Mission Director - Intelligence Community

Defense Unicorns

82d•$145,000 - $185,000

About The Position

The Mission Director is a quota-carrying, full-lifecycle business owner responsible for identifying, shaping, closing, and executing new business within the Intelligence Community. The role builds trusted relationships with customers and stakeholders, identifies meaningful problems, shapes solutions using Defense Unicorns products, and leads opportunities from initial discovery through contract award. After a contract is awarded, the Mission Director remains accountable throughout its lifecycle, including cost, schedule, performance, staffing, margin, and customer satisfaction. The role directly leads contract execution until the portfolio grows enough to warrant additional program management support. As the portfolio increases in size and complexity, the Mission Director leads program managers and delivery leaders while retaining accountability for portfolio outcomes. The position also maintains an active pipeline and develops follow-on, expansion, and adjacent opportunities while executing existing contracts. Candidates located near major Intelligence Community hubs are preferred, and travel is approximately 25–40%.

Requirements

Experience within the Intelligence Community or a closely related defense environment.
Strong understanding of the culture, mission, stakeholders, and terminology within the supported domain.
Experience in one or more of the following: military operations, government program management, acquisition, contracting, business development, or defense industry program leadership.
Working knowledge of federal acquisition, including contract vehicles, acquisition strategies, and contract negotiations.
Strong commercial judgment and comfort owning revenue-generating activities.
Demonstrated ability to lead teams and be accountable for outcomes.
Willingness to work across business development, contracting, staffing, and execution, personally driving critical work while building and leading teams.
Comfort operating with ambiguity, identifying opportunities, and creating a path forward without a predefined playbook.
Technical fluency sufficient to understand and communicate Defense Unicorns products, cloud-native technologies, DevSecOps, Kubernetes, and modern software delivery concepts.
Ability to travel approximately 25–40%.

Nice To Haves

Candidates located near major Intelligence Community hubs are preferred.

Responsibilities

Identify and develop new Intelligence Community opportunities and build trusted relationships with customers and key stakeholders.
Own a quota and grow a diversified portfolio of business.
Define customer problems, scope, and desired outcomes; shape solutions using Defense Unicorns products and an appropriate acquisition approach.
Lead opportunities through proposal, negotiation, and contract award.
Serve as program leader for new contracts and remain directly responsible for execution until additional program management support is warranted.
Manage delivery risks, scope changes, and mission outcomes.
Define and build the team required to execute each contract.
Personally lead contract execution and, as the portfolio grows, lead program managers and other delivery leaders across the portfolio.
Maintain an active pipeline and develop new opportunities while executing existing contracts.
Identify follow-on work, expansions, and adjacent opportunities.
Own customer retention, portfolio growth, and gross margin.
Grow from individual contract ownership into a broader portfolio leadership role.
Adapt to evolving organizational needs and take on additional responsibilities as assigned.