Operations Full-Time

Mission Operations Manager (US)

Bridge Defense • Washington, DC

Company

Bridge Defense

Annual salary

$150k – $185k/yr

Location

Washington, DC

Listed

19d ago

Experience:: 4 to 8 years
Workplace:: Hybrid in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan area. In-office approximately 2-3 times per month. Up to 40% travel to locations including Tampa, FL, Hawaii, and other sites as needed. No relocation support.
Equity:: None

Hybrid in Washington, DC.

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What you'll do

Own the end-to-end success of customer engagements, serving as the program lead paired with a Tech Lead and supported by a team of engineers
Establish ground truth on how customer systems and workflows are used by working directly with data and end users, not just reading requirements documents
Translate customer outcomes into scoped and prioritized work, distinguishing genuine mission requirements from distractions, individual preferences, and broader noise
Serve as the critical bridge between government customers and the engineering team, conveying what needs to be built and delivered to meet mission requirements
Work blockers to resolution, clear the path rather than document the delay, and redirect efforts when evidence says the plan is wrong
Build and maintain trusted relationships with end users, program leadership, technical stakeholders, and acquisition/contracting personnel
Bring customer and field lessons back to product and engineering to shape what Bridge Defense builds and how it delivers
Lead and manage internal and external teams, with the opportunity to scale and build out your own team as the company grows

What you need

We need someone with 4+ years of experience owning complex technical programs or deployments in defense or national security environments who has demonstrated accountability for mission outcomes, not just schedules. You should be comfortable working directly with government customers in classified settings, translating ambiguous mission needs into scoped and prioritized engineering work, and leading teams through high-stakes, fast-moving engagements. Prior management experience is required, and defense industry experience is strongly preferred. Bonus points if you have prior military service or hands-on experience with Palantir Foundry or comparable enterprise data platforms.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I apply for the Mission Operations Manager (US) role at Bridge Defense? +

Use the Apply for a referral button on this page to send us your LinkedIn and CV. If your experience fits, we'll introduce you to the recruiter filling this role. They'll email you to check you're interested, then put you forward for this job or others that suit you better. It's free.

What does this Bridge Defense role pay? +

The listing gives $150k – $185k/yr.

Is this role remote? +

The listing gives the location as Washington, DC. Hybrid in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan area. In-office approximately 2-3 times per month. Up to 40% travel to locations including Tampa, FL, Hawaii, and other sites as needed. No relocation support.