Mission Success - Government

Mission Operations Lead

The defense market is surging, but the data that drives it hasn’t kept up. Companies, government, and investors are forced to perform heavily manual processes and piece together hundreds of disparate sources to make decisions. Obviant is building a data source of truth and AI tools for defense acquisition to solve this. We fuse information from thousands of sources – structured + unstructured – to provide a cohesive picture of budget, programs, the organizations running them, and much more. Whether it’s a company navigating GTM or a program manager developing capabilities, we’re providing all sides with the intelligence they need to execute effectively. 

We’re growing fast and backed by top funds and DoD/national security veterans.

We believe that public sector mission sets matter above anything else. If you feel the same way, we’d love for you to join us. 

The Role

As a Mission Success Manager, you will lead the operational success of Obviant’s deployments with our primary government partners in the Department of War. You will work shoulder-to-shoulder with senior executives, program managers, and mission stakeholders to ensure our technology delivers measurable operational outcomes.

This is a hands-on role that combines program management, strategy, product development, and relationship management. You will act as the connective tissue between Obviant’s engineering and product teams and our end-users in the field, translating mission needs into technical solutions — and ensuring those solutions deliver real-world impact.

Your success is measured by one thing: mission success — the degree to which Obviant’s tools are adopted, scaled, and deliver decisive value in Department of War operations.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary liaison between Obviant and Department of War customers — building trust, understanding mission objectives, and ensuring technology aligns with operational needs.

• Own the full lifecycle of deployment: from pilot design and initial integration through sustainment, training, and scale.

• Translate mission requirements into actionable execution plans, coordinating cross-functional Obviant teams (engineering, product, field ops, and leadership) to deliver mission outcomes.

• Work with users to identify product solutions & workflows that can address challenges in the acquisition process. You’ll work hand-in-hand with end-users to build future products.

• Drive adoption and impact — define key success metrics, track usage and performance, and report operational effectiveness to both customer and internal stakeholders.

• Identify and pursue opportunities to expand deployments into broader programs of record; partner with business development and capture teams to translate mission success into growth.

• Act as the voice of the mission user internally, surfacing feedback, insights, and technical gaps that shape Obviant’s product roadmap.

• Regularly brief senior Department of War leaders and Obviant executives on deployment progress, outcomes, and next-step priorities.

Qualifications

• U.S. citizenship and ability to obtain and maintain a Secret clearance (or higher).

• 5+ years of experience managing technology deployments, program management, or mission support for defense, intelligence, or government clients.

• Proven track record of success operating within or alongside the Department of War— ideally with exposure to acquisition, operations, or technology fielding processes.

• Exceptional relationship management and communication skills — able to build credibility with senior officers, program managers, and operators.

• Ability to thrive in high-stakes, ambiguous, and rapidly changing operational contexts.

• Prior military, intelligence, or government experience

• Deep expertise in government/DoD acquisition processes, policies, and pain points—especially around technology and innovation programs.

• Experience transitioning technology pilots into scaled, sustained programs.

• Proven ability to navigate government acquisition and sustainment processes to drive mission adoption.

Our Working Style – Why We Might Work Well Together

• You care about government & are mission-oriented - Our work is important, and is critical to improving a system that impacts us all.

• Perseverance and endurance - Hard problems are worth solving, and solving them can take a long time. There is no such thing as exhausting all options, it’s just time to look for new ones.

• Empowerment > micro-management – We’re building a culture of high-performers. Our job is to equip them with what they need and eliminate roadblocks for them to succeed. We trust their judgment, skills, and experience from there.

• We’re collaborative and communicate well - Constructive dialogue that takes all viewpoints into account is the only way we get to the right decision. Respect, trust, and complete transparency with each other is critical - keep it all in the open

• You’re really good at what you do… but it speaks for itself – High output, no ego. Being humble is extremely important to us

• You don’t mind change and are comfortable with uncertainty - We’re deliberate about setting goals, but we’re comfortable changing course and dealing with discomfort to get there. We’re still figuring things out, and that demands being flexible and iterative.

• Work doesn’t feel like “work” to you – We’re passionate about what we’re going after, and we devote more time to it than a typical 9-5. That often means putting in extra time at night and occasionally on weekends. However, maintaining your own personal balance comes above all else, and you should establish that however you need to - flexible schedule, taking advantage of time off, or anything else you need.

• You like to move fast and have a bias towards action - Our roadmap is directional at this stage - speed and a feeling of urgency is key to prove it out. We expect each other to proactively determine what needs to get done and go for it.

• Integrity is never negotiable – Transparency, honesty, and respect come above all else.

Benefits & Structure

• We’re a tight-knit team headquartered in Arlington, VA. We work in the office together most days, and believe being in the same place is a competitive advantage.

• Flexible schedule - We all have other things going on in our lives. Doctor visits, kids’ activities, dog walks - take care of it whenever you have to. And work from home when you need to.

• Competitive compensation + Sizeable equity - We’re building something with massive upside potential, and you’ll have ownership in that. This is ours.

• Flexible vacation time - Use what you want, as long as you’re taking care of what needs to get done.

• Full health, dental, and vision insurance.

• And more…