Director, Defense

The role

The Director of Defense will own the strategy, team, and external presence to establish Arc as a partner to the U.S. military and allied governments. This person will build and lead the Defense organization, including sales, business development, and technical program management.

What you will do

• Defining and owning Arc's Defense strategy across all service branches and adjacent government entities
• Building, hiring, and leading the Defense organization
• Establishing the operating cadence, forecasting, and pipeline discipline
• Serving as Arc's external face to the DoD, service branches, primes, and allied partners
• Leading capture strategy and execution for priority pursuits
• Mapping relevant programs and contract vehicles to Arc's capabilities
• Partnering with Engineering, Product, and Operations to translate warfighter needs into the product roadmap
• Guiding company strategy with market intelligence and representing Arc at industry forums
• Establishing the compliance and infrastructure foundation including ITAR, CMMC, and clearance requirements

Required qualifications

• 10+ years of experience across defense, aerospace, maritime, or dual-use hardware
• At least 4 years leading and building teams
• Track record of winning and executing significant defense programs
• Established relationships across the Navy, USMC, USCG, SOCOM, or relevant OSD offices
• Credibility with the primes and non-traditional players in the maritime and unmanned domains
• Deep fluency in the Defense Industrial Base, defense acquisition, and procurement pathways
• Executive presence and communication skills
• Ability to operate in ambiguity and build a function from zero
• Bachelor's degree
• U.S. Person as defined by ITAR (22 CFR §120.15)

Nice to have

• Prior experience standing up or scaling a defense function
• MBA
• Advanced technical degree
• Military service background
• Experience working at an emerging technology defense contractor
• Experience in strategy consulting
• Experience in the maritime industry or with a government agency dealing with the marine domain
• Direct experience engaging with government program offices (e.g., PEO USC, PMS 406, NAVSEA)
• Familiarity with autonomy, robotics, and maritime systems
• Enthusiasm for boating and clean energy

Benefits

• 99% employer-paid medical, dental, and vision
• 14 weeks fully paid parental leave for birthing and non-birthing parents
• Highly competitive PTO
• Life and disability insurance
• Traditional and Roth 401(k) access
• $500 annual water fund
• $500 annual professional development reimbursement
• Monthly AI stipend
• Annual reimbursement for PPE and ergonomic equipment
• Captain training and access to take Arcboats out
• Daily lunches, snacks, and good coffee
• Relocation assistance depending on role eligibility

Before you apply

• Applicants must be a U.S. Person as defined by ITAR

About the company

Arc is on a mission to electrify the marine industry by rethinking powertrains, software, and vessel designs. They are extending their platform to commercial applications including tugs, ferries, and defense.