Mission Manager

EMPLOYER IS A CONTRACTOR FOR THE U.S. GOVERNMENT. THIS POSITION WILL REQUIRE U.S. CITIZENSHIP.

THIS POSITION REQUIRES AN ACTIVE SECRET CLEARANCE.

As the Mission Director for a DoW platform modernization program, you will lead a Defense Unicorns delivery team supporting our Mission Hero through a DoW prime contractor partner. You will serve as the primary point of contact with the prime’s program management, own delivery execution and financial performance on a multi-year contract, and partner with Defense Unicorns Tech Leads across the company to ensure the team delivers mission value across platform engineering, Dev Sec Ops , cloud, and SRE disciplines.

Success in the first year will be measured by three primary outcomes:

• A smooth transition from the incumbent contractor with minimal disruption to ongoing delivery
• A successful architecture review with our Mission Hero, introducing UDS as a new technology in the program’s core tech stack
• A foundational operational environment established to support ongoing mission delivery

Prime Contractor and Mission Hero Relationship

• Serve as the primary point of contact with the prime contractor’s program management
• Partner with the prime to align Defense Unicorns’ scope, deliverables, and team performance with program priorities
• Build a productive working relationship with our Mission Hero in coordination with the prime

Delivery Management

• Own delivery execution across the team, ensuring commitments are met on time and to quality
• Partner with Defense Unicorns Tech Leads to align program work with broader technical direction
• Translate Mission Hero and prime requirements into actionable work, and team progress into clear stakeholder communication
• Surface delivery feedback to Defense Unicorns’ Product segment to inform UDS and other product roadmaps
• Lead a cross-functional team spanning platform engineering, Dev Sec Ops , cloud, SRE, configuration management, and Zero Trust
• Foster an environment for Unicorn growth, mentorship, and coaching
• Champion Defense Unicorns’ values and principles
• Balance priorities from the Mission Hero, prime, leadership, and team to deliver mission value

Contract and Financial Accountability

• Own burn rate management and monthly forecasting against the contract ceiling
• Lead staffing plans, backfills, and ramp planning across option years in coordination with the contracts team
• Partner with the contracts team on modifications, option year exercises, and contract compliance

Required Qualifications:

• Experience leading large (20+) cross-functional engineering or delivery teams
• Experience delivering software or platform programs in a DoW or federal environment
• Experience managing prime‑sub or multi‑party contractor relationships
• Financial accountability experience on federal contracts, including burn rate and staffing plan ownership

• Experience transitioning programs from an incumbent contractor
• Familiarity with DoW impact levels (IL2 and above) and authorization processes
• Background in Dev Sec Ops , platform engineering, or cloud infrastructure delivery
• Familiarity with federal contracts, procurement vehicles, and the budget process
• Experience with modern software development practices including Dev Sec Ops , Continuous Delivery, and Agile frameworks
• Technical depth sufficient to understand architectural decisions and translate them for stakeholders, users, and the team

Travel is expected 4-12 times per year, primarily to the National Capital Region.

The listed responsibilities are not exhaustive and additional responsibilities may be assigned based on the evolving needs of the organization.

Full compensation packages are based on candidate experience. Compensation ranges are established using national benchmarking data and apply across all geographic locations within the United States.

Remote - USA

$178,500 - $241,500 USD

At Defense Unicorns, we’re committed to diversity. If you’re enthusiastic about the role but don’t match every criteria, we encourage you to apply. You could be the perfect fit for this or another role!

Defense Unicorns is an equal‑opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, veteran status, genetic information, union status and/or beliefs, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.