Senior Manager, Solutions Engineering – National Security

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in United States.

📋 Description

• Lead the National Security Solutions Engineering team in support of the Department of War, United States Special Operations Command, and the Intelligence Community.

• Propel the development of upstream requirements, conducting evaluations and field trials, system integration, and unit-level enablement across Skydio’s comprehensive UAS solutions.

• Recruit, onboard, mentor, and retain team members effectively.

• Establish technical quality benchmarks for demonstrations, trial plans, integration designs, RFI and RFP responses, and customer-facing documentation.

• Manage team capacity, resource allocation, and deployment pace.

• Direct the technical strategy for pursuits, encompassing evaluation and down-select strategies, proof of concept and field trial design, and technical differentiation.

• Act as a senior technical escalation point for critical pursuits, deployments, and customer-related issues.

• Collaborate with Sales leadership on pipeline management, forecasting, account planning, and land-and-expand strategies.

• Influence defense requirements alongside program offices, capability development teams, and operators.

• Enhance team capabilities for exercises and operational assessments.

• Ensure team expertise in accreditation, cloud impact levels, NIPR/SIPR operations, cross-domain considerations, NDAA compliance, Blue UAS status, and government contracting vehicles.

• Oversee integration with TAK, MANET and secure tactical radios, tactical C2 and fires applications, and service mission-planning environments.

• Manage airworthiness and airspace activities, including flight clearances, shipboard considerations, BVLOS approvals, waivers, COAs, and range and installation approvals.

• Design transparent test plans for contested and degraded conditions.

• Represent customer perspectives to Product and Engineering by transforming field observations into prioritized requirements.

• Develop enablement content, reference architectures, and reusable technical assets.

• Maintain hands-on product knowledge through frequent practical use.

⛳️ Requirements

• A minimum of 5 years of relevant technical experience, including a customer-facing technical role supporting defense clients.

• At least 5 years of federal government or defense experience in a field relevant to UAS — operations, maintenance, ISR, test and evaluation, acquisition, or training.

• Over 1 year of experience leading a technical team, either formally or as a technical lead with responsibilities for hiring and mentorship.

• Proven understanding of the defense acquisition process for technology, from requirements development through evaluation, award, and fielding.

• Technical expertise in at least one core area: UAS platforms, RF and datalink systems, EO/IR and other sensor payloads, software integration and APIs, cloud and data architecture, or government IT security.

• Comfort in operating within a Sales organization, including ownership of a quota and deal strategy.

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.

• Willingness to travel up to 50% of the time, including regular international travel.

• Capability to lift up to 60 lbs unaided.

• Active Secret or Top Secret security clearance, or the ability to obtain one.

• FAA Part 107 certification is required for certain positions, and obtaining it within the first 60 days is strongly encouraged for all Skydio employees.

• Nice-to-have experience supporting SOCOM or its components, special operations commands, or military units.

• Nice-to-have prior military UAS operator, maintainer, or instructor certification.

• Nice-to-have experience with shipboard, small boat, or maritime UAS operations.

• Nice-to-have experience in contested or degraded environments, mission planning, CONOPS, and TTP development for small UAS.

• Nice-to-have hands-on experience with MANET radios and secure communications.

• Nice-to-have familiarity with RMF packages, ATOs, OTAs, prototype agreements, or SBIR Phase III transitions.

• Nice-to-have understanding of foreign disclosure, ITAR, and FMS processes.

• Nice-to-have working knowledge of Salesforce, Palantir, Databricks, or similar platforms.

🏝️ Benefits

• Equity in the form of stock options.

• Comprehensive benefits packages.

• Relocation assistance may be available for eligible positions.

• Group health insurance plans.

• Paid vacation time.

• Sick leave.

• Holiday pay.

• 401K savings plan.

• Commission.