Program Lead, US Defense Engagements - Tampa, FL, Washington, DC, or Stuttgart

Zinc-Network; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 105,000 - 175,000; Full time

Job summary

Zinc Network is seeking a Program Lead to own delivery and relationship management on a multi-year US government defense IO program, serving as the single point of accountability for Zinc under the subcontract. Lead a hybrid team across US/UK, bridging private-sector strategy with US defense IO experience.

The role is based in Washington, DC, Tampa, FL, or Stuttgart, with hybrid work and travel to client sites.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent.
• Experience in strategic communications, IO, or a related discipline.
• Experience managing a client or prime contractor relationship in a US federal contracting context.
• Working knowledge of US defense information operations practice and related frameworks.
• Active or readily reinstated US security clearance (TS/SCI preferred).
• US citizenship is 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.
• Excellent relationship-management and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Own the day-to-day relationship with the prime contractor and government customer.
• Lead delivery across all Zinc-resourced workstreams to meet requirements, quality, and deadlines.
• Translate requirements into practical delivery plans across US and UK teams.
• Build and lead a US-based delivery team, including recruitment and day-to-day people management.
• Monitor budget and labor-hour usage under subcontract terms, escalate risks.
• Maintain fluency in US defense IO practice and terminology to ensure credibility.
• Identify growth opportunities within the program and broader prime relationship.
• Ensure compliance with contractual, security, and clearance requirements.

Skills

Strategic communications

Delivery management

Program leadership

Relationship management

US defense IO

Budget & resource planning

Team building

Security clearance process

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Job description

Introducing Zinc Network

For over fifteen years, Zinc Network has been helping governments and businesses navigate the world's most complex challenges using communications, technology, and behavioural science. We work on some of the toughest briefs: protecting children online, strengthening democratic resilience, and championing purpose-driven technologies and organisations.

Working in partnership with a global network of media outlets, communities, and influencers, we help clients understand complex issues, design and deliver behavioural interventions, create compelling campaigns, activate trusted grassroots networks, and evaluate impact.

We're now building Kora — our AI-powered platform that systematises this expertise into scalable technology, enabling clients to work faster, more impactfully, and more cost-effectively.

We're looking for people who want to operate at the intersection of geopolitics, security, and technological disruption, and who are committed to building a safer, more secure world.

Outline of the job

The Program Lead will own Zinc Network's delivery and relationship management on a multi-year US government defense information operations (IO) program, on which Zinc is engaged as a subcontractor. As the single point of accountability for Zinc's performance under the subcontract, you will translate the prime contractor's and government customer's requirements into deliverable campaign and program work, while building the US-based team needed to deliver it. Working closely with Zinc's UK-based leadership, you will bridge genuine private-sector strategic communications expertise and firsthand US defense IO experience, enabling Zinc to operate credibly within the US federal contracting environment. The role is hands-on in its first phase, with a clear path to leading a larger US-based portfolio and team as Zinc's position on the program grows.

The Program Lead will be based in Washington, DC, Tampa, FL, or Stuttgart, Germany. This is a hybrid role, with office attendance subject to location. The role also involves regular travel to customer and prime contractor locations.

What you’ll be doing

• Own the day-to-day relationship with the prime contractor and the 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 the prime's and government customer's 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 subsequently lead, a dedicated US-based delivery team as the program scales, including recruitment, onboarding, and day-to-day people management.
• Monitor program budget and labor-hour utilization against the agreed subcontract terms, escalating risks, variances, or scope changes to Zinc leadership.
• Maintain fluency in US defense IO practice, terminology, and behavioral frameworks (e.g. HPEM) to ensure Zinc's approach is credible and well received by the government customer.
• Identify and help scope additional task order and growth opportunities within the program and the broader prime relationship.
• Ensure all program activity complies with the contractual, security, and clearance requirements applicable to the subcontract.
• Represent Zinc's culture and working approach to the prime and government customer, ensuring Zinc's tech-forward, impact-driven proposition is understood and valued alongside its federal delivery credibility.
• Represent Zinc at high-level meetings with clients and project partners,

All while embodying the values of Zinc Network

What we need from you…

• 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.
• Excellent relationship-management and communication skills, with the credibility to operate confidently with both government customers and a fast-moving, creative organization.

Area of Selection

We’re committed to hiring a diverse workforce from different professional and cultural backgrounds, and to that end we encourage a variety of people to apply to join our company to represent the diverse range of subjects associated with our projects.

Conditions of Employment

Candidates who receive a job offer will be required to:

• Disclose any previous disciplinary action against them resulting from a substantiated safeguarding (including any breaches involving trafficking- related activities) or workplace investigation.
• Undergo background checks relevant to the country of employment, including employment verification, sexual offender registry (as available), identity confirmation, and anti-terrorism vetting.

Closing date: 6 October 2026

Salary Range: $150,000–$175,000 per year