Senior Manager, Defense Programs

🕒 Yesterday

🏄 California – Remote

🏄 California – Remote

💵 $160k - $210k / year

⏰ Full Time

🟠 Senior

👔 Manager

👻 Ghost score 0%

What it means: the chance that no one is really hiring for this job.How to read it: 60% or higher means we think this is a ghost. Lower scores are less of a worry.How we score it: age, reposts, open roles vs team size, how fast jobs close, and whether pay is listed.Fine print: an estimate from public data, not a judgment of the company. Real jobs can score high, so treat it as a hint, not a fact.

Apply Now

Find Similar Remote Jobs

Aurelius Systems

WebsiteLinkedInAll Job Openings

11 - 50 employees

🏭 Manufacturing

💼 Consulting

🎖️ Defense

💰 $10M Seed on 2025-10

Manufacturing • Consulting • Defense

Aurelius Systems is a defense technology company developing autonomous directed-energy (laser) systems to detect, track, and neutralize small unmanned aerial systems (UAS/drones). Their Archimedes platform combines high-power lasers, optical sensors, and machine-learning autonomy to engage Group 1 and 2 UAS without an operator, enabling persistent, field‑portable counter‑UAS protection for forces, facilities, and critical infrastructure. The company emphasizes COTS-based hardware, multi-domain deployment (ground, air, sea, fixed), field-proven testing, and rapid, low-cost engagements powered by electricity.

📋 Description

• Lead customer engagement and execution across a growing portfolio of government and industry programs • Own commitments from award through demonstration, delivery, and operational fielding • Serve as the primary day-to-day interface for assigned customers and partners • Coordinate engineering, operations, supply chain, and leadership to deliver on cost, schedule, scope, and contractual commitments • Lead customer relationships and program execution, including reviews, planning meetings, and execution updates • Manage program schedules, milestones, budgets, deliverables, resource plans, and risks across multiple concurrent efforts • Identify program risks, corrective actions, customer issues, and decisions requiring executive attention • Plan and execute government demonstrations, test events, operational assessments, and customer deployments • Manage customer expectations, contract requirements, scope changes, cost-to-complete estimates, and resource forecasts • Provide clear, timely program reporting and accountability for commitments • Support proposals, follow-on opportunities, and transitions from demonstrations to production and fielding • Report directly to the Chief Strategy Officer • Help establish the program execution foundation of a growing defense technology company

🎯 Requirements

• 7+ years in defense program management, government acquisition, military program execution, or defense industry operations • Experience in a customer-facing program management, government acquisition, or comparable leadership role • Demonstrated success managing complex programs with multiple stakeholders, budgets, schedules, and deliverables • Strong understanding of Department of Defense organizations, acquisition processes, and government-industry relationships • Ability to coordinate cross-functional teams and manage competing priorities while maintaining customer trust • Technical aptitude to collaborate effectively with engineering teams • Excellent written and verbal communication • Bachelor's degree or equivalent relevant military, government, or industry experience • Experience with counter-UAS, directed energy, air defense, or related defense technologies • Experience with Other Transaction agreements, FAR-based contracts, or DoD rapid acquisition pathways • Experience with defense technology development, prototyping, demonstrations, or rapid fielding • Experience in an early-stage or growth-stage defense technology company • Active U.S. security clearance; eligibility to obtain and maintain a clearance • U.S. Person status required for access to export-controlled information • U.S. citizenship and eligibility to obtain and maintain a DoD Top Secret security clearance • Willingness to travel to government sites and test events • Willingness to work Saturdays, Sundays, and during field deployments as needed • Willingness to undergo a background check

🏖️ Benefits

• Equity • Bonus • United Health Care medical, dental, and vision coverage • Flexible 18 days PTO + 5 sick days • Travel to field test events and range days • Covered daily lunches and office snacks + drinks • E-bike / scooter stipend (Up to $500) • Direct access to leadership and real ownership over your work

📊 Check your resume score for this job

Improve your chances of getting an interview by checking your resume score before you apply.

Upload Resume