Director, Autonomy Programs

Job Description

ECS is seeking a Director of Autonomy Programs to work in our Fairfax, VA office.

Everforth ECS is seeking a Director of Autonomy Programs to lead and grow a portfolio of autonomy programs supporting U.S. Department of War (DoW) customers. This position will support customers across the National Capital Region and other DoW mission locations as required.

The Director, Autonomy Programs serves as the senior delivery and growth leader for Everforth ECS autonomy programs, responsible for the successful execution, expansion, and strategic development of autonomy capabilities across the Department of War. The Director provides executive leadership to multidisciplinary autonomy teams delivering mission-critical solutions to DoW customers and ensures programs achieve contractual, technical, financial, schedule, and mission objectives.

This role is accountable for both program execution and program growth, working directly with DoW customers, Everforth ECS leadership, business development, capture, engineering, and technology teams to identify emerging mission requirements, shape new opportunities, expand existing programs, and translate customer priorities into executable autonomy solutions.

The Director will lead program managers, technical leaders, engineers, autonomy specialists, and other delivery personnel supporting the development, integration, deployment, and sustainment of autonomous systems and related capabilities. The position requires strong executive customer engagement, operational leadership, business acumen, and the ability to connect technical autonomy capabilities with evolving Warfighter mission requirements.

The Director, Autonomy Programs reports to the Account Portfolio Leader for the Department of War Enterprise portfolio of programs.

Responsibilities include (but may not be limited to):

• Provides executive leadership and overall accountability for Everforth ECS autonomy programs supporting Department of War customers, ensuring successful delivery against mission, contractual, financial, technical, schedule, and performance objectives.
• Leads and develops multidisciplinary autonomy teams delivering capabilities to DoW customers, including program managers, technical leaders, engineers, autonomy specialists, integration teams, and other mission delivery personnel.
• Establishes program strategy, priorities, governance, operating rhythms, performance metrics, and accountability mechanisms across the autonomy portfolio to ensure consistent execution and customer outcomes.
• Drives organic program growth by identifying emerging customer requirements, adjacent mission needs, contract expansion opportunities, follow-on work, and new applications of Everforth ECS autonomy capabilities.
• Partners with the Account Portfolio Leader, business development, capture, solutioning, contracts, finance, and technical leadership to develop and execute growth strategies for autonomy opportunities across the Department of War.
• Builds and maintains trusted relationships with senior DoW customers, program offices, operational organizations, acquisition stakeholders, technical leaders, and mission partners to understand strategic priorities and position Everforth ECS for continued growth.
• Shapes autonomy opportunities by translating customer mission challenges into executable technical and programmatic solutions, including development of solution concepts, staffing models, execution approaches, cost strategies, and program roadmaps.
• Oversees the planning, development, integration, testing, deployment, and sustainment of autonomous and semi-autonomous capabilities supporting DoW operational requirements.
• Ensures autonomy programs maintain strong alignment between customer mission objectives, technical execution, program schedules, staffing, contractual requirements, and financial performance.
• Provides executive oversight of program financial performance, including revenue, profitability, forecasting, staffing, subcontractor management, resource allocation, and cost control.
• Establishes and monitors key performance indicators for program execution, customer satisfaction, delivery quality, workforce performance, operational readiness, and growth.
• Identifies program risks, dependencies, performance issues, and emerging customer concerns and drives timely mitigation and executive-level resolution.
• Leads executive program reviews, customer briefings, technical demonstrations, strategy sessions, and decision forums with government and Everforth ECS leadership.
• Coordinates across autonomy, artificial intelligence, software engineering, systems engineering, cybersecurity, cloud, platform, integration, and mission operations teams to deliver cohesive solutions to DoW customers.
• Ensures programs employ disciplined engineering, program management, configuration management, cybersecurity, testing, deployment, and operational support practices appropriate for mission-critical DoW environments.
• Supports capture and proposal activities for autonomy opportunities, including solution development, technical and management volumes, staffing strategies, oral presentations, customer engagements, and transition planning.
• Develops program leadership talent and builds high-performing teams through effective recruiting, mentoring, succession planning, workforce development, performance management, and employee engagement.
• Promotes reuse of autonomy technologies, architectures, engineering practices, intellectual property, and lessons learned across programs to improve delivery speed, technical quality, and competitive differentiation.
• Maintains awareness of emerging autonomy technologies, DoW modernization priorities, acquisition strategies, competitive dynamics, and operational mission requirements to inform portfolio strategy and investment decisions.
• Represents the autonomy portfolio in internal operating reviews, growth reviews, investment discussions, and strategic planning activities.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Salary Range: $180,000-$220,000

