Mission Lead, Protection Operations

Sitreps; Arlington (VA); On-site; USD 160,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health and dental benefits

401(k)

Commuting benefits

Lunch when in office

Job summary

Early-Stage Defense AI in Arlington, VA seeks a mission-focused leader to stand up a protection-focused effort in defense software. You will lead the mission side, translating force protection needs into actionable requirements for engineers to build against, focusing on sensor-to-shooter integration, counter-UAS, and antiterrorism planning.

This role requires in-person work in Arlington and strong domain credibility with Army protection cells.

Qualifications

• Army protection background at mid-career level (MAJ/LTC or GS-13/14 equivalent).
• Field Artillery, Air Defense Artillery, or engineering background.
• Hands-on base defense and protection experience at operational/strategic level.
• Deep knowledge of sensor-to-shooter networks, homeland defense or protection planning, counter-UAS, and antiterrorism.
• Experience in a G3/J3 protection cell or force protection role with a DoD entity or similar.
• Startup fit: high ownership, comfort with ambiguity, and ability to move fast without micro-prioritizing.
• Ability to work in person in Arlington, VA.

Responsibilities

• Lead the mission side of a new protection effort, from first customer meeting through scoping, design input, training, and ongoing support.
• Translate protection problems into clear requirements our engineers can build against.
• Work directly with protection cells, installation leaders, and operational staffs to understand planning and decision making.
• Bring protection policy, plans, and SOPs into the product so it fits existing command workflows.
• Travel to customer sites and events (up to 20%), then share learnings with the team.
• Help shape future protection offerings in the product roadmap.

Skills

Army protection background

G3/J3 experience

sensor-to-shooter knowledge

base defense experience

counter-UAS

antiterrorism planning

startup mindset

Job description

Company: Early-Stage Defense AI
Location: Arlington, VA (in person)
Compensation: $160,000 to $190,000 base, plus equity
Travel: Up to 20%
Type: Full-time

About the Client

We're on a mission to ensure warfighters are prepared for every challenge they face. We are committed to assembling a world-class team of exceptional problem solvers, combining expert engineering talent with deep experience in National Security.

We build AI for the most important problem in defense: making sure the force is ready to fight. Our software is deployed and in use with DoD partners today. The office is in the Arlington area.

About the Role

We are standing up a protection-focused effort and need the person who leads it on the mission side. This is a domain seat. You are being hired because you have worked on base defense and force protection problems at the operational or strategic level, you know how protection decisions actually get made at a component or combatant command, and you can walk into a G3/J3 protection cell and be immediately credible.

You do not need to be a technologist. What matters is deep expertise in supporting decision-making around force protection: the sensor-to-shooter picture, counter-unmanned systems, antiterrorism planning, and the policy, plans, and SOPs that tie them together. Our engineers build the software. You make sure it solves the problem the commander actually has.

Responsibilities

• Lead the mission side of a new protection effort, from first customer meeting through scoping, design input, training, and ongoing support.
• Translate force protection, base defense, and counter-unmanned systems problems into clear requirements our engineers can build against.
• Work directly with protection cells, installation leaders, and operational staffs to understand how they plan, decide, and act.
• Bring your knowledge of protection policy, plans, and SOPs into the product so it fits the way commands already work.
• Travel to customer sites and events (up to 20%), then bring what you learned back to the team.
• Help shape what the company builds next in the protection space.

Requirements

Must-Haves

• An Army protection background, mid-career: MAJ or LTC, or GS-13/14 equivalent.
• A Field Artillery, Air Defense Artillery, or engineering background.
• Hands-on work on base defense and protection problems at the operational or strategic level.
• Expert knowledge of sensor-to-shooter networks, homeland defense or protection planning, counter-unmanned systems (cUxS), and antiterrorism planning.
• Experience in a G3/J3 protection cell at an Army Service Component Command or combatant command, or in a force protection role with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
• Startup fit: high ownership, comfort with ambiguity, and the drive to move fast without being told what to prioritize.
• Ability to work in person in Arlington, VA.

Nice-to-Haves

• Experience writing or owning force protection policy, plans, or SOPs at a combatant command or component command (for example, USAREUR-AF).
• Homeland defense or installation protection experience (for example, USNORTHCOM or ARNORTH).
• Recent counter-small UAS work at the joint or interagency level.
• Competitive salary and equity to share in our success
• The chance to join a founding team and directly shape the future of the company
• The opportunity to work with cutting-edge AI technology in a defense context
• Full health and dental benefits, 401(k), commuting benefits, lunch when in office

Note: Selecting “no” will not eliminate you from consideration for this role.