DIU - Autonomous Warfare Program Manager

Riverside Research; Virginia, Northern (IL, KY); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 225,000; Full time

Job summary

Riverside Research seeks a Program Manager with a strong background in military operations, commercial technology, or DoD acquisition to support the Defense Innovation Unit. You will translate warfighter needs into executable programs and drive prototyping, testing, and fielding with autonomy and AI focus.

This role requires operating with substantial autonomy, building partnerships, and guiding acquisitions through rapid pathways, with relentless emphasis on delivering usable capabilities to

Qualifications

• Minimum 12 years of related experience with a bachelor’s degree, 8 years with a master’s degree, a PhD with 5 years’ experience, or equivalent.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary technical programs with responsibility for outcomes, schedules, budgets, risks, and senior stakeholder expectations.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to translate between operational, technical, commercial, and acquisition communities.
• Familiarity with DoD acquisition and contracting pathways, including FAR-based contracts, Other Transactions, prize challenges, SBIR, or comparable rapid-acquisition mechanisms.

Responsibilities

• Translate complex operational needs into clear problem statements, technical objectives, evaluation criteria, and executable acquisition strategies.
• Identify and assess commercial technologies, companies, and emerging market capabilities relevant to priority Department needs.
• Build and lead multidisciplinary programs involving military operators, engineers, acquisition professionals, contracting personnel, test organizations, commercial vendors, and senior leaders.
• Manage program outcomes, schedules, budgets, risks, dependencies, and stakeholder expectations from initial problem definition through transition.
• Develop competitive solicitation, prototyping, experimentation, and contracting strategies using the most appropriate acquisition pathways.

Skills

Military operations

Commercial technology

DoD acquisition

Technical program management

Autonomy

Robotics

Artificial intelligence

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Master’s degree

PhD

Job description

Riverside Overview

Riverside Research is an independent National Security Nonprofit dedicated to research and development in the national interest. We provide high-end technical services, research and development, and prototype solutions to some of the country’s most challenging technical problems. All Riverside Research opportunities require U.S. Citizenship.

Position Overview

Riverside Research is seeking a Program Manager with a strong background in at least two of the areas of military operational experience, commercial technology, technical program management, autonomous, robototics, AI, or related fields with a curiosity to learn the other areas to support the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU). DIU is a Department of War organization responsible for accelerating the adoption of commercial technology across the Department. As a principal gateway between the Department and leading technology companies, DIU identifies, prototypes, fields, and scales capabilities that address urgent operational needs for Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, Guardians, and the broader joint force.Autonomous Warfare Program Managers are responsible for turning consequential warfighter problems into executable programs—and moving promising commercial technologies from initial discovery to operational use.This is not a traditional administrative program management role. Program Managers operate with substantial autonomy and are expected to demonstrate sound judgment, initiative, and ownership. They define and refine problems, build partnerships, shape acquisition strategies, assess technologies, manage vendors and commercial stakeholders, and drive capabilities through prototyping, transitioning, and fielding.

Responsibilities

• Translate complex operational needs into clear problem statements, technical objectives, evaluation criteria, and executable acquisition strategies.
• Identify and assess commercial technologies, companies, and emerging market capabilities relevant to priority Department needs.
• Build and lead multidisciplinary programs involving military operators, engineers, acquisition professionals, contracting personnel, test organizations, commercial vendors, and senior leaders.
• Manage program outcomes, schedules, budgets, risks, dependencies, and stakeholder expectations from initial problem definition through transition.
• Develop competitive solicitation, prototyping, experimentation, and contracting strategies using the most appropriate acquisition pathways.
• Design operational assessments that generate credible evidence, meaningful end-user feedback, and clear transition decisions.
• Work directly with vendors to resolve technical, contractual, operational, and organizational barriers.
• Develop transition strategies that move successful prototypes into production, sustained operational use, or an established program of record.
• Communicate program status, risks, decisions, and recommendations clearly to senior government, military, and industry stakeholders.
• Build enduring partnerships across the Services, combatant commands, program offices, operational units, commercial industry, and the broader defense innovation ecosystem.

Qualifications

Typically a minimum of 12 years of related experience with a bachelor’s degree, 8 years with a master’s degree, a PhD with 5 years’ experience, or equivalent experience is typically required for an employee at this level.

Required BackgroundCompetitive candidates will demonstrate most of the following:

• Meaningful experience in at least two of these areas: military operations, commercial technology, DoD acquisition, technical program management, autonomy, robotics, or artificial intelligence.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary technical programs with responsibility for outcomes, schedules, budgets, risks, and senior stakeholder expectations.
• Demonstrated ability to operate effectively in ambiguous environments, make decisions with incomplete information, and maintain momentum without detailed direction.
• Sufficient technical fluency to decompose unfamiliar problems, evaluate solution credibility and maturity, identify integration risks, and engage effectively with engineers and operators.
• Strong end-user empathy developed through operational service, acquisition experience, product development, or firsthand experience delivering commercial technology to the Department.
• Working knowledge of DoD acquisition and contracting pathways, including FAR-based contracts, Other Transactions, prize challenges, SBIR, or comparable rapid-acquisition mechanisms.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to translate between operational, technical, commercial, and acquisition communities.

Current TS/SCI clearance

Desired Experience

• Familiarity with unmanned systems, collaborative autonomy, AI, robotics, and human-machine teaming.
• Experience supporting conventional or Special Operations Forces via operations, requirements, or program management.
• Experience selling or delivering commercial technology to the Department of Defense.
• Proficiency with rapid-acquisition pathways (FAR, Other Transactions, SBIR, prize challenges).
• Experience designing operational tests and transitioning prototypes into production or programs of record.
• Capability to evaluate manufacturing readiness, supply-chain risk, scalability, and product-market fit.
• Established relationships across the Services, program offices, industry, and investment communities.
• Advanced degrees or certifications, paired with a drive to improve outcomes within traditional acquisition systems.

Global Comp

$150,000 - $225,000 This represents the typical compensation range for this position based on experience, location and other factors.

Closing Statement

Riverside Research Institute is a not-for-profit, technology-oriented defense company, where service to our customers and support of our staff is our overall mission. Riverside is an affirmative action-equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws regarding recruitment and hiring. Riverside offers comprehensive compensation and benefit packages to our employees. Riverside bases its employment decisions solely on technical experience, qualifications and other job-related criteria related to our organizational purpose as a not-for-profit company, and without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex marital status, sexual orientation, national origin, physical or mental disability, veteran’s status or any other status legally protected by applicable federal, state, and local law.