Director, Programs

Distributed Spectrum•New York, NY

2d•$250,000 - $300,000•Onsite

About The Position

DS creates systems that power the next generation of radio spectrum intelligence. We collect radio data from all over the world, train neural networks to decipher it, and run them on the smallest chips we can. We’re solving a new, technically hard problem where nothing from other fields works out of the box, and along the way, we’ve built our own stack from scratch, including entirely new embedding model architectures, custom GPU kernels, and much more. Joining DS means owning major parts of a fast-growing AI research organization, joining a collaborative, talent-dense team with decades of experience in probabilistic ML, accelerated computing, embedded systems, and signal theory, and growing your career in the areas that interest you. You’ll fit in if you want to come to work for the problem itself and don’t want to choose between technical rigor, business value, and real-world impact. We work with high ownership and trust, and we do it together in the office 5 days/week. The Role Distributed Spectrum builds RF sensing and mission systems technology for defense applications. Our work sits at the intersection of RF sensing, AI/ML-enabled software, embedded integration, tactical edge systems, and operational deployment. We are hiring DS’s first Director, Programs to help move the company from founder-led program execution to scalable multi-program delivery. This is not a process-only PMO role, a pure technical program manager role, or a legacy-prime bureaucracy role. It is a senior, hands-on defense programs role for someone who can personally lead high-consequence programs while building the lightweight operating system DS needs to execute repeatedly, predictably, and credibly as we scale. You will work across programs spanning RF sensing, AI/ML software, embedded systems, tactical edge deployments, government customers, subcontractors, primes, and field demonstrations. Your job is to turn customer intent and technical work into executable program reality: requirements, deliverables, schedules, risks, decision points, customer communication, partner accountability, and internal alignment. The right person knows what good defense program execution looks like across multiple company sizes and program types and is still tactical enough to do the work directly while the function is being built.

Requirements

You have significant experience leading complex defense, aerospace, autonomy, mission systems, RF/EW, ISR, UAS/UAV, embedded systems, or hardware/software integration programs.
You have owned customer-facing program execution across cost, schedule, risk, deliverables, subcontractors, and technical milestones.
You have seen multiple program models across different company sizes, customer types, or organizational structures not just one narrow playbook from one company.
You are comfortable operating from pre-contract / late-stage opportunity shaping into requirements definition, contract execution, delivery, and follow-on growth.
You can work directly with government customers and partners, including pushing back when needed and driving outcomes through ambiguity.
You have a strong command of integrated schedules, milestone planning, dependency management, program reviews, risk registers, and deliverable tracking.
You are technically fluent enough to understand complex systems and work credibly with engineering teams without trying to be the chief engineer.
You know how to impose useful structure without creating bureaucracy.
You communicate clearly in writing and verbally, including executive briefings, customer-facing updates, difficult tradeoff conversations, and crisp escalation.
You are comfortable in fast-moving, ambiguous environments where contracts, finance, program infrastructure, and delivery processes may still be maturing.
You can build trust across engineering, growth, product, mission operations, finance, contracts, security, founders, customers, and partners.
You have conviction about how to scale a Programs function and hire the next layer of PM / TPM talent.
You are a U.S. person and can obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance.

Nice To Haves

Experience with rapid-prototyping or defense innovation pathways such as OTA, SBIR Phase III, BAA, STRATFI, TACFI, xTech, DIU, SOFWERX, or similar DoD pathways.
Experience with FAR / DFARS environments, CDRLs, data packages, milestone reviews, acceptance events, and government reporting.
Active Secret, TS, or TS/SCI clearance.
Experience with SOCOM, SOF, IC, service labs, combatant commands, or operational end users.
Experience leading subcontractor-heavy or multi-partner defense programs.
Experience with tactical UAS/UAV, RF sensing, EW, SIGINT, ISR, edge AI, embedded integration, autonomy, mission systems, or field-deployed sensing capabilities.
Experience supporting flight tests, field tests, demos, operational exercises, or customer acceptance events.
Experience building or maturing a Programs / PM function inside a startup, growth-stage defense company, advanced programs group, or similarly ambiguous environment.

Responsibilities

Own execution for one or more complex defense programs, including schedule, milestones, deliverables, risk, budget inputs, subcontractor dependencies, and customer communication.
Lead programs from late-stage opportunity handoff through requirements definition, contract shaping, execution planning, delivery, acceptance, and follow-on expansion.
Serve as the primary day-to-day program interface with government customers, contracting stakeholders, primes, subcontractors, and mission partners.
Confidently push customers, partners, and subcontractors toward the outcomes DS needs during both contract negotiations and execution, pulling in technical or BD support when needed.
Build and maintain integrated master schedules, program baselines, risk registers, action trackers, deliverable trackers, and executive reporting rhythms.
Establish DS’s lightweight program operating cadence: program reviews, milestone readiness reviews, risk/issue reviews, customer updates, executive updates, and escalation paths.
Partner with Growth/BD, Engineering, Product, Mission Operations, Contracts, Finance, Security, and founders to translate customer intent into clear internal execution plans.
Identify schedule, technical, contractual, operational, staffing, and partner risks early; drive mitigation plans; and escalate clearly when leadership tradeoffs are required.
Ensure major programs remain aligned with DS’s technical roadmap and business strategy, not just customer-by-customer requests.
Identify and champion in-account growth opportunities, contract follow-ons, and expansion paths that emerge through program execution.
Lead preparation for demonstrations, field tests, operational evaluations, acceptance events, and customer reviews.
Coordinate subcontractor and vendor execution, including dependencies, deliverables, communication cadence, and performance against commitments.
Support capture and proposal efforts with realistic execution plans, schedules, staffing assumptions, cost/schedule/risk inputs, and lessons learned.
Define how the Programs function should scale, including what should remain with the Director and what should move into future PM / TPM roles.
Hire, mentor, and eventually lead junior PM / TPM talent underneath the operating system you build.