General Description of Benefit

Required Skills

• Current Secret security clearance.
• A minimum of 12 years of progressively responsible experience in program management, engineering leadership, technical operations, autonomous systems, robotics, artificial intelligence, defense technology, or a closely related discipline within a federal, defense, or government contracting environment.
• Demonstrated experience leading large, complex, mission-critical programs or portfolios supporting Department of War customers.
• Demonstrated experience leading multidisciplinary technical and program teams responsible for the development, integration, deployment, or sustainment of autonomous systems, robotics, AI-enabled systems, or related advanced technology capabilities.
• Proven ability to lead programs through the complete lifecycle, including requirements development, solution design, engineering, integration, test, deployment, operations, sustainment, and program transition.
• Demonstrated success growing federal programs through organic expansion, contract growth, follow-on opportunities, adjacent customer missions, or new business capture.
• Experience developing and executing program growth strategies in partnership with business development, capture, technical, contracts, finance, and executive leadership.
• Strong understanding of federal contracting and program financial management, including revenue, margin, forecasting, staffing, subcontractor management, cost control, and contractual performance.
• Demonstrated ability to build trusted relationships with senior government customers and effectively engage program executives, acquisition leaders, operational organizations, technical stakeholders, and mission users.
• Experience translating complex mission requirements into executable technical strategies, program plans, staffing approaches, roadmaps, and measurable delivery outcomes.
• Demonstrated ability to lead geographically distributed teams operating in complex, high-tempo, and mission-critical environments.
• Proven experience developing and retaining high-performing technical and program leadership teams through recruiting, mentoring, succession planning, and workforce development.
• Demonstrated ability to identify and manage programmatic, technical, operational, financial, contractual, and workforce risks.
• Strong executive communication skills, including experience developing and delivering senior-level customer briefs, program reviews, growth strategies, technical presentations, and decision materials.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making capabilities, with the ability to assess complex technical and business considerations and drive timely, mission-focused decisions.
• Highly developed interpersonal and oral/written communication skills, with the ability to effectively and professionally engage stakeholders ranging from engineers and operational users to senior executives and government leadership.

Desired Skills

• Active Top Secret (TS) security clearance with Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) eligibility.
• Direct experience leading autonomous systems, robotics, unmanned systems, collaborative autonomy, human-machine teaming, AI-enabled mission systems, or related defense technology programs.
• Experience delivering autonomy capabilities for operational DoW organizations, military Services, Combatant Commands, research organizations, acquisition program offices, or other national security customers.
• Working knowledge of autonomy architectures and enabling technologies, including artificial intelligence, machine learning, computer vision, perception, navigation, planning, command and control, edge computing, communications, simulation, digital engineering, and mission systems integration.
• Experience transitioning autonomous or AI-enabled capabilities from research and development environments into operational deployment and sustained mission use.
• Familiarity with DoW acquisition, contracting, experimentation, prototyping, and rapid capability development pathways.
• Experience supporting competitive captures, recompetes, contract expansions, IDIQ task orders, Other Transaction Authority efforts, or other federal growth opportunities.
• Experience leading programs operating across classified environments, including NIPRNet, SIPRNet, JWICS, or other mission-specific networks.
• Familiarity with Agile, DevSecOps, Digital Engineering, Modular Open Systems Approach, or Scaled Agile Framework delivery methodologies.
• Experience with program portfolio management, technology roadmapping, investment planning, capability reuse, or development of enterprise technical strategies across multiple customer programs.
• Bachelor's degree in engineering, computer science, robotics, business, program management, or a related technical discipline. Advanced degree preferred.

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ECS Federal LLC is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate or allow discrimination on the basis any characteristic protected by law. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to disability, status as a protected veteran or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local jurisdiction law.

Everforth ECS is the federal segment of Everforth , a $4B global organization with over 10,000 employees. Our nearly 3,500 professionals deliver advanced technology solutions in data and AI, cybersecurity, and enterprise transformation, serving defense, intelligence, and federal civilian agencies.

Our work powers mission-critical outcomes, strengthens technology partnerships, and creates meaningful opportunities for our people. We are defined by a commitment to excellence in delivery, a culture of innovation, and an environment where talent can thrive and grow.

We value:

• Attracting and developing top talent and high-performing teams
• Fostering a culture that is engaging, accountable, and mission-driven.