5G Tactical OTM Product Manager

Thales Defense & Security, Inc. • CLARKSBURG, MD

15d • $150,300 - $192,050 • Hybrid

About The Position

Thales Defense & Security, Inc. (TDSI) is seeking a 5G Tactical Communications Product Manager for their Clarksburg, MD office. This is a new position within the business development organization, reporting to the Director of Product Line Management- Tactical Communications. The role requires the individual to be a technical, customer-facing expert in 5G and tactical communications/radios, collaborating with the global product engineering team to ensure customer specifications are met.

Requirements

• U.S. Citizenship required. - Applicants selected may be subject to a government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information.
• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or related technical discipline- MS preferred.
• Minimum 8 years of experience in telecom solutions architecture, with proven expertise in 5G RAN/ Core and edge compute; including significant hands on experience designing and deploying tactical/ OTM private 5G networks.
• Good understanding of the Radio propagation in low and high 4G/5G Bands, including effects of RF challenged environments.
• Background in adapting commercial or government telecom solutions for Defense or mission-critical applications.
• Strong understanding of 3GPP, ETSI standards, as well as virtualization (NFV/SDN) and cloud technologies (OpenStack, Kubernetes, etc.).
• Experience working with U.S. DOD or NATO frameworks is highly valued.
• Excellent analytical, synthesis, and technical writing skills.
• Strong interpersonal and leadership abilities; capable of interfacing with both technical teams and government customers.
• Ability to travel up to 30% (mostly domestic with some international travel).

Nice To Haves

• Experience in cybersecurity, particularly in securing telecom systems for defense use.
• Knowledge of military communications standards, security requirements, and validation processes (e.g., DoDIN APL, DIACAP/RMF, FIPS 140-2).
• Knowledge of classified environments and ITAR/EAR compliance.
• Experience with network modeling tools (UML, SysML) and architecture frameworks such as DODAF.
• French language skills appreciated but not required.

Responsibilities

• Define and develop private 5G Non-Public Networks (NPN) and On-the-move (OTM) solutions for forward bases, mobile platforms, and man-wearable technologies- consisting of portable, mesh-capable nodes.
• Lead designs for survivability: dynamic spectrum management, interference mitigation, robust mobility/handover, RF propagation planning (low/high 4G/5G bands), and redundant backhaul (e.g., line‑of‑sight, SATCOM, microwave) with graceful degradation.
• Direct communication with the US DOD customers, which can include customer workshops, solicitation of customer feedback/ lessons learned, leveraging various strategies to capture customer requirements.
• Guide the adaptation/integration of Thales 5G/edge products to meet military standards, SWaP‑C constraints, environmental and EMI/EMC requirements, and Zero Trust/security policies for tactical deployments.
• Participate in the design, deployment, and optimization of innovative, secure, and resilient network solutions for defense applications.
• Analyze DOD requirements, conduct technical feasibility studies, and propose robust solutions aligned with mission-critical needs.
• Ensure compliance with U.S. Federal and Defense cybersecurity/pre-certification frameworks (e.g., FIPS, NIST, DOD STIGs).
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams, including R&D, systems engineering, security experts, program management, and external (government/industrial) partners.
• Draft high-level and detailed technical documentation for both internal stakeholders and DOD representatives.
• Support proposal preparation and responses to government RFPs, including presenting technical solutions to Defense entities.
• Support the Product Line Management Director and Capture Team to conduct competitive analysis, determine discriminators and product gaps.
• Help develop a Price to Win strategy for various markets.
• Monitor technological advancements in 5G, network virtualization, and their military applications, recommending future evolutions as required.

Benefits

• Competitive Salary
• Yearly Incentive Compensation Plan
• Medical insurance for self and eligible family members
• Generous 401(k) program- up to 7% company contribution and 100% immediate vesting
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Paid wellness, vacation, and holiday leave
• Paid maternity, paternity, and parental leave
• 9/80 Work Schedule (every other Friday off)
• Hybrid Working Environment

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior