Associate Technical Program Manager

Associate Technical Program Manager, Mission Integration

Confidential search. The hiring company's identity and full role details are shared with candidates under NDA.

Company: Venture-backed defense-technology startup
Function: Mission Integration (new team)
Location: San Francisco Bay Area — full time, on-site, embedded with engineering
Reports To: Head of Mission Integration
Travel: ~25%
Compensation: $125K–$155K + equity

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About the Role

A venture-backed defense-technology startup building autonomous aerial systems for defense customers is standing up a new Mission Integration function, and this is the entry-level seat on that team. Mission Integration owns the downstream end of technical program management for the company's aerial platforms: everything from a system's first flight through handoff to the customer training teams. The mandate is to keep programs on schedule, keep engineering and the growth (sales) side aligned, and make sure each platform is genuinely ready for the mission the customer needs.

The function exists to close a widening gap between engineering reality and what growth is selling. The Associate TPM works from the engineering side to make sure everyone understands where systems actually stand today, and that this reality is reflected in the commitments and timelines the company agrees to.

This is not an engineering role. The job is to understand how engineers work and speak their language, not to do the engineering. It sits between the product manager (who sets direction on what to build) and delivery: the product manager decides what gets built, Mission Integration gets it done. Expect to live in Gantt charts and schedules, and also to get hands-on with the systems in the field, including flying them.

Several platforms are already fielded and more are in development, so this function is scaling with the product line.

Responsibilities

• Own the downstream program management for a platform: from first flight through handoff to the customer training and demo teams.
• Keep schedules on track and drive programs to their milestones.
• Keep engineering and growth aligned so that sales commitments and delivery timelines reflect the true state of each system.
• Support the handoff to customer support, training, and demo teams as new products launch, largely at exercises around the US.
• Review statements of work and partner with the growth team so that contracts reflect engineering reality.
• Get hands-on with the platforms in the field, including flying them.
• Translate what happens in the field back to the engineering and product teams.
• Work day to day with software developers, product managers, flight test engineers, flight test pilots, and hardware development engineers on the engineering side; and with customer support, training, demo teams, and engagement managers on the delivery side.

Who you will work with

• Engineering / product side: software developers, product managers, flight test engineers, flight test pilots, hardware development engineers.
• Delivery side: customer support and training teams, demo teams, and engagement managers (who own account management and statement-of-work execution), with some interface to the growth / sales side.
• This seat pairs with an existing senior TPM who has strong platform experience but not a military background; the Associate brings the military-customer perspective.

Requirements

Must-Haves

• Some operational experience and some program / project management experience, ideally including time in the military. This role is well suited to a recently transitioning veteran.
• At least one area of technical expertise relevant to the product. That can be software or hardware, and can come from unmanned systems, robotics, aviation (manned aviation counts), aerospace, mechanical engineering, or a recon / ISR background.
• Ability to work with engineers and speak their language without needing to do the engineering.
• Strong organization and the discipline to keep multiple schedules and priorities on track.
• Comfort in a fast-scaling startup where the role evolves as the product matures.

Strong fit profiles

• An engineering undergrad with some field or operational time.
• An NCO who just completed engineering school.
• An engineering officer (for example EOD) with field time and some program management.
• A high-end technician type with enough technical depth to be effective.

Nice-to-Haves

• Defense-tech background.
• Experience with unmanned systems, ISR, robotics, or aviation.
• Agricultural-drone experience (sprayer / agricultural drone operators map well to this work and to the field environment).
• Familiarity with growth-stage company dynamics.
• Willingness to travel abroad occasionally (roughly semi-annual at most) to get hands-on with real customers and real applications is a plus.

Not a fit

• Legacy prime contractor background, unless the candidate is exceptional. The prime-contractor mindset is the wrong fit for the company's current stage.

Location & Travel

• Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, full time and on-site. The role must be embedded with the software and hardware development teams; remote does not work for this seat.
• Travel is roughly 25%, primarily to US exercises for product handoff to training and demo teams.

Process

This is a confidential search. An NDA is required before the company's identity and full role details are shared. We screen for interest at a high level first, then read candidates in once an NDA is in place.