Director of Program Operations

Overview

Saronic Technologies is a leader in revolutionizing autonomy at sea, dedicated to developing state-of-the-art solutions that enhance maritime operations through autonomous and intelligent platforms.

• Program Operations Leadership
  • Own and lead the Program Operations function, defining how programs are stood up, governed, tracked, and supported across Saronic.
  • Establish scalable operating models that support increasing program count, customer complexity, and delivery tempo.
  • Define clear process and decision ownership between Program Operations, Program Management, and Technical Program Management.
  • Serve as the senior escalation point for cross-functional execution issues that impact multiple programs or customers.
• Process Development & Organizational Scaling
  • Design, implement, and maintain program management processes, workflows, templates, and governance standards.
  • Lead enterprise initiatives to improve visibility into cost, schedule, risk, staffing, and customer commitments.
  • Own program operations tooling and reporting strategy in partnership with Finance and internal software development teams.
  • Ensure program processes support both government and commercial execution models without unnecessary overhead.
• Surge Support & Embedded Execution
  • Act as on-demand surge capacity for high-priority internal and customer-facing needs, including program stand-up, recovery, and executive support.
  • Embed directly within programs when execution risk emerges to stabilize operations, align stakeholders, and drive decisions.
  • Lead special projects and time-sensitive initiatives on behalf of the VP of Programs and executive leadership.
  • Absorb ambiguity and shifting priorities to protect program teams and leadership bandwidth.
• Cross Functional Coordination
  • Serve as connective tissue across Engineering, Software, Operations, Production, Quality, Finance, and Mission teams.
  • Resolve execution friction by clarifying ownership, sequencing, and accountability across functions.
  • Support Program Directors and TPM leaders with operational structure, planning, and executive-ready inputs.
• Customer & Stakeholder Engagement
  • Support and, when required, lead customer-facing engagements that demand senior operational credibility.
  • Prepare leadership for executive-level reviews, demonstrations, and external engagements.
  • Ensure customer commitments are clearly defined, operationally achievable, and consistently tracked.
  • Support rapid response to emergent customer requests and mission-driven priorities.

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Program Management, or a related technical/national security field (MBA Preferred).
• 10+ years of experience in program operations, program management, or operational leadership roles.
• Demonstrated experience building scalable processes in a growing organization.
• Proven ability to operate effectively under ambiguity, urgency, and competing priorities.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to interface confidently with technical and non-technical audiences.

• Experience managing complex programs in the national security, security cooperation, defense, or VC/startup space.
• Familiarity with DOD program execution and challenging customer dynamics.
• Experience standing up, scaling, or recovering programs in high-growth environments.
• Familiarity with enterprise tools such as Salesforce, Palantir Foundry, or equivalent systems.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment with a strong growth mandate.

• Strategic Vision: Connects current program delivery to long-term growth, ensuring today’s work supports tomorrow’s opportunities.
• Leadership & Mentorship: Develops and empowers junior and mid-level staff, fostering accountability and professional growth.
• Cross-Functional Alignment: Unites Product, Engineering, Operations, and Business Development around shared mission goals.
• Customer Orientation: Anticipates needs, manages ambiguity, and represents Saronic as a trusted mission partner.
• Execution Excellence: Balances strategy with disciplined program management and risk oversight.
• Systems Thinker: Design processes and…