Defense IO Program Lead: Delivery & Government Partnerships

Zinc Network; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 175,000; Full time

Job summary

Zinc Network, a global government communications and technology firm, seeks a Program Lead to own delivery and relationships on a multi-year US defense IO program. You will translate requirements into deliverable campaigns, and build a US-based team while coordinating with UK leadership.

The role is based in Washington, DC, Tampa, FL, or Stuttgart, Germany,Hybrid, with travel required. Manage budgets, security compliance, and stakeholder meetings to advance Zinc’s credibility with government

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent.
• Significant professional experience in strategic communications, IO, or a closely related discipline, spanning both private-sector and US defense contracting environments.
• Demonstrated experience managing a client or prime contractor relationship in a US federal contracting context, ideally as a subcontractor.
• Working knowledge of US defense information operations practice, terminology, and behavioral change frameworks.
• Active or readily reinstated US security clearance appropriate to the program's classification requirements (TS/SCI preferred).
• US citizenship (required for personnel on this program).
• Experience building and leading teams, including recruitment and people management.
• Strong program and delivery management skills, including budget and labor-hour tracking within a federal contracting structure.

Responsibilities

• Own the day-to-day relationship with the prime contractor and government customer, acting as Zinc’s principal point of contact for program delivery matters.
• Lead delivery across all Zinc-resourced workstreams on the program, ensuring outputs meet requirements, quality standards, and deadlines.
• Translate prime and government requirements into practical delivery plans, coordinating Zinc’s US and UK-based teams as needed.
• Build and lead a dedicated US-based delivery team, including recruitment, onboarding, and day-to-day people management.
• Monitor program budget and labor-hour utilization against subcontract terms, escalate risks or scope changes to leadership.
• Maintain fluency in US defense IO practice, terminology, and behavioral frameworks to ensure credibility with government customers.
• Identify and scope additional task orders and growth within the program and broader prime relationship.
• Ensure all program activity complies with contractual, security, and clearance requirements.
• Represent Zinc’s culture and tech-forward approach to the prime and government customer, and at high-level meetings with clients and partners.

Skills

Strategic communications

US defense IO

Client/prime contractor relationships

Security clearance

US citizenship

Team leadership

Program/delivery management

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Job description

Zinc Network, a global government communications and technology firm, seeks a Program Lead to own delivery and relationships on a multi-year US defense IO program. You will translate requirements into deliverable campaigns, and build a US-based team while coordinating with UK leadership.

The role is based in Washington, DC, Tampa, FL, or Stuttgart, Germany,Hybrid, with travel required. Manage budgets, security compliance, and stakeholder meetings to advance Zinc’s credibility with government