Job Requirements
Washington, DC
Top Secret/SCI Polygraph Unspecified
Career Level not specified
Salary not specified
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Job Description
Job Description
We are seeking a strategic, hands-on Director of Operations to own and scale the operating functions of a growing defense technology company.
Reporting directly to the CEO and working closely with the founders and executive leadership team, this individual will translate company strategy into execution and provide leadership across finance, talent, contracts, programs, facilities, compliance, and business operations.
This is a broad leadership role for an experienced operator who can build scalable systems, create accountability across functions, and move comfortably between company-level strategy and hands-on execution. The ideal candidate understands the complexities of the defense industry and knows how to introduce operational discipline without creating unnecessary bureaucracy.
What You Will Do
• Serve as a strategic operating partner to the CEO and executive team, translating company priorities into operating plans, measurable objectives, and execution.
• Lead and coordinate business operations across finance, talent/recruiting, contracts, programs, marketing, facilities, compliance, and internal operations.
• Build the company's operating cadence, including annual and quarterly planning, leadership reviews, KPIs, dashboards, and cross-functional accountability.
• Oversee financial and operational planning, including budgeting, forecasting, headcount planning, resource allocation, utilization, and program economics.
• Maintain executive visibility into government contracts and programs, including funding, staffing, schedules, deliverables, invoicing, subcontractors, risks, and financial performance.
• Strengthen the transition from business development and contract award into successful program execution.
• Ensure business systems and processes support government contracting requirements, including FAR/DFARS, DCAA readiness, CMMC, NIST SP 800-171, procurement, timekeeping, security, and export controls.
• Develop scalable processes and systems across hiring, onboarding, vendors, facilities, internal communications, and distributed operations.
• Identify operational bottlenecks, organizational risks, and resource constraints and drive cross-functional solutions.
• Build and develop the operations organization as the company grows, determining where additional leadership, personnel, partners, systems, or automation are needed.
• Take ownership of critical company initiatives that span multiple functions and drive them through completion.
Who You Are
• You are an operator and builder who can turn strategic objectives into clear plans, ownership, and execution.
• You are comfortable working directly with founders and executives while remaining willing to get into the details when necessary.
• You understand how finance, talent, contracts, programs, and corporate operations work together to support a growing organization.
• You build practical systems that improve accountability and visibility without slowing teams down.
• You have strong business judgment and are comfortable making decisions with incomplete information, challenging assumptions, and resolving problems without obvious owners.
Required Skills
Required Qualifications
• Bachelor's degree in business, engineering, operations, finance, national security, or a related field.
• 10+ years of progressive experience in operations, business management, strategy, program leadership, finance, or related functions, including 5+ years leading teams or significant cross-functional initiatives.
• Experience overseeing or influencing multiple business functions such as finance, talent, contracts, programs, facilities, or corporate operations.
• Experience in defense, aerospace, government contracting, technology, or another highly regulated and operationally complex environment.
• Experience supporting DoD, Intelligence Community, federal government, or other national security customers.
• Strong financial and business acumen, including budgeting, forecasting, resource planning, headcount planning, and performance metrics.
• Experience overseeing government contracts, technical programs, or mission-critical projects, with working knowledge of FAR/DFARS requirements.
• Demonstrated ability to build scalable processes, operating systems, and organizational structure in a growing environment.
• Experience working directly with founders, executives, or senior business leaders and driving accountability across functions.
• U.S. citizenship and ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government security clearance.
Desired Skills
Preferred Qualifications
• Experience scaling a defense technology, national security, aerospace, AI/software, autonomous systems, maritime, or other deep-technology organization.
• Knowledge of DCAA-compliant practices, CMMC, NIST SP 800-171, ITAR/EAR, facility clearances, and classified environments.
• Experience developing company-wide operating plans, KPIs, executive dashboards, and business performance reviews.
• Experience implementing or improving ERP, HRIS, ATS, CRM, financial, or project-management systems.
• Experience supporting significant organizational, headcount, or revenue growth.
• Active TS/SCI security clearance.
• MBA or advanced degree; PMP, PgMP, Lean Six Sigma, or comparable certification.
Additional Details
Why This Role
This is an opportunity to take ownership of the operating engine behind a growing defense technology company.
You will work directly with executive leadership and have broad influence over how the company scales its people, programs, financial operations, systems, and infrastructure. The role is intentionally cross-functional and designed for an experienced leader ready to take on enterprise-level operational responsibility as the organization grows. The role is intentionally broad and designed for an experienced leader ready to take on enterprise-level operational responsibility as the organization continues to grow.
We are seeking a strategic, hands-on Director of Operations to own and scale the operating functions of a growing defense technology company.
Reporting directly to the CEO and working closely with the founders and executive leadership team, this individual will translate company strategy into execution and provide leadership across finance, talent, contracts, programs, facilities, compliance, and business operations.
This is a broad leadership role for an experienced operator who can build scalable systems, create accountability across functions, and move comfortably between company-level strategy and hands-on execution. The ideal candidate understands the complexities of the defense industry and knows how to introduce operational discipline without creating unnecessary bureaucracy.
What You Will Do
• Serve as a strategic operating partner to the CEO and executive team, translating company priorities into operating plans, measurable objectives, and execution.
• Lead and coordinate business operations across finance, talent/recruiting, contracts, programs, marketing, facilities, compliance, and internal operations.
• Build the company's operating cadence, including annual and quarterly planning, leadership reviews, KPIs, dashboards, and cross-functional accountability.
• Oversee financial and operational planning, including budgeting, forecasting, headcount planning, resource allocation, utilization, and program economics.
• Maintain executive visibility into government contracts and programs, including funding, staffing, schedules, deliverables, invoicing, subcontractors, risks, and financial performance.
• Strengthen the transition from business development and contract award into successful program execution.
• Ensure business systems and processes support government contracting requirements, including FAR/DFARS, DCAA readiness, CMMC, NIST SP 800-171, procurement, timekeeping, security, and export controls.
• Develop scalable processes and systems across hiring, onboarding, vendors, facilities, internal communications, and distributed operations.
• Identify operational bottlenecks, organizational risks, and resource constraints and drive cross-functional solutions.
• Build and develop the operations organization as the company grows, determining where additional leadership, personnel, partners, systems, or automation are needed.
• Take ownership of critical company initiatives that span multiple functions and drive them through completion.
Who You Are
• You are an operator and builder who can turn strategic objectives into clear plans, ownership, and execution.
• You are comfortable working directly with founders and executives while remaining willing to get into the details when necessary.
• You understand how finance, talent, contracts, programs, and corporate operations work together to support a growing organization.
• You build practical systems that improve accountability and visibility without slowing teams down.
• You have strong business judgment and are comfortable making decisions with incomplete information, challenging assumptions, and resolving problems without obvious owners.
Required Skills
Required Qualifications
• Bachelor's degree in business, engineering, operations, finance, national security, or a related field.
• 10+ years of progressive experience in operations, business management, strategy, program leadership, finance, or related functions, including 5+ years leading teams or significant cross-functional initiatives.
• Experience overseeing or influencing multiple business functions such as finance, talent, contracts, programs, facilities, or corporate operations.
• Experience in defense, aerospace, government contracting, technology, or another highly regulated and operationally complex environment.
• Experience supporting DoD, Intelligence Community, federal government, or other national security customers.
• Strong financial and business acumen, including budgeting, forecasting, resource planning, headcount planning, and performance metrics.
• Experience overseeing government contracts, technical programs, or mission-critical projects, with working knowledge of FAR/DFARS requirements.
• Demonstrated ability to build scalable processes, operating systems, and organizational structure in a growing environment.
• Experience working directly with founders, executives, or senior business leaders and driving accountability across functions.
• U.S. citizenship and ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government security clearance.
Desired Skills
Preferred Qualifications
• Experience scaling a defense technology, national security, aerospace, AI/software, autonomous systems, maritime, or other deep-technology organization.
• Knowledge of DCAA-compliant practices, CMMC, NIST SP 800-171, ITAR/EAR, facility clearances, and classified environments.
• Experience developing company-wide operating plans, KPIs, executive dashboards, and business performance reviews.
• Experience implementing or improving ERP, HRIS, ATS, CRM, financial, or project-management systems.
• Experience supporting significant organizational, headcount, or revenue growth.
• Active TS/SCI security clearance.
• MBA or advanced degree; PMP, PgMP, Lean Six Sigma, or comparable certification.
Additional Details
Why This Role
This is an opportunity to take ownership of the operating engine behind a growing defense technology company.
You will work directly with executive leadership and have broad influence over how the company scales its people, programs, financial operations, systems, and infrastructure. The role is intentionally cross-functional and designed for an experienced leader ready to take on enterprise-level operational responsibility as the organization grows. The role is intentionally broad and designed for an experienced leader ready to take on enterprise-level operational responsibility as the organization continues to grow.
group id: 91165268
