Program Manager, USMC Air Defense

ABOUT THE TEAM

The Air Defense team builds robots that find other robots and knock them out of the sky. At a time when air superiority can no longer be taken for granted, the Air Defense team provides mission critical capabilities to protect the nation’s most important assets. From detection to tracking, identification, deterrence, and defeat, our family of networked sensors, effectors, and Command & Control (C2) software enables our customers to rapidly close the kill chain against a broad range of UAS threats. Working across product, engineering, business development, logistics, and operations, the Air Defense team develops, tests, deploys, and sustains the Anduril Air Defense Family of Systems in challenging operational environments worldwide.

ABOUT THE JOB

Our Air Defense team is responsible for developing and fielding CUAS capabilities around the world. We are seeking a Program Manager to join our growing team focused on protecting critical national security assets for military customers worldwide. This role is designed for a strong operator who will help scale across U.S. and overseas operating environments.

Operating CUAS capabilities in support of military missions requires a combination of technical rigor, operational excellence, and regulatory awareness. Our systems must integrate seamlessly with military operations while meeting applicable U.S. and host-nation legal authorities governing counter-drone activity. Our customers depend on precise execution, regulatory compliance, and professional fielding in environments where safety, legal authority, and public trust are paramount.

In this role you will serve as the operational expert for Air Defense deployments—ensuring systems, personnel, training, documentation, and regulatory requirements are aligned for mission success. You will build repeatable deployment processes, manage cross-functional coordination, and serve as the connective tissue between technical teams and customers.

You will operate at the intersection of technology development, operational deployment, and customer engagement - serving as a key integrator across teams and ensuring the program executes effectively and efficiently at scale. You will directly support program cost, schedule, risk management, executive reporting, and strategic execution.

This role is ideal for an operator who thrives in ambiguity, is comfortable in front of customers and executives, wants to scale at speed, and build long-term sustainable operations.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

Program Execution

• Develop and maintain program execution frameworks, milestones, and reporting structures to ensure alignment across technical and operational teams
• Drive program coordination across engineering, product, growth, compliance, and supply chain
• Develop executive-level reporting, dashboards, and briefings to communicate program health and progress to leadership
• Identify program risks early and drive mitigation strategies across technical and operational stakeholders
• Ensure program execution aligns with applicable U.S. and host-nation regulatory frameworks governing CUAS operations
• Coordinate with regulatory and policy stakeholders to support deployments operating within DoD, host-nation, and other relevant authorities
• Serve as subject matter expert to ensure operational concepts and deployment strategies reflect real-world legal and regulatory constraints as well as operational realities

Deployment Planning

• Oversee planning and coordination of CUAS deployments — from planning and logistics through on-site activation to long-term sustainment
• Develop structured deployment plans, readiness gates, and operational checklists to ensure repeatable execution
• Coordinate cross-functional teams to deliver mission-ready capabilities to customer sites
• Lead after-action reviews and capture lessons learned to continuously improve deployment velocity and quality

Stakeholder Engagement

• Serve as senior program representative during key deployments and operational activities
• Ensure clear, proactive communication across internal stakeholders and external customers
• Drive stakeholder alignment across technical, operational, and regulatory teams to ensure program decisions are made quickly, transparently, and in support of mission success
• Ensure coordination between program leadership, field operations, and customer stakeholders to maintain readiness and program credibility

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• 6+ years of experience working with government program offices, defense programs, or technical project management
• Experience with government contracts, government acquisition processes, and proposal development
• Demonstrated experience managing complex, cross-functional programs involving hardware and software systems in high-stakes or regulated environments
• Experience across the broader counter-UAS (CUAS) domain and working with military and government entities, critical infrastructure operators, or defense customers
• Strong operational rigor—ability to build structured plans, manage concurrent workstreams, and execute against tight timelines
• Proven ability to cut through ambiguity and drive cross-functional alignment without formal authority
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills; comfortable briefing senior leadership and customer executives
• Willingness to travel up to 30% as program and deployment needs require
• Eligible to obtain and maintain a security clearance

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Manufacturing, production, or supply chain experience (beneficial, though production responsibilities ultimately rest with the business lines rather than the PM)
• Familiarity with the CUAS operating environment with direct experience work on sensor networks, autonomy, or ISR platforms
• Knowledge of airspace coordination, regulatory compliance, and operational integration across U.S. and overseas operating environments
• Prior experience in a Deputy Program Manager, Program Analyst, or Technical Program Management role
• Familiarity with airspace regulations, military rules of engagement, or CUAS legal frameworks
• General awareness of electronic warfare (EW) concepts (this role focuses on Counter-UAS, not electronic attack)
• Background in DoD, DHS, or critical infrastructure protection programs
• Experience scaling operations from early-stage deployments to sustained fielding, partnering with business lines on production
• MBA or advanced degree in Business, Public Policy, Engineering, or a related technical discipline

WHO YOU ARE

• You are a structured operator who brings clarity and discipline to complex, fast-moving initiatives
• You are comfortable navigating both technical complexity and operational ambiguity
• You are detail-obsessed but capable of thinking strategically
• You are comfortable both in a warehouse coordinating shipments and, in a boardroom presenting a program update
• You approach mission-critical work with high ownership and low ego