About The Role:

The VP of Defense & National Security will lead the translation of Urban Sky’s stratospheric capabilities into mission-ready solutions for U.S. and allied defense customers. This role will own mission, capability, and go-to-market/acquisitions strategy and will be responsible for overall defense program success from concept development and operational integration through deployment, ensuring that Urban Sky’s Microballoon™ and future high-altitude systems directly address critical sensing, communications, and deep-ingress needs across the DoW. This role will lead Urban Sky’s strategy and program execution across U.S. defense and national security customers, ensuring Urban Sky’s stratospheric systems become core enablers in DoW’s modernization priorities and Programs of Record.

Core Charter:

• Bridge customer problems to Urban Sky’s product architecture to achieve operational success.

• Integrate program strategy, product feedback, and mission success under one function.

• Ensure every flight, demonstration, and deployment aligns with a Program of Record trajectory or repeatable mission use case.

• Own and ensure success of all customer-facing defense and national security programs; ensuring Urban Sky delivers consistently, credibly, and with operational excellence.

Key Responsibilities:

1. 1. Mission Strategy and Solution Design

• Develop and lead Urban Sky’s Mission Solutions roadmap. Define how the company’s platforms, payloads, and data services solve specific defense missions (e.g., persistent ISR, communications relay, atmospheric sensing, electronic warfare support).

• Partner with Product and Engineering to tailor system configurations and CONOPS to real-world mission needs.

• Serve as the operational architect for demonstrations, ensuring missions are designed to prove value in measurable, repeatable ways.

• Oversee creation of Mission Packages — preconfigured balloon + payload + software solutions aligned to customer missions.

1. Critical Program Execution

• Partner with Sales on capture efforts on major/strategic DoW and international program pursuits.

• Lead critical DoW programs post-capture to ensure mission delivery, cost performance, and user satisfaction.

• Act as the executive sponsor for prototype-to-field transition efforts.

• Manage cross-functional delivery teams (ops, engineering, BD, and contracting) through all phases — concept, demo, ops, sustainment.

• Own the Voice of the Customer loop — continuously capturing operator feedback to inform the product roadmap and data services evolution.

• Maintain direct relationships with customer program managers, contracting officers, and operational leads, ensuring Urban Sky is viewed as a trusted partner.

• Serve as the final escalation point for program risks, customer issues, and delivery challenges — balancing customer commitments with internal capacity.

• Serve as the lead point-of-contact for contract negotiations on all programs, and on execution of sub-contracts with partners.

1. Operational Concepts & Integration

• Develop and validate Concepts of Operations (CONOPS) for stratospheric systems in coordination with DoW operators, labs, and commands.

• Lead mission analysis, risk assessment, and operational planning for deployments.

• Collaborate with Engineering and Flight Ops to ensure readiness for high-tempo deployments supporting military exercises or contingency operations.

1. Acquisitions Strategy, Strategic Partnerships and Government Relations

• Partner with the VP of Sales and internal Mission Solutions leads to develop a go-to-market strategy, tactical sales plans, and identify and shape specific opportunities aligned with Urban Sky’s capabilities and DoW priorities.

• Build alliances with primes, integrators, and government labs.

• Represent Urban Sky in working groups and industry consortia related to high-altitude ISR, stratospheric comms, and resilience architectures.

• Influence program requirements and acquisition strategies that align with Urban Sky’s long-term roadmap.

• Shape perception of Urban Sky’s technology as a core enabler for emerging architectures.

• Build and maintain high-trust relationships with senior acquisition officers, program managers, and requirements developers — the people who write RFPs and justify budgets.

• Serve as Urban Sky’s senior representative at defense symposia, congressional briefings, and working groups.

• Partner with the CEO on strategic messaging to DoW leadership and Capitol Hill, ensuring the company’s narrative aligns with defense priorities and funding cycles.

1. Internal Leadership & Integration

• Over time, build and lead a team (mission engineers and/or program managers) to ensure successful delivery of all programs.

• Drive collaboration between product development, payload engineering, and operations.

• Establish and maintain a culture of disciplined execution and customer focus.

• Mentor teams in the language, pace, and expectations of defense customers.

Qualifications:

• Advanced degree (Master’s or higher) in a relevant field such as:

• Systems Engineering, Aerospace Engineering or Applied Physics

• National Security Studies, Defense Policy, or International Affairs

• Doctoral work of BD status in Systems/Engineering Management is a plus

• Formal acquisition or program management training preferred.

• Active or eligible for U.S. Secret or Top Secret / SCI clearance (required for defense programs).

• 10+ years of experience leading complex defense or national security programs, ideally across both government and industry.

• Proven record of owning large-scale DoW contracts ($50M+) or portfolios — including cost, schedule, and performance accountability.

• Experience working with (and ideally within) DoW acquisition organizations, FFRDCs, and service labs.

• Demonstrated success transitioning programs from R&D or prototype to fielded and sustained capabilities (Program of Record or equivalent).

• Experience engaging across the acquisition, operational, and policy layers of DoW — understanding how to align technology with mission need, funding, and doctrine.

• Familiarity with DoW modernization priorities

• Deep working knowledge of defense acquisition pathways (OTAs, SBIR/STTR, BAAs, IDIQs, CRADAs).

• Proven ability to own customer-facing programs end-to-end — from proposal to execution to sustainment.

• Exceptional communicator and translator — fluent in the languages of technology, operations, and acquisition.

• Comfortable briefing senior military and civilian leadership and representing the company externally.

Nice-to-Haves/Preferred Skills:

• Ethos aligned with mission execution, reliability, and national service, not just business metrics.

• Experience with stratospheric or near-space systems — hands-on familiarity with high-altitude balloons, HAPS, LTA platforms, or pseudo-satellite programs.

• Prior work on persistent ISR, comms relay, or weather/atmospheric sensing missions, ideally with real deployment experience.

• Involvement with international programs for international scaling.

Requirements:

• Must be US Citizen or Permanent Resident

• Must be willing to travel to Denver, CO at least 1 week per month

Benefits:

• Salary: $150k - $250k + bonus/commission

• Stock Options

• Medical, Vision and Dental

• Unlimited Vacation Days

• Parental Leave
• Cell Phone Bill Stipend