Technical Program Manager (Homeland Layered Defense), Public Sector

Scale's public sector business provides American commercial technology and innovation to protect the homeland. As a Technical Program Manager, you will own relationships critical to the portfolio of clients charged with a layered defense for the United States. You will manage customer relationships and partners, and partner with the engineering team to solve Scale's hardest problems, delivering cutting-edge agentic AI to orchestrate portfolio management for defense of the homeland.

Responsibilities:

• Own technical execution for one or more national security mission areas from initial requirement through deployment and formal evaluation
• Translate operational workflows into detailed Product Requirements Documents (PRDs), Engineering Requirements Documents (ERDs), and executable engineering work
• Work alongside engineers during cycle planning to define scope, sequencing, architecture constraints, dependencies, and milestones
• Maintain end-to-end requirements traceability from customer objective to software build, test event, and formal deliverable
• Drive Jira/GitLab execution and provide accurate inputs into integrated master schedules and program-level planning
• Understand and manage data availability, system architecture, integration dependencies, and technical constraints across high-side networks
• Identify technical blockers early, own their resolution, and immediately escalate critical risks when required
• Partner with subcontractors and external engineering teams where applicable, defining interfaces, deliverables, handoffs, and accountability
• Communicate technical progress, risks, tradeoffs, and decisions clearly to both engineering teams and senior customer stakeholders

Requirements:

• Active TS/SCI clearance
• 5+ years of experience in technical program management, software engineering, systems engineering, product management, technical consulting, or a related technical delivery role
• Strong technical literacy across software architecture, APIs, data systems, system integration, and AI/ML-enabled products
• Ability to write detailed technical and product requirements that engineering teams can directly execute against
• Experience driving complex technical programs across multiple engineering and stakeholder groups
• Strong understanding of program management fundamentals, including requirements traceability, dependencies, risks, schedules, and deliverables
• Ability to reason about data availability and software integration constraints in secure or highly regulated environments
• Comfort working extensively inside secure facilities and air-gapped government systems
• Willingness to travel 25–50% for onsite engagements, integration work, user testing, briefings, and formal evaluation events

Nice to have:

• A technical degree in computer science, engineering, mathematics, physics, data science, or a related field
• Proficiency in Python, SQL, or another programming language
• Prior experience as a software engineer, systems engineer, solutions architect, or technical product manager
• Experience building or deploying AI/ML and agentic systems on classified networks

Compensation: The base salary range for this full-time position in Washington DC is: $166,400-$249,000 USD

Benefits:

• Comprehensive health, dental and vision coverage
• Retirement benefits
• A learning and development stipend
• Generous PTO
• Commuter stipend (may be eligible)