Mission Lead - USV Software

vannevarlabs; Norfolk (VA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Vannevar is seeking a forward-deployed Mission Strategist to embed with the Navy's unmanned surface vessel community in Norfolk. This on-site role requires you to work with USV operators at least 3 days per week, including travel when needed, to advance mission-critical software capabilities.

You will decompose operational problems into software solutions, drive capability development, and implement those capabilities with the Navy alongside mission and engineering teams.

Qualifications

• Experience or strong interest in unmanned systems or software for planning/executing hardware operations.

Responsibilities

• Embed with USV operators on-site in Norfolk to build deep intuition for unmanned surface operations.
• Synthesize and prioritize mission problems for development and deployment.
• Configure and prove high-value workflows and validate them against real mission tasks.
• Test and troubleshoot releases on deployed government systems with engineering support.
• Generate mission wins by applying deployments to Navy partners.
• Operate independently on-site with clear prioritization of work.

Skills

Unmanned systems

USV operations

Planning software

Job description

Vannevar is a defense technology company building AI to deter our adversaries. In the 21st century, conflict moves at algorithmic speed and foresight equals firepower. Our agentic AI is purpose-built to compete with China-from cross-Strait conflict to gray zone coercion. Trained on the most mission-relevant datasets in defense, our technology models adversary behavior, simulates campaigns, and recommends the best course of action to decision makers. Our AI systems are some of the most trusted in the industry and actively used on the front lines of the Indo-Pacific to keep the peace and save lives.

Exceptional technology starts with exceptional people. Vannevar is a small agile team combining world-class engineers with veteran strategists who bring deep expertise in defense and tradecraft. We're building a company defined by mission impact, user empathy, and disciplined growth. In just three years, we grew from $3M to $80M in ARR, achieved early profitability, and reached unicorn status-proving that disruption doesn't require an ego, and staying power doesn't mean standing still.

About the role

Most of the companies in the USV space build hulls. We are building the software that enables the planning, operational monitoring, and post-mission analysis for what these hulls do.

We're hiring a forward-deployed Mission Strategist to embed with the Navy's unmanned surface vessel community in Norfolk. This is an in-person, on-site role requiring you to work alongside USV operators at least 3 days per week - whether you're based locally, willing to relocate, or able to travel to Norfolk weekly . This includes waterfront and operational testing time that may involve additional travel during experimentation periods. The doctrine for USV operations is being written right now by the operators you'll be working with.

This is a 0 to 1 role. How these systems best operate and what software is required to most effectively enable these operations has not yet been determined. You will be on the cutting edge figuring this out with the Navy and with our mission and engineering teams.

Your job will be to understand what USV operators and mission commanders are trying to accomplish, decompose ambiguous operational problems into specific software problems, drive the capability development required to solve them, and implement that capability with the Navy. Some of that is configuration and workflow design in existing products. A meaningful share of it is net-new capability that we will be developing side-by-side our mission partners.

This is not a traditional customer success, solutions, or product role. You will be forward deployed with access to government systems and operational environments that most of the company will not have access to. You will translate between these USV teams and our engineers, identify and prioritize mission problems to solve from first-hand observation and test and troubleshoot releases. Some of this work will be gritty. Configurations may take hours and multiple iterations to get right. The impact of your work on the people operating these vessels and the future employment of these systems across the Navy will be high.

You will often operate independently on site. You will have support from product, engineering, mission development, and leadership, but you will be responsible for deciding where to focus and how to maximize mission impact.

What you'll do

Embed with USV operators. Sit on-site with operators and mission planners in Norfolk and build deep intuition for how unmanned surface operations work including underway and during fleet experimentation.

Synthesize USV operational problems. Leverage the expertise you will develop by being on -site to help distill and prioritize the mission problems for us to work on.

Configure and prove workflows. Stand up high-value workflows through creative, iterative configuration and validate them against real mission tasks.

Test and troubleshoot releases. Debug product issues on deployed government systems and work with engineering to resolve them.

Generate mission wins. Leverage what we deploy during operations to generate wins with our Navy counter-parts.

Operate independently. Set priorities on site and push work through without waiting for perfect direction.

What we're looking for

This role is required to be in person in Norfolk every week. This can be because you are local, through relocation - which we will cover, or via traveling each week.

Experience or strong demonstrated interest in unmanned systems, unmanned surface vessels, manned surface vessels, or software relating to planning, executing, or monitoring hardware operations (e.g., space, etc.)

Experience using technology to solve difficult problems - either through previous development experience (e.g., product or engineering) or previous operational experience fielding new technology on problems (e.g., in the military). Previously demonstrated ability to decompose problems into com