Technical Program Manager, Defense OS

Applied Intuition • Sunnyvale, CA

1d • $180,000 - $225,000 • Onsite

About The Position

Applied Intuition is seeking a Technical Program Manager to lead programs adapting its software-defined vehicle platform for naval warships. The role owns the plan for bringing a production-proven vehicle operating system, middleware, and tooling stack into shipboard environments, collaborating with Applied engineering teams, Navy program offices, shipbuilders, and integration partners. It combines commercial software delivery with defense acquisition and requires close technical work with subject matter experts and customers to deliver capabilities to ships and sailors.

The Technical Program Manager will plan and manage program milestones, schedules, budgets, and deliverables; coordinate software and hardware releases; translate shipboard requirements into engineering work; and drive security and compliance evidence toward authority to operate. The role also coordinates integration and testing from laboratory and land-based sites through shipboard installation, serves as a key customer contact, aligns roadmaps across teams, and resolves technical, schedule, and contractual issues. The position is based in an in-office work environment, with full-time employees expected to work primarily from an Applied Intuition office five days per week; occasional remote work and schedule flexibility are supported. Travel may be required to shipyards, Navy facilities, and customer sites.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field.
• At least 5 years of experience in technical program management for complex software or software-intensive hardware systems.
• Proven experience delivering embedded, vehicle, or platform software programs; software-defined vehicles, real-time systems, or safety-critical software experience is preferred within this requirement.
• Experience working directly with defense customers or on Department of Defense programs, and familiarity with government program funding, contracting, and reviews.
• Technical depth sufficient to engage credibly with engineers on operating systems, middleware, networking, and software release processes.
• Ability to execute thoughtfully and efficiently with a “no task is too big or too small” mindset.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills, including with senior government and industry stakeholders.
• Ability to manage multiple programs and priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to travel as needed, including to shipyards, Navy facilities, and customer sites.
• Must be a U.S. citizen.
• Must hold or be eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance.

Nice To Haves

• Active Secret clearance or higher.
• Experience with Navy programs or organizations such as NAVSEA, PEO Ships, PEO IWS, or NAVWAR, or experience in shipbuilding and ship systems integration.
• Familiarity with the DoD Software Acquisition Pathway, agile and DevSecOps approaches in government programs, and modular open systems approaches (MOSA).
• Understanding of the Risk Management Framework (RMF) and the authority-to-operate process, including continuous ATO.
• Familiarity with safety and development standards such as ISO 26262, ASPICE, and MIL-STD-882.
• Prior military service, particularly in a shipboard or engineering role.
• Prior experience in a startup environment, demonstrating adaptability and a can-do attitude.
• Experience with project management tools such as JIRA.

Responsibilities

• Define program milestones and manage timelines, budgets, and deliverables for programs adapting the software-defined vehicle platform to naval vessels; monitor progress, mitigate risks, and ensure quality.
• Develop and execute software and hardware release plans, coordinating engineering teams across vehicle operating systems, middleware, networking, security, and tooling.
• Translate shipboard requirements—including scale, redundancy, environmental constraints, long service life, and integration with existing ship systems—into technical work for engineering teams.
• Plan and drive the path to authority to operate, incorporating security and compliance evidence into delivery through DevSecOps and continuous ATO practices.
• Coordinate integration and test events with shipbuilders, Navy labs, and third-party system vendors, from laboratory and land-based sites through shipboard installation.
• Serve as a primary contact for government and industry customers, understand requirements, manage expectations, and provide regular updates.
• Align technical roadmaps across internal and external teams, determining where commercial automotive practices can be applied and where naval needs require new work.
• Drive problem-solving and decision-making across teams to resolve technical, schedule, and contractual issues.

Benefits

• Base salary and equity, which may include options and/or restricted stock units.
• Comprehensive health insurance coverage.
• Dental insurance.
• Vision insurance.
• Life and disability insurance coverage.
• 401(k) retirement benefits with employer match.
• Learning stipend.
• Wellness stipend.
• Paid time off.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level