Remote-First Public Sector Defense Program Lead

OpenKrill; United States; Remote; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Remote-first

Flexible working hours

Home-office equipment budget

30 days vacation

Professional development

Performance bonuses

Welcome goodie bag

Team gatherings

Meaningful mission

Job summary

OpenKrill is seeking a (Senior) Program Manager to lead a Government/Business Development team, owning opportunities from capture to scalable customer programs across defense, security, and public-sector environments. You will translate customer needs into project concepts and prototypes, coordinating delivery across diverse stakeholders.

You will work with public-sector customers and operators to structure prototypes, MVPs, and pilots, managing scope, timeline, budget, and risks, while building

Qualifications

• 6+ years of program/project/innovation management or technical business development experience.
• Proven track record turning early leads into funded projects and delivering complex programs.
• Experience in defense, security, government, or comparable regulated public-sector environments.
• Experience structuring pilots or prototypes with tech teams and operators.
• Entrepreneurial mindset with strong ownership and structured execution.
• Business fluent German and English (C1+).
• Willingness to travel regularly (approx. 30–40% within Germany and Europe).
• Work authorization in Germany and willingness to undergo security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Convert prioritized leads and customer needs into funded project opportunities with Government Development, Business Development, and Product.
• Collaborate with public-sector customers and operators to understand complex problems and procurement logic.
• Structure prototypes, demonstrators, MVPs, and pilots with clear test scenarios and milestones.
• Take end-to-end responsibility for program delivery post-award, managing scope, timeline, budget, and risks.
• Build and maintain trusted relationships with users, decision-makers, procurement bodies, and partners.
• Document customer feedback and translate insights into product decisions and platform capabilities.
• Establish governance, reporting, and decision-making structures to meet contractual obligations.

Skills

Program management

Delivery leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Public-sector experience

Job description

OpenKrill is seeking a (Senior) Program Manager to lead a Government/Business Development team, owning opportunities from capture to scalable customer programs across defense, security, and public-sector environments. You will translate customer needs into project concepts and prototypes, coordinating delivery across diverse stakeholders.

You will work with public-sector customers and operators to structure prototypes, MVPs, and pilots, managing scope, timeline, budget, and risks, while building