Forward Deployed Mission Strategist, Unmanned Maritime Systems

Sitreps•Norfolk, VA

2d•$165,000 - $185,000•Onsite

About The Position

The company is hiring a forward-deployed strategist to embed with the Navy's unmanned surface vessel (USV) community in Norfolk, Virginia. The role focuses on software for planning, monitoring, and reviewing USV missions. You will work alongside operators on site at least three days a week, with waterfront and test work that may require additional travel during experimentation periods. This is a 0-to-1 role in an area where operational practices and software needs are still being established. Working with Navy operators and commanders, as well as the company's mission and engineering teams, you will understand mission goals, translate operational problems into software requirements, drive needed capabilities, and put them into use. Work includes configuring existing products and designing workflows, as well as developing new capabilities alongside mission partners. This is not a typical customer success, solutions, or product position. The strategist serves as a bridge between USV teams and engineers, with access to government systems and operational settings. The work can be gritty and often requires operating independently on site, with support from product, engineering, and leadership.

Requirements

Be in person in Norfolk every week, either locally, after relocating, or through weekly travel.
Have experience or strong interest in unmanned or manned surface vessels, unmanned systems, or software for planning, running, or monitoring hardware operations.
Have experience using technology to solve difficult problems, from product or engineering work or from fielding new technology in the military, and a proven ability to break problems into parts.
Demonstrate high ownership amid ambiguity and the grit to work through iteration and friction to achieve results.
Have experience working with autonomous or unmanned platforms.
Be eligible and willing to obtain a TS/SCI clearance.

Nice To Haves

An active TS/SCI clearance.

Responsibilities

Embed with USV operators and mission planners in Norfolk, building deep understanding of unmanned surface operations, including underway and during fleet experimentation.
Distill and prioritize mission problems based on firsthand observations.
Set up and refine important workflows until they are effective during actual missions.
Track down bugs on fielded government systems and work with engineering to get them fixed.
Translate deployed capabilities and operational outcomes into clear wins with Navy partners.
Set priorities on site and move work forward independently without waiting for perfect direction.