Program Transition and Operations Lead

Program Transition and Operations Lead

About Trilogy Innovations

At Trilogy Innovations, we are committed to driving meaningful change for our customers and communities through smart, innovative technology that solves real problems. As a growing systems and software engineering company, we partner across public and private sectors to modernize enterprise systems, strengthen security, and deliver high value solutions. We are scaling with purpose, investing in our people, processes, and platforms as we expand. We work hard, think creatively, and value every perspective as we push boundaries and build systems that matter.

Who you are

The Program Transition & Operations Lead is responsible for ensuring continuity, readiness, and visibility across the contract lifecycle—from proposal submission through transition and into steady-state operations. 

This role sits between Growth and Delivery, with a primary focus on the transition from awarded work to executable programs. The Lead ensures that contracts, staffing, systems, and operational requirements are in place prior to contract start, and that risks and gaps are identified and addressed early. 

The role does not own delivery execution or contract negotiation. Instead, it enables both by establishing structure, enforcing process discipline, and ensuring that programs are operationally ready to perform on day one. 

The Program Transition & Operations Lead reports to the Senior Vice President of Operations and operates as a cross-functional partner to Growth, Contracts, Program Management, and Operations. The role is aligned within Operations but supports enterprise-wide execution readiness and program visibility. 

What you will do:

Operational Infrastructure and Readiness 

• Design, implement, and maintain operational processes and standards that support scalable delivery 

• Develop and maintain operational playbooks, governance frameworks, and internal controls 

• Ensure consistent operational practices across programs and teams 

• Identify and resolve systemic operational gaps that impact delivery readiness 

Transition Planning and Execution 

• Own and direct pre-award and transition activities from proposal submission through contract start, setting the standard for how transitions are run across the company. 

• Develop, implement, and own Pre-Award and Transition Plans include to identify, document, and track proposal commitments and customer requirements. 

• Coordinate transition planning efforts across Business Development, Contracts, Subcontracts, Program Management, Finance and Operations ensuring transition milestones and customer directed Service Level Agreements (SLAs) are achieved 

• Communicate the Pre-award and/or Transition plan and status to all company and partner stakeholders. 

• Ensure all required artifacts (contracts, subcontracts, staffing plans, onboarding requirements, systems setup) are complete prior to execution 

• Identify and escalate readiness gaps that could impact successful program start 

Program Readiness and Risk Management 

• Identify, document, and track program-level risks, dependencies, and assumptions 

• Ensure alignment between proposal commitments, customer requirements, subcontractor commitments and operational readiness 

• Validate that staffing, security, and contractual elements are in place prior to program launch 

• Surface risks early and clearly to Operations leadership, with recommended mitigations and clear accountability for resolution 

Operational Tracking and System of Record 

• Maintain system(s) of record (e.g., JIRA or equivalent) for pre- award, transition and program readiness tracking 

• Track key activities, milestones, and dependencies across transition and early operations 

• Provide real-time visibility into program readiness status for leadership 

• Ensure consistent documentation of decisions, actions, and outstanding items 

Cross-Functional Coordination 

• Facilitate coordination between Growth, Contracts, Subcontracts, Program Management