Autonomy Program Lead for DoD & DIU Initiatives

Riverside Research; Virginia (MN); On-site; USD 150,000 - 225,000; Full time

Job summary

Riverside Research seeks a Program Manager to lead autonomy-focused DoD programs for the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU). The role involves end-to-end program management, lifecycle oversight, and close collaboration with DoD customers, suppliers, and cross-functional teams. This position can be located in Mountain View, CA or Arlington, VA and requires U.S.

citizenship and TS/SCI clearance. The candidate will drive problem definition, solution design, testing, and transition to warfighters, while

Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience in program management (preferably in DoD acquisition, technology transition, or rapid prototyping).
• Familiarity with autonomous systems engineering—enough to ask the right questions and assess vendor claims.
• Experience writing SOWs, building schedules, issuing task orders, or managing similar project documentation.
• Ability to coordinate across multiple stakeholders and keep complex projects on track.
• Mix of DoD/USG and commercial experience strongly preferred.
• Current TS/SCI clearance required

Responsibilities

• Champion the needs of the warfighter first and foremost throughout program development and execution.
• Drive program execution across the entire lifecycle from problem definition to transition to the warfighter, keeping on schedule and within budget.
• Curate new programs through proactive DoD customer engagement and external outreach to align capability gaps with commercial solutions.
• Build and lead cross-functional teams of civilians, military personnel, and contractors to enable program success.
• Serve as an Autonomy SME and share technical expertise with team members and leadership.
• Collaborate with Acquisition professionals and other PMs to address contract-related matters.
• Establish KPIs, monitor program health through data analysis, and report outcomes to senior leadership; re-baseline schedules and priorities as needed

Skills

Program management

Autonomous systems engineering

DoD acquisition

Rapid prototyping

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Master’s degree

PhD

Job description

Riverside Research seeks a Program Manager to lead autonomy-focused DoD programs for the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU). The role involves end-to-end program management, lifecycle oversight, and close collaboration with DoD customers, suppliers, and cross-functional teams. This position can be located in Mountain View, CA or Arlington, VA and requires U.S.

citizenship and TS/SCI clearance. The candidate will drive problem definition, solution design, testing, and transition to warfighters, while