Vice President, Strategy

Socket.dev; Arlington (VA); On-site; USD 290,000 - 350,000; Full time

Job summary

STR is a growing technology company anchored in national security. Based in Washington, D.C., with some travel, this Vice President, Strategy (Growth) role steers the strategic layer translating DARPA relationships, pilots, and technical reputation into large programs of record and long-term government accounts.

You will work with STR’s leadership to build growth strategy, map acquisition audiences, and secure budget alignment before RFPs are written.

Qualifications

• Must be a U.S. citizen.
• Active U.S. security clearance.
• Experience across federal government with strong understanding of acquisitions, appropriations, and PPBE processes.
• Deep understanding of how different secretariats and organizations within the Department of War align budget and programs to department priorities.
• Strong executive communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Build a growth strategy that mirrors product strategy and translates pilots into large programs of record.
• Develop authentic relationships with decision-makers across services, combatant commands, OSD, the intelligence community, and Capitol Hill.
• Lead cross-functional pursuit coordination to align technical divisions, business development, and government affairs around long-term program theses.
• Shape a whole-of-government relations strategy and co-fund R&D to create a self-sustaining innovation flywheel.

Skills

US Citizenship

Security Clearance

Federal Government Experience

Executive Communication

Strategic Growth Leadership

Job description

Vice President, Strategy

The Team:

Information processing and sense‑making systems are the lifeblood of national security efforts, facilitating an understanding of the global situation, strategic planning, and tactical execution. The reliability, accessibility, and sophistication of these systems can determine the outcomes of conflicts before they begin. STR’s Analytics and Command & Control (AC2) Division focuses on developing actionable, advanced technology solutions to provide asymmetric advantages within the information domain.

The Mission Applications (MA) Group within the AC2 Division specializes in ensuring the technology that STR creates produces outsized mission impact. Staff within the MA group have a deep understanding of missions and technology needs for national security with skills targeting transition of technology to operational use, including product management, software integration and mission engineering, platform engineering, DevOps, and program management. MA staff combine with other science and engineering staff from the various STR research and development groups to form dedicated product teams that accelerate the operational transition of cutting‑edge software technologies to operations to enable transformational advantage.

The Role:

As the Vice President of Strategy & Growth supporting primarily the Analytics and C2 division, you will build the strategic layer that systematically translates STR’s DARPA relationships, early‑stage pilots, and technical reputation into large‑scale programs of record and other long‑term accounts. STR performs more DARPA programs than any company outside the legacy primes — a distinction earned through decades of genuine scientific and engineering depth. This role exists to ensure that technical superiority becomes institutional authority, converting a world‑class research company into a company that repeatedly moves the needle on national security at scale. You will build the institutional presence, champion network, requirements positioning, and budget cycle influence that makes STR’s growth trajectory structural rather than aspirational.

You will work directly with STR’s technical leadership to build a growth strategy that mirrors product strategy, helping transition capabilities from R&D projects to operational use. You will translate pilot performance into rigorous, evidence‑based narratives for acquisition audiences and map and cultivate authentic relationships with decision‑makers across the services, combatant commands, OSD, the intelligence community, and Capitol Hill — engaging the PPBE process to ensure STR’s capabilities are embedded in budget submissions and requirements language before RFPs are written. You will develop a whole‑of‑government relations strategy, build a co‑funded R&D approach that creates a self‑sustaining innovation flywheel, and lead cross‑functional pursuit coordination to align the company’s technical divisions, business development efforts, and government affairs around shared long‑term program theses.

This role is based out of Washington, D.C. with some travel required.

Who You Are:

• Must be a U.S. Citizen
• Active US Security Clearance
• Experience across federal government with strong understanding of acquisitions, appropriations, and PPBE processes
• Deep understanding of how different secretariats and organizations within the Department of War align budget and programs to department priorities
• Passion for delivering mission critical capabilities
• Strong executive communication skills

Even Better:

• Active Security Clearance at the Top Secret level with SCI Eligibility
• Prior executive branch and legislative branch experience
• Experience developing and executing government relations strategies to achieve national security and business objectives

Full-Time Salary Range: $ $290,000.00 - $350,000.00

The salary range listed is based on external market data. Offers are based on factors, such as but not limited to, the candidate’s experience, education, training, key skills/critical skills, security clearances, and prevailing market and business conditions.

STR is a growing technology company with locations near Boston, MA, Arlington, VA, near Dayton, OH, Melbourne, FL, and Carlsbad, CA. We specialize in advanced research and development for defense, intelligence, and national security in: cyber; next generation sensors, radar, sonar, communications, and electronic warfare; and artificial intelligence algorithms and analytics to make sense of the complexity that is exploding around us.

STR is committed to creating a collaborative learning environment that supports deep technical understanding and recognizes the contributions and achievements of all team members. Our work is challenging, and we go home at night knowing that we pushed the envelope of technology and made the world safer.

STR is not just any company. Our people, culture, and attitude along with their unique set of skills, experiences, and perspectives put us on a trajectory to change the world. We can't do it alone, though - we need fellow trailblazers. If you are one, join our team and help to keep our society safe! Visit us at www.str.us for more info.

STR is an equal opportunity employer. We are fully dedicated to hiring the most qualified candidate regardless of race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation and pregnancy), marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

If you need a reasonable accommodation for any portion of the employment process, email us at [e-mail] and provide your contact info.

Pursuant to applicable federal law and regulations, positions at STR require employees to obtain national security clearances and satisfy the requirements for compliance with export control and other applicable laws.