and see whether it is a strong fit on both sides.

Equal Opportunity

SE3 is an equal‑opportunity employer committed to building a diverse and inclusive team. All qualified candidates will be considered for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or any other characteristic protected under applicable law.