Chief Operating Officer (COO)
Location: Sparks, Maryland (In-Person)
Compensation: $200K+ base + annual bonus + equity
Industry: Autonomous Drones / Dual-Use Defense Tech
Reports to: Chief Executive Officer
About the Company
A fast-growing drone company building autonomous systems for critical defense, government, and
commercial missions. Backed by meaningful contract traction and a proven core platform, the company is
transitioning from R&D and prototyping into full-scale production.
We focus on delivering strategic solutions that enable safe, efficient, and reliable UAV operations in the most
challenging environments-powering a new era of aerial intelligence, exploration, and industrial applications.
About the Role
The COO will serve as the company's top operations leader-responsible for translating strategic objectives
into on-the-ground results across manufacturing, fulfillment, and performance to plan.
This is not a strategy-only role. It's not for someone used to delegating from a distance. We're looking for a
high-trust, hands-on operator-someone who can lead programs, manage vendors, solve problems, and build
systems without layers of support staff.
You'll lead U.S.-based production operations while staying tightly aligned with revenue-driving priorities. The
ideal candidate brings a dual lens: executional rigor and customer-facing awareness across both defense and
commercial markets.
Key Responsibilities
Execution & Delivery
- Own operational performance across internal teams and third-party manufacturers
- Translate strategic priorities into execution roadmaps with clear accountability and KPIs
- Monitor delivery schedules, quality benchmarks, and cost performance; implement corrective actions as
needed
Manufacturing & Supply Chain
- Oversee and optimize U.S.-based manufacturing operations
- Evaluate and implement domestic production pathways to align with customer and regulatory demands
- Manage supplier performance, negotiate terms, and enforce strong SLAs
Cross-Functional Leadership
- Balance internal operational oversight with support for go-to-market and business development priorities
- Partner with the CFO on budget execution and financial performance
- Serve as connective tissue across engineering, production, and customer delivery teams
- Build lightweight but scalable systems, processes, and operational dashboards
Mindset & Culture
- Lead with urgency, accountability, and a high standard for execution
- Promote a builder's culture: ownership over bureaucracy, execution over presentation
Ideal Candidate
- 10+ years in operations, manufacturing, or supply chain leadership roles
- 5-10+ years of hands-on experience in the UAS/drone industry (defense, government, or commercial
sectors)
- FAA Part 107 required; FAA PPL, CPL, or ATP strongly preferred
- Background in complex hardware environments: robotics, aerospace, defense, or industrial automation
- Proven ability to lead operations while supporting customer-facing or BD efforts
- Experience scaling contract manufacturing from prototype to production
- Ability to find, draft, and submit competitive proposals, tenders, and RFPs without additional training or
support
- Comfortable operating without traditional "big company" infrastructure
- U.S. citizenship required; active or prior clearance a strong plus