Lead Product Manager

Socket.dev; Arlington (VA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Agile Defense is seeking a Senior Product Manager to define the strategic direction and priorities for CCMD-facing products across the program. You will drive value by aligning investments with customer outcomes, working with stakeholders including the RTE, Solution Architect, and UX Lead to shape what the program builds and why it matters.

You will own ART-level prioritization, guide Epics and Use Cases, and collaborate in PI Planning to ensure delivery of high-value capabilities.

Qualifications

• Bachelors degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Business, Information Systems, or related field.
• 8 years of product management experience, shipping complex software, data, or analytics products.
• 5+ years in SAFe environment with program backlog ownership and PI Planning.
• 5+ years leading cross-functional teams of engineering, UX, and data disciplines.
• 3+ years supporting DoD, Intelligence Community, or federal customers.

Responsibilities

• Define product vision, roadmaps, and OKRs/KPIs aligned to mission outcomes.
• Prioritize and refine ART-level Use Cases and Epics; participate in PI Planning.
• Coordinate with CCMD stakeholders, RTE, solution architect, and UX lead.
• Provide clear direction across teams and ensure delivery aligns with mission outcomes.

Skills

Product vision & roadmaps

Agile tooling

Communication with senior leaders

Cross-functional leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in related field

Tools

Jira

Jira Align

Azure DevOps

Confluence

Job description

About Agile Defense

At Agile Defense we know that action defines the outcome and new challenges require new solutions. That’s why we always look to the future and embrace change with an unmovable spirit and the courage to build for what comes next.

Our vision is to bring adaptive innovation to support our nation's most important missions through the seamless integration of advanced technologies, elite minds, and unparalleled agility—leveraging a foundation of speed, flexibility, and ingenuity to strengthen and protect our nation’s vital interests.

Requisition #:1680

Job Title: Senior Product Manager

Location: Pentagon, Arlington, VA

Clearance Level: Top Secret, Must Have Clearance to Start

Job Description

At Agile Defense we know that action defines the outcome and new challenges require new solutions. That's why we always look to the future and embrace change with an unmovable spirit and the courage to build for what comes next.

Our vision is to bring adaptive innovation to support our nation's most important missions through the seamless integration of advanced technologies, elite minds, and unparalleled agility—leveraging a foundation of speed, flexibility, and ingenuity to strengthen and protect our nation's vital interests. We are currently looking for a Senior Product Manager to support our contract with the DRAID CDAO ADA IR Program.

The Senior Product Manager is responsible for defining and communicating the strategic direction, vision, and priorities for all Combatant Command (CCMD)-facing products and capabilities across the program. This role serves as the primary driver of mission value, ensuring that all product investments are aligned to customer outcomes, operational needs, and program objectives.
The Senior Product Manager works closely with CCMD stakeholders, the Release Train Engineer (RTE), Solution Architect, UX Design Lead, and Region Leads to define what the program builds and why it matters. This role owns Agile Release Train (ART)-level prioritization and ensures that all Epics and Use Cases are clearly defined, value-driven, and aligned to mission intent before they are decomposed into executable work by Product Owners.

Day-to-day activities include stakeholder engagement, defining product vision and roadmaps, collaborating with Product Owners to prioritize and refine ART-level Use Cases and Epics, participating in Program Increment (PI) Planning, and ensuring delivery aligns with mission outcomes. The Senior Product Manager provides clarity of direction across all teams and ensures that the program is consistently focused on delivering the highest-value capabilities first.

Education and Background

• Bachelor's degree in a related field (Computer Science, Engineering, Business, Information Systems, or equivalent experience).
• At least 8 years of product management experience, with a track record of shipping complex software, data, or analytics products end-to-end.
• At least 5 years of experience operating in a Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) environment, including direct ownership of a program backlog and active leadership in PI Planning.
• At least 5 years of experience managing and aligning cross-functional teams composed of engineering, UX, and data/analytics disciplines.
• At least 3 years of experience supporting DoD, Intelligence Community, or other federal customers, with demonstrated understanding of mission workflows and acquisition environments.

Years of Experience

8 years

Required Skills

• Demonstrated experience defining product vision, roadmaps, and OKRs/KPIs that tie execution to measurable mission outcomes.
• Strong proficiency with Agile tooling (e.g., Jira, Jira Align, Azure DevOps, Confluence).
• Excellent written, verbal, and visual communication skills, including the ability to brief senior government and military leaders.

Preferred Skills

• Master's degree in a related discipline (MBA, MS in Engineering, Data Science, or Information Systems).
• SAFe Product Owner / Product Manager (POPM) certification; SAFe Agilist (SA) or SAFe Program Consultant (SPC) strongly preferred.
• Experience supporting CDAO, Joint Staff, or Combatant Command programs.
• Experience delivering AI/ML-enabled products, including model lifecycle and MLOps considerations.
• Familiarity with DoD software acquisition pathways (e.g., Software Acquisition Pathway, DevSecOps Reference Design).

Working Conditions

Must be able to sometimes work in a SCIF

Our Core Values

Employees of Agile Defense are our number one priority, and the importance we place on our culture here is fundamental. Our culture is alive and evolving, but it always stays true to its roots. Here, you are valued as a family member, and we believe that we can accomplish great things together. Agile Defense has been highly successful in the past few years due to our employees and the culture we create together.

What makes us Agile? We call it the 6Hs, the values that define our culture and guide everything we do. Together, these values infuse vibrancy, integrity, and a tireless work ethic into advancing the most important national security and critical civilian missions. It\'s how we show up every day. It\'s who we are.

• Happy - Be Infectious. Happiness multiplies and creates a positive and connected environment where motivation and satisfaction have an outsized effect on everything we do.
• Helpful - Be Supportive. Being helpful is the foundation of teamwork, resulting in a supportive atmosphere where collaboration flourishes, and collective success is celebrated.
• Honest - Be Trustworthy. Honesty serves as our compass, ensuring transparent communication and ethical conduct, essential to who we are and the complex domains we support.
• Humble - Be Grounded. Success is not achieved alone, humility ensures a culture of mutual respect, encouraging open communication, and a willingness to learn from one another and take on any task.
• Hungry - Be Eager. Our hunger for excellence drives an insatiable appetite for innovation and continuous improvement, propelling us forward in the face of new and unprecedented challenges.
• Hustle - Be Driven. Hustle is reflected in our relentless work ethic, where we are each committed to going above and beyond to advance the mission and achieve success.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities