Strategic Program Associate

NODA AI•Austin, TX

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

NODA is a veteran-owned, venture-backed technology company that is transforming how unmanned systems collaborate in complex, mission-critical environments. We are developing next-generation solutions that enable the autonomous orchestration of heterogeneous unmanned systems across air, sea, land, and space with vital applications in the defense, intelligence, and commercial sectors. Our Programs team plays a critical role in turning our technology into fielded capability — aligning engineering, mission operations, and field operations around customer commitments, and ensuring the voice of the operator drives what we build. Joining NODA means working on meaningful technology that pushes the boundaries of autonomy alongside a team that thrives on innovation, rapid iteration, and collaboration. We are seeking a Strategic Programs Associate to work directly alongside our Strategic Programs Manager in executing NODA's critical innovation programs in swarm orchestration and collaborative autonomy. This is an entry-level role built for a sharp, recent graduate who wants to learn program management in the defense technology arena by doing it — with direct mentorship, real responsibility, and a front-row seat to how autonomous capability moves from operator needs to fielded effects. You will be a force multiplier. You will manage the task load of a fast-moving programs office — tracking actions, commitments, and deadlines across engineering, mission operations, field operations, and customers — and you will build the systems that make that possible, owning our knowledge base and workflows so information is captured once and found fast. You will also be a researcher. When a decision needs grounding — a customer's organization, an acquisition pathway, a competitor's capability, a policy change — you will gather, structure, and distill the answer into short, decision-ready products that leadership can act on. People and relationships are more important than process, no plan survives first contact, and no structure eliminates the audible. Your job is to bring order and information to fast-moving programs — while staying composed, re-prioritizing quickly, and keeping every task oriented on outcomes. Travel up to 15% — including occasional evenings/weekends during mission-critical events, demonstrations, and exercises.

Requirements

U.S. Citizen (required); ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance.
Bachelor's degree completed within roughly the last two years, with a strong academic record — business, finance, political science, engineering, or a related analytical field.
Exceptional writing and research skills: able to turn open-ended questions into organized, well-sourced, concise products.
Strong organizational discipline: comfortable tracking many small commitments across many people without dropping any.
Demonstrated aptitude with productivity and collaboration software; ability to rapidly learn Confluence and Jira.
Demonstrated work ethic — employment, leadership, or entrepreneurial initiative sustained alongside academics.
Self-aware, coachable, and composed under shifting priorities and ambiguity.

Nice To Haves

Academic research or honors thesis in defense acquisition, national security, or a related field.
Exposure to the defense industry through internships, research, or work experience.
Coursework or experience in finance, data analysis, or business analytics.
Hands-on experience with Atlassian tools (Confluence, Jira) or comparable project management systems.
Customer-facing work experience demonstrating professionalism, reliability, and service under pressure.
Genuine interest in autonomous systems, unmanned platforms, and the defense mission.

Responsibilities

Manage the task load. Track actions, commitments, suspense dates, and deliverables across concurrent programs; run the programs battle rhythm (agendas, notes, follow-ups); and keep leadership ahead of deadlines rather than reacting to them.
Build the systems. Design, build, and maintain NODA's Strategic Programs Confluence knowledge base and Jira workflows — program pages, task boards, templates, and dashboards — right-sized so administration never outweighs the work it records.
Enable decision-making. Research customers, acquisition pathways, technologies, policies, and market developments; deliver concise, well-sourced summaries, briefings, and decision papers that support program and leadership decisions.
Keep the record. Draft and maintain program artifacts — status rollups, risk registers, decision logs, meeting minutes, and after-action documentation — with precision and consistency.
Support engagements. Prepare white papers, briefing materials, and coordination notes for customer engagements, program reviews, and demonstrations; assist on-site at select events.
Support growth. Assist with market research, competitive analysis, customer landscape mapping, and inputs to capture and proposal efforts.
Grow into the craft. Learn NODA's programs, customers, and mission domain deliberately; take on increasing program responsibility as skills grow, with direct mentorship from the Strategic Programs Manager.