Technical Project Manager – Unmanned Systems Integration

Ignite Digital•Charleston, SC

2d•$120,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Ignite Digital Services is seeking an experienced Technical Program Manager to support coordination, integration, and operational readiness of unmanned systems programs. The ideal candidate will partner across multidisciplinary teams and stakeholders to synchronize schedules, manage risk, and support development of command‑and‑control capabilities in a fast‑paced technical environment.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in engineering, business, national security, or a related discipline.
Several years of experience in program or project management supporting technical or defense‑related initiatives.
Experience coordinating multi‑stakeholder efforts across government, commercial, and partner organizations.
Experience authoring or supporting acquisition documentation such as Statements of Work or cost estimates.
General knowledge of unmanned systems operations and command‑and‑control concepts.
Experience with risk management, milestone tracking, and schedule development for complex technical programs.
Familiarity with establishing and managing collaborative agreements between organizations.
Familiarity with unmanned systems.
Strong organizational, analytical, and problem‑solving abilities.
Strong written and verbal communication skills including formal reporting and strategic communications.
Ability to obtain and maintain a government security clearance.
Proficiency with Microsoft 365 applications for collaboration, scheduling, and reporting.

Nice To Haves

Prior military service or operational field experience.
Experience operating unmanned systems.
Experience supporting technology demonstrations, exercises, or experimentation events.
Experience coordinating with operational task forces or command structures.
Familiarity with strategic priorities and objectives common to defense innovation programs.

Responsibilities

Coordinate activities across stakeholder groups including government sponsors, commercial vendors, and internal delivery teams; develop, maintain, and track program milestones, business rules, and deliverables; support multi‑year strategic roadmaps aligning funding, staffing, and sponsor priorities; plan and conduct training to improve team execution and readiness.
Author and support execution of Statements of Work (SOWs) and government cost estimates; contribute to competitive proposal efforts and respond to sponsor data calls and information requests.
Track program risks and mitigation plans; identify and help resolve issues affecting schedule, integration timelines, and operational readiness.
Coordinate training, logistics, and vendor engagement in support of field demonstrations and exercises; oversee scheduling, procurement coordination, and system upgrade tracking; support system readiness and manage travel coordination for multi‑site engagements.
Support system evaluation, interoperability testing, and Concept of Operations (CONOPS) development; identify capability gaps and recommend improvements ahead of demonstrations; help establish and manage collaborative R&D agreements.
Provide operational support during high‑priority missions or exercises; coordinate procurement actions and support fielding of software and hardware systems; synchronize efforts across operators, vendors, and technical teams to meet compressed timelines.
Partner with communications teams to develop materials highlighting program accomplishments; increase visibility across stakeholder audiences; coordinate high‑visibility engagements and briefings.
Capture lessons learned and provide actionable recommendations including after‑action style reporting.