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DEFCON AI is seeking a Software Project Lead to own end-to-end software design, architecture, and delivery for a mission-critical Department of Defense program. This is a rare opportunity to champion a complex, high-impact effort from customer problem definition through deployed software in a classified environment.
You will lead a software team while remaining hands-on enough to contribute technically. Your primary responsibilities include: owning the software design and architecture; directing developers and setting technical direction; integrating optimization and analytics work into the product; managing the transition from unclassified development to secure, classified deployment; and keeping the customer, team, and leadership aligned throughout the program lifecycle.
You will work alongside a program manager (who owns customer cadence), a subject-matter expert (who owns mission content), and an optimization scientist (who owns the analytic core). Your role is to coordinate their efforts and translate them into shipped, deployable software. The work balances modern commercial engineering practices with the realities of Department of Defense contracting, including compliance, security, and classified environment requirements.
The ideal candidate is strong enough in software engineering to get hands-on and cover ground independently, conversant in data science and AI to help prioritize what gets built, and excellent at leadership and communication. You must be comfortable with both technical depth and program-level coordination. The role is fully remote with up to 25% travel to customer sites, DEFCON AI headquarters, and vendor facilities as required.
