Strategic Programs Director — Defense Tech & AI

Socket.dev; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary and equity

Founding team impact

Cutting-edge AI in defense

Health and dental benefits

401(k) and commuting benefits

Office in Washington, DC / Northern VA

Job summary

Early-Stage Defense Tech Software is seeking a Director of Strategic Programs to convert early wins into durable, budgeted program lines. You will own Phase II to Phase III transitions, build sponsor and funding cases, and drive transition agreements with program offices to establish lasting partnerships.

The role requires deep PPBE and DoD funding knowledge, relationships with program offices, and a background in defense tech across multiple services.

Qualifications

• ,Direct experience moving a technology from prototype or SBIR into a funded program of record.
• Strong knowledge of PPBE, the POM cycle, and how requirements and money move inside DoD.
• Relationships with program offices, PEOs, or acquisition leadership that you can bring to bear.
• A background in defense technology, at a company that has had real program success.
• Patience for long cycles paired with the discipline to show measurable progress every quarter.
• Strong writing skills. Much of this job is white papers, transition plans, and unsolicited proposals that have to be good.

Responsibilities

• Transition Ownership. Own Phase II to Phase III transitions and pilot to program conversions. Build the sponsor, requirement, and funding case for each one and drive it to a signed vehicle.
• Program Insertion. Map our capability against programs of record and identify where it belongs. Build relationships with PEOs, PMs, and requirements owners to get it there.
• Funding Strategy. Work the budget cycle. Track POM inputs, unfunded requirements lists, congressional adds, APFIT, and reprogramming actions, and position us against real money on a real timeline.
• Account Expansion. Grow existing accounts. Keep current customers on contract, expand scope and option years, and turn one user into an enterprise footprint.
• Teaming and Partnerships. Build relationships with primes, integrators, FFRDCs, and UARCs where a teaming path is faster than a direct one.

Skills

PPBE knowledge

POM cycle

DoD funding process

Program office relationships

Defense technology background

Strong writing skills

Security clearance eligibility

Travel up to 25%

Job description

Early-Stage Defense Tech Software is seeking a Director of Strategic Programs to convert early wins into durable, budgeted program lines. You will own Phase II to Phase III transitions, build sponsor and funding cases, and drive transition agreements with program offices to establish lasting partnerships.

The role requires deep PPBE and DoD funding knowledge, relationships with program offices, and a background in defense tech across multiple services.