What is a program manager (PM)?
This is the role that defines DARPA. The role that the rest of the organization is built around. It is where brilliant minds are freed from constraints as they seek to change the trajectory of technology. Here, your idea is your ticket to entry, and we don’t do incremental.
We seek bold thinkers with the resilience to forge fearlessly into spaces unknown, where failure is more likely than success.
If chosen, you will be appointed for a term of two years, with a possible extension to four years. Every day that passes (and trust us, you will be counting) means one less day to make your mark.
Fueled by a sense of service and relentless intellectual drive, PMs enjoy unparalleled freedom to conceive and develop seemingly impossible ideas to benefit national security. When an idea is accepted as a program, the PM takes responsibility for a portfolio of ambitious and rigorous R&D projects, guiding collaborations among world-class researchers and engineers from academia, industry, and government. PMs proactively build stakeholder engagement with the military services, forging valuable feedback loops between the agency and the warfighters we serve. They establish and manage against aggressive program goals, including detailed technical milestones to measure progress.
It is an audacious responsibility – and we know it – so we back the PMs with world-class support every step of the way.
Key qualifications
To be successful, a PM needs deep technical knowledge, substantive experience, and an exceptional imagination. Candidates must operate with urgency and a deep desire to leave a lasting mark during their fixed tenure.
As an agency within the U.S. Department of Defense, we require U.S. citizenship and the ability to secure and maintain an active security clearance.
Application process
To apply for a program manager role, candidates should prepare the following:
- Cover letter
- Resume
- Preliminary proposal for a new program concept that does not contain any classified information and follows the Heilmeier Catechism
If your qualifications and proposal meet our needs, we will be in contact.
What’s in it for you?
If selected, program managers receive competitive compensation, benefits, and relocation support, as required, to work in our Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-certified office in Arlington, VA.
PMs are immersed in the DARPA culture and team, collaborating with luminaries across broad technical disciplines. Bragging rights and entry into an exclusive alumni group to follow.