Vannevar builds AI systems for the Department of War's most consequential missions. We have 125 deployments across every branch and combatant command spanning our core platform and five distinct products. An an example of how we work, when major combat operations started with Iran, we fielded a new product supporting 24/7 operations and 9,000+ users in three months.
How we build is our advantage: we deploy forward with the people who own the mission. Our engineers, product team, and CTO deploy forward to the point of friction, including visiting units in Ukraine. We focus on embedding directly with operational units supporting great power competition with China, combat operations with Iran, and counter-narcotics missions.
Mission Leads are customer-facing owners of mission outcomes. You will lead engagements with federal law enforcement, national security, and intelligence stakeholders to identify high-value mission problems, shape pilots and deployments, and turn demonstrated mission value into durable, funded programs.
This role blends mission credibility with strong execution and technical intuition. You will operate with high autonomy in ambiguous environments, translate operational needs into clear technical requirements, and coordinate across functional teams (Product, Engineering, Mission, Security, and Operations) to deliver and scale.
This role will support customers across the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Justice. You'll work directly with federal investigators, intelligence analysts, and technical stakeholders to deploy AI-enabled capabilities against complex law enforcement and national security challenges.
U.S. Persons status with at least a current Top Secret clearance in required. This is a customer-facing role required to be based in Washington D.C. Work will require time in secure or classified environments and periodic travel.
What you’ll do
- Lead federal law enforcement mission engagements. Build trusted relationships with investigators, agents, intelligence analysts, technical teams, and senior leaders across DHS and DOJ organizations to understand operational priorities, mission objectives, and capability gaps.
- Translate mission needs into actionable plans. Turn complex investigative, intelligence, and operational challenges into clear problem statements, requirements, success metrics, and execution roadmaps aligned to mission outcomes.
- Map technology to operational workflows. Identify where AI-enabled capabilities can improve intelligence analysis, investigative workflows, information sharing, threat identification, and operational decision-making.
- Own deployments and drive adoption. Lead the implementation of our technology with federal customers, working hands-on to configure user-facing workflows, troubleshoot challenges, and ensure capabilities deliver measurable operational value.
- Shape pilots and pathways to operational adoption. Define objectives, timelines, evaluation criteria, and transition plans that move capabilities from initial deployment to sustained operational use.
- Communicate technical value in mission terms. Connect our technology to real-world law enforcement and intelligence workflows, demonstrating measurable impact, outcomes, and differentiation.
- Drive mission execution. Lead customer engagements, working groups, operational reviews, executive updates, action-item tracking, and risk mitigation across multiple stakeholders.
- Coordinate cross-functional delivery. Partner closely with Product and Engineering teams to ensure mission requirements, operational realities, and user feedback directly inform product development.
- Navigate the federal enterprise. Help stakeholders work through requirements development, capability integration, acquisition processes, security considerations, and organizational coordination.
- Support growth and expansion. Identify adjacent mission opportunities, emerging requirements, and pathways to broaden impact across federal law enforcement and intelligence organizations.
What we’re looking for
- 5+ years of experience working within or alongside federal law enforcement, intelligence, or national security organizations, preferably within DHS (e.g., HSI, CBP, USCG), DOJ (e.g., FBI, DEA), or related agencies.
- Experience in intelligence analysis, cyber operations, federal investigations, technical program management, and/or related operational functions.
- Strong technical aptitude, ideally demonstrated through experience supporting technology programs, software deployments, systems implementation, or technical operations.
- Sufficient technical fluency to partner effectively with Product and Engineering teams, understand complex technical concepts, and translate them into mission-relevant solutions.
- Ability to scope and articulate solutions credibly, connecting mission problems to software capabilities and measurable outcomes.
- Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams and independently drive outcomes in complex, ambiguous environments.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate operational challenges into clear plans and execution.
- Strong operational skills, including planning, prioritization, stakeholder management, and follow-through.
What we value
- Direct experience working within the DHS (e.g., HSI, CBP, USCG), DOJ (e.g., FBI, DEA), or related agencies.
- Background as an intelligence analyst or federal agent with experience leading technical programs or technology-enabled operations.
- Experience deploying, implementing, or managing software and emerging technologies within federal government environments.
- Familiarity with AI-enabled intelligence analysis, investigative technologies, data integration, or operational decision-support platforms.
- Experience navigating federal requirements, acquisition processes, security constraints, and cross-agency coordination.
What we offer
- Health, dental, and vision insurance
- Remote friendly with WeWork access
- Unlimited PTO, shared downtime during the federal holiday calendar, and company-wide off time at the end of each year
- 401(k) match
- Lifestyle & wellbeing stipends
- Salary top-up during military reserve duty
- Fully paid parental leave
- Child and pet care reimbursement during travel
We are committed to protecting the privacy of all applicants. Official emails from the company will come from an @vannevarlabs.com domain. Under no circumstances will a legitimate representative from our company contact you to request passwords, financial information, or other sensitive personal data. Please be vigilant of potential scams.
Skills Required
- U.S. Person status
- Current Top Secret security clearance
- Based in Washington, D.C.
- At least 5 years of experience working within or alongside federal law enforcement, intelligence, or national security organizations
- Experience in intelligence analysis, cyber operations, federal investigations, technical program management, or related operational functions
- Strong technical aptitude and experience supporting technology programs, software deployments, systems implementation, or technical operations
- Technical fluency to partner with Product and Engineering teams and translate technical concepts into mission-relevant solutions
- Ability to scope and articulate solutions connecting mission problems to software capabilities and measurable outcomes
- Experience leading cross-functional teams and independently driving outcomes in complex, ambiguous environments
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Strong planning, prioritization, stakeholder management, and follow-through skills
- Direct experience with DHS, DOJ, or related agencies
- Background as an intelligence analyst or federal agent leading technical programs or technology-enabled operations
- Experience deploying, implementing, or managing software and emerging technologies in federal government environments
- Familiarity with AI-enabled intelligence analysis, investigative technologies, data integration, or operational decision-support platforms
- Experience navigating federal requirements, acquisition processes, security constraints, and cross-agency coordination
What the Team is Saying
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Vannevar Compensation & Benefits Highlights
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Healthcare Strength — Healthcare is described as top-tier medical, dental, and vision coverage, with comprehensive support that includes mental-health resources. This area is repeatedly highlighted as one of the strongest parts of the package.
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Retirement Support — Retirement support includes a 401(k) with company match (100% up to 3%, and 50% from 3–5%), indicating meaningful employer contribution to long-term savings. This structure is prominently emphasized across company materials.
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Parental & Family Support — Parental leave and family support include fully paid 12-week leave for all new parents plus four extra weeks for new mothers, alongside family-planning assistance and caregiving stipends. Child and pet care reimbursement during required travel further expands coverage for families.
Vannevar Insights
What We Do
Vannevar combines Silicon Valley innovation with former special operators to build AI for real-world national security outcomes. Since our founding in 2019, Vannevar has deployed its technology across 125 missions, safeguarding our service members and improving our country's deterrence. We believe our military service members and intelligence officers deserve access to the best technology American innovation can offer, and we are mobilizing frontier technology for this mission. Our founders have 30 years of combined experience across AI labs, national security strategy, intelligence agencies and special operations. We're supported by a number of leading VCs, including Felicis, DFJ Growth, Point72, Costanoa, and General Catalyst. Vannevar is one of the most capital efficient defense tech companies, reaching early profitability and becoming a defense tech unicorn in 2024.
Why Work With Us
We pride ourselves on being a team of passionate, low-ego professionals who share a commitment to engineering excellence and a genuine concern for the people and AI agents we deliver. Vannevar is a company that truly cares about its people and one of our core principles is "put your wellbeing first".
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Vannevar Offices
Remote Workspace
Employees work remotely.
We are distributed across the map, but united by the mission. We go where the mission takes us and deliver where others can’t. Honolulu, Seattle, San Francisco, Washington D.C., New York. You decide what's next.
