(Senior) Program Manager - Defense Innovation & Delivery

OpenKrill; United States; A distancia; USD 120.000 - 180.000; Jornada completa

Ventajas ofrecidas por este puesto de trabajo

Remote-first

Flexible working hours

Home-office equipment budget

30 days vacation

Professional development

Performance bonuses

Welcome goodie bag

Team gatherings

Meaningful mission

Descripción de la vacante

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

Formación

• 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.

Responsabilidades

• 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.

Conocimientos

Program management

Delivery leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Public-sector experience

Descripción del empleo

Role

We're looking for a (Senior) Program Manager to join our Business/Government Development team. In this role, you'll own the entire path from a prioritized opportunity to a successfully delivered and scalable customer program. You will translate customer needs into concrete project concepts and prototypes, leading delivery across defense, security, and public‑sector environments while bridging the gap between capture, product, and operational users.

What you'll do

• Convert prioritized leads and customer needs into concrete, funded project opportunities together with Government Development, Business Development, and Product.
• Work directly with public‑sector customers and operational users to understand complex operational problems, user needs, and procurement logic.
• Structure and coordinate prototypes, demonstrators, minimum viable products (MVPs), and pilot projects with clear test scenarios and decision milestones.
• Take end‑to‑end responsibility for program delivery post‑award, managing scope, timeline, budget, technical implementation, dependencies, and risks.
• Build and maintain trusted relationships with users, decision‑makers, procurement bodies, and external technology or consortium partners.
• Document customer feedback and operational insights systematically, translating them into product decisions and reusable platform capabilities.
• Establish binding governance, reporting, and decision‑making structures to ensure contractual obligations and customer expectations are consistently met.

About you

• 6+ years of relevant professional experience in program management, project management, innovation management, solution delivery, or technical business development.
• Proven track record of converting early leads or customer needs into funded projects and delivering complex, cross‑functional customer programs.
• Demonstrable experience in defense, security, government, or comparably regulated public‑sector environments.
• Experience structuring pilot projects or prototypes with technical teams and operational users, especially where requirements are not fully defined upfront.
• Entrepreneurial mindset with strong ownership, structured execution, and the ability to connect strategic objectives with operational delivery.
• 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 a security clearance.

What We Offer

• Remote‑first, Germany‑wide: Work from wherever you do your best work, with regular team gatherings in Berlin and other off‑site locations.
• Flexibility by default: Flexible working hours help you make work fit your life.
• Your setup, your way: Get a personal home‑office equipment budget to create a workspace that works for you.
• 30 days of vacation: Take the time you need to recharge and come back with fresh energy.
• Keep growing: We invest in your personal and professional development.
• Get rewarded for impact: Performance bonuses are tied to agreed objectives and key results.
• A warm welcome: Every new team member gets a welcome goodie bag.
• Good people, good times: From summer and Christmas parties to regular team gatherings, we make time to celebrate together.
• A mission that matters: Work on challenges with tangible impact on public safety and national security.