We are seeking a high-caliber Senior Program Manager to serve as the primary execution lead for our partner's workstream within the DIU Proving Grounds program. This role is embedded directly within the DIU ecosystem, focusing on the seamless transition of commercial dual-use technologies into the hands of the warfighter.

You will be responsible for the end-to-end management of Other Transaction Authority (OTA) vehicles, navigating the critical path from initial prototype solicitation to successful production scaling.

This position is on-site at the Defense Innovation Unit HQ in Mountain View, CA

Required Clearance: Current Top Secret/SCI

Key Responsibilities

1. OTA Lifecycle Management

• Execution: Lead the drafting, negotiation, and administration of both Prototype OTAs and Production OTAs in accordance with 10 U.S.C. § 4022.
• Milestone Tracking: Define and monitor technical milestones for company-related vendors to ensure "successful completion" criteria are met for production eligibility.
• Financial Oversight: Manage budget allocations, obligation timelines, and burn rates for the Second Front portions of the Proving Grounds program.

2. Strategic Coordination

• Stakeholder Liaison: Act as the primary bridge between DIU leadership, Department of War (DoW) mission partners, program teammates, and commercial vendors (the company's partners and customers).
• Proving Grounds Integration: Ensure that company activities align with the broader Proving Grounds mission of testing, evaluating, and validating software and hardware at the speed of commercial innovation.

3. Operational Excellence

• Risk Mitigation: Identify technical or policy issues early and unlock bottlenecks to ensure customers and partners seamlessly operate within the Proving Grounds ecosystem.
• Growth: Partner closely with the internal Public Sector team and leadership to communicate and support the execution of on-program growth opportunities.
• Reporting: Internally, you will report directly to the Head of Federal Delivery, and within DIU, you will directly support and partner with the Proving Grounds Program Management team.
• Delivery: Deliver high-visibility briefs to DIU Directors and Pentagon stakeholders regarding program health, transition readiness, and ROI on commercial tech integration.

Required Qualifications

• 8+ years of Program Management experience, specifically within the DoW acquisition or Defense Industrial Base (DIB) sectors.
• OTA Expertise: Proven track record of executing Other Transaction Authority agreements. You must understand the nuances of prototype-to-production transitions.
• Clearance: Active Top Secret/SCI (or eligibility to obtain one immediately).
• Technical Literacy: Ability to converse fluently with software engineers and product managers regarding SaaS, cybersecurity, and cloud-based "Proving Ground" environments.
• Presence: Exceptional communication skills for on-site collaboration in a fast-paced, "startup-style" government environment.

Preferred Skills

• Prior experience working directly with or within DIU or similar DoW innovation entities.
• Familiarity with automated deployment/security platforms

Why This Role?

This isn't a "maintenance" PM role. You will be at the tip of the spear in changing how the Pentagon buys technology, and how we field it. The Proving Grounds program is a high-priority initiative within DIU aimed at breaking the traditional, slow-moving acquisition cycle by leveraging the agility of commercial partners.