VP, Federal Delivery

Thunder • DC Metro Area, DC

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

This is a role for someone who wants to build something — not just run it. Thunder Federal is at an inflection point: we have established our credentials across both defense and civilian agencies, our pipeline is growing, and the foundation is in place to scale. What we need now is a delivery leader who is passionate about Salesforce, energized by public sector mission, and ready to help us define what world-class federal delivery looks like as we grow. The VP of Federal Delivery will serve as the senior delivery authority for Thunder Federal’s entire portfolio — across defense and civilian programs, across contract types, and across the full Salesforce platform and Amazon Connect. You will report to the General Manager of Thunder Federal and carry a dotted line to Thunder Consulting’s Global Head of Delivery, giving you both the independence to run a federal practice and the institutional support of a mature delivery organization behind you. This is not a role that comes with a fully built machine. It is a role for someone who sees that as the opportunity. Thunder Federal is the federal business unit of Thunder Consulting, Inc., a Salesforce Ventures-backed implementation partner headquartered in Arlington, VA. We deliver Salesforce-based digital transformation for federal defense and civilian agencies, as well as Amazon Connect contact center solutions. We bring the agility and innovation of a high-growth technology consultancy to the rigors of the public sector. We are a focused and fast-growing practice. We win on technical depth, mission understanding, and the genuine care we bring to every client engagement. Our team members are practitioners first, and we hold ourselves to a delivery standard that reflects the trust our government clients place in us.

Requirements

• 8-10+ years of experience in Salesforce implementation delivery, with at least 4 years in a senior delivery, engagement management, or program leadership role
• Demonstrated experience delivering IT programs for federal government clients — understanding of federal contracting, FAR/DFAR compliance, CUI handling, and how government programs actually work is essential
• Proven ability to manage a portfolio of concurrent programs with competing priorities, diverse stakeholders, and varying contract structures
• Experience building and leading delivery teams — hiring, developing, and retaining practitioners in a consulting or professional services environment
• Demonstrated experience managing delivery financials, including gross margin, forecasting, utilization, resource planning, and scope control within a consulting or professional services environment
• Excellent executive communication skills: written, verbal, and in high-stakes client settings
• A genuine passion for public sector mission and the Salesforce platform — this role requires both in equal measure
• U.S. citizenship (required)
• Washington, DC Metro Area residence or relocation to the area (required)

Nice To Haves

• Active security clearance (Secret or higher); at minimum, the ability to obtain a clearance
• Strong, hands-on Salesforce platform expertise across one or more clouds (Sales, Service, Experience, Agentforce, or equivalent); background as a solution architect, developer, or senior BA is a meaningful differentiator
• Experience with Department of War (DoW) or other defense agency programs
• Amazon Connect and/or Service Cloud Voice implementation experience
• Experience federal security frameworks (FedRAMP, DoW Impact Level 4/5, CMMC, ATO process)
• PMP, PMI-ACP, or SAFe certification
• Familiarity with GSA MAS, IDIQ/task order vehicles, and federal acquisition structures
• Experience in a small or growth-stage federal consulting practice — you know what it means to build something from the ground up

Responsibilities

• Serve as the senior federal delivery leader responsible for execution within the Thunder Federal portfolio under the governance and operating standards established by Thunder Shared Services
• Ensure delivery health across all engagements: schedule performance, quality standards, risk management, and client satisfaction
• Own portfolio delivery financial performance, including gross margin attainment, forecast accuracy, resource utilization, and delivery cost management
• Monitor program financial health and proactively identify margin risks, scope erosion, staffing inefficiencies, and forecast variances; develop corrective action plans as needed
• Partner with Program Managers, Account Delivery, and Thunder Delivery leadership to ensure accurate revenue forecasting, project financial reporting, and timely escalation of financial risks
• Drive disciplined scope management and change order practices to ensure delivery commitments remain aligned with contractual obligations and project economics
• Adapt delivery approach to contract type and program context — whether fixed-price, time-and-materials, or task-order-based — applying the right rigor to each
• Lead or guide program-level status reporting, executive briefings, and milestone reviews calibrated for senior government audiences
• Identify and escalate delivery risks proactively; develop and own mitigation plans in partnership with program managers and technical leads
• Partner with the Global Head of Delivery to align federal delivery practices with company-wide standards and ensure knowledge flows in both directions
• Accountable for achieving portfolio delivery performance targets related to gross margin, utilization, forecast accuracy, client health, and delivery quality in alignment with Thunder Consulting delivery standards
• Drive development of Thunder Federal delivery methodology and tools as an overlay on Thunder’s corporate methodologies, including tailoring as needed for Federal contractual and compliance requirements, such as CMMC and Federal Acquisition Regulations
• Collaborate directly with Sales team in continually improving estimating methodologies, staffing approaches, and ensuring that what is proposed is deliverable
• Harness AI capabilities to improve speed and quality of delivery and keep abreast of the latest advances in AI to further drive delivery efficiencies, while also staying compliant with federal security guidelines
• Build, grow, and directly lead a high-performing federal delivery team spanning program managers, business analysts, solution architects, and developers
• Hire for the practice you are building, not just the programs you have today — develop a team with the depth to take on larger, more complex engagements
• Conduct regular 1:1s, performance conversations, and career development discussions that retain and grow top talent
• Partner with Thunder Resource Management and Thunder Delivery leadership to forecast resource demand, define staffing requirements, and ensure effective utilization of federal delivery resources
• Foster a team culture built on mission focus, accountability, continuous improvement, and the discipline required to earn and maintain government trust
• Champion professional development — Salesforce certifications, project management credentials, and public sector training — as a practice investment, not a perk
• Build and sustain trusted, long-term relationships with government program managers, contracting officers, and senior stakeholders
• Navigate the nuances of federal contracting — FAR and DFAR compliance, scope management, ATO and security requirements, CUI handling — with confidence and precision
• Lead executive client touchpoints, quarterly business reviews, and any delivery escalations with composure and credibility
• Represent Thunder Federal’s delivery capabilities in pre-award activities including orals, demonstrations, and technical approach reviews
• Provide hands-on oversight and quality review of implementations, ensuring alignment to Salesforce and Amazon Connect Government Cloud standards, platform best practices, and agency security requirements
• Drive a consistent Agile delivery methodology across programs: sprint cadence, definition of done, release management, and acceptance testing
• Oversee technical planning across engagement types — from rapid prototypes to multi-year managed services — with appropriate rigor at each phase
• Maintain visibility into environment strategy, sandbox management, data governance, and compliance requirements across the portfolio
• Establish and maintain internal Federal IT operating standards — tooling governance, access management, environment strategy, and data handling protocols — aligned with federal security requirements.
• Ensure continuous compliance with applicable federal frameworks (CMMC, FedRAMP, FISMA, ATO) and maintain audit-ready posture across all programs.
• Develop and maintain delivery playbooks, staffing models, and past performance frameworks that scale as the practice grows
• Contribute meaningfully to business development pursuits: inform delivery approach, estimate staffing, shape risk narratives, and participate in proposal reviews and orals
• Review and validate delivery assumptions, staffing models, effort estimates, and margin expectations for new opportunities to ensure proposed solutions are deliverable, profitable, and aligned with Thunder delivery standards
• Identify expansion opportunities within existing accounts and bring them to practice leadership and the Chief Growth Officer
• Help build Thunder Federal’s reputation in the federal Salesforce ecosystem — at industry events, with Salesforce’s federal team, and in the broader public sector community
• Work alongside the General Manager to develop the long-term delivery organization Thunder Federal needs to support a scaled practice

Benefits

• Medical, Dental, Vision, and Employer-Paid Life/Disability Insurance
• Stock options
• Mentorship, certifications, and hands-on experience with cutting-edge technology
• Remote work
• Flexible PTO (with a 2-week minimum)
• Generous leave policies

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive
• Education Level: No Education Listed