Missions Operation Manager

Bridge Defense•Washington, DC

2d•$150,000 - $185,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Bridge Defense is seeking a full-time Mission Operations Manager to lead customer engagements across our product and engineering portfolio, supporting customers across the Department of War. The Mission Operations Manager is the program lead on an engagement, paired with a Tech Lead and supported by a team of engineers. The Tech Lead owns whether the system was built right. You own whether the mission improved. That distinction is the job. Every government program carries dependencies we do not control. Your job is to find the way through. The work starts with getting to the truth of what the customer actually does, which is rarely what the requirement says. Those answers exist, in the data and in the people doing the work. This role goes and finds them.

Requirements

Demonstrated ownership of complex technical programs or deployments, with accountability for the outcome and not only the schedule.
Fluency working directly with data; ability to identify necessary data and ask the right questions in ambiguous situations.
Product judgment, demonstrated by a track record of deciding what should be built and what should not.
A record of resolving obstacles that were outside your formal control.
Comfort working in dynamic, high-stakes environments with tight timelines and shifting requirements.
Understanding of government acquisition, budgeting, and contracting, or the demonstrated ability to learn it quickly.
Ability to work on-site with government users, including in classified or secure environments.
Active Secret security clearance at the time of hire, with the ability to obtain and maintain TS/SCI.
Legally authorized to work in the United States.
Willingness to travel, when needed.

Nice To Haves

Hands-on experience with Palantir Foundry or a comparable enterprise data platform, including working directly in its analytical and application-building tools.
Experience in a deployment strategist, engagement manager, forward deployed, or mission success role at a technology company.
Prior military service, prior government service, or experience delivering to a government customer.
Familiarity with software development environments and DevSecOps toolchains.
Active TS/SCI.

Responsibilities

Own the outcome of your engagement, ensuring its success.
Define the problem accurately, validate it with evidence, and adapt the execution as needed.
Build and maintain trust with end users, program leadership, technical stakeholders, and acquisition/contracting personnel.
Partner with the Tech Lead to prioritize the team's efforts.
Understand the customer's mission, workflows, pain points, acquisition process, and past problem-solving attempts.
Establish ground truth on system/workflow usage through data analysis and direct engagement.
Translate customer outcomes into scoped and prioritized work, differentiating real mission requirements from distractions.
Resolve blockers and clear obstacles to progress.
Redirect efforts when evidence suggests a plan is incorrect, making a credible case to both customer and team.
Lead internal and external teams within approved authorities to deliver and sustain capabilities in operational environments.
Incorporate customer and field lessons learned into product and engineering development and delivery.
Manage difficult conversations with tact, confidence, and transparency.