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Salary: USD 20,000 - 250,000 / annual
Applied Intuition is seeking a Mission Director for Aerial Combat to serve as the senior relationship and strategic lead for the company's aerial combat portfolio, with focus on the Drone Stack campaign. Reporting to the Head of Growth, you will identify and shape strategic opportunities within aerial combat mission areas, build deep credibility with senior government stakeholders, and position Applied Intuition as the autonomy software provider of choice for Group 1-3 unmanned aerial systems.
Key responsibilities include cultivating senior-level trust-based relationships with Program Executive Officers, Program Managers (O-6+), requirements officers, and CTO offices within US Air Force PEO ISR SOF, NAVAIR, SOCOM (Defense Autonomous Warfare Group), and US Army PM UAS. You will shape opportunities 12-18 months in advance by influencing requirements, acquisition strategies, and program structures before they reach the public domain. Lead strategic customer discovery to understand long-term capability roadmaps, budget trajectories across PPBE cycles, and political dynamics within the aerial combat community.
You will operate as an executive-level expert who opens doors and builds deep credibility as Applied Intuition's senior voice on aerial combat autonomy, translating operational warfighter problems into technology requirements that drive program shaping. Maintain backchannel sources of information across the aerial combat and weapons communities, establish senior-level escalation paths when strategic deals encounter obstacles, and make critical 'pursue vs. walk away' decisions while partnering with Account Executives, Capture Managers, and Engineers to convert strategic shaping into a winning pipeline.
Required qualifications: 15–25 years of experience in or around DoD aerial combat operations and acquisition (Military O-5/O-6 with operational aviation background, GS-15/SES in acquisition or requirements, or senior Industry BD/strategic growth leadership). Executive-level expertise in the PPBE cycle, POM process, and Congressional authorization/appropriation dynamics. Specific, warm relationships within US Air Force PEO ISR SOF, NAVAIR, SOCOM, or US Army PM UAS. Deep understanding of aerial combat capability gaps and force structure challenges. Active Secret or Top Secret security clearance required.
Nice-to-have: Prior experience at DARPA, DIU, AFWERX, Army Applications Lab, or SOFWERX. Deep familiarity with DoD autonomy programs or operational experience with Group 1-3 unmanned aerial systems. Track record of positioning commercial technology for government adoption in autonomy.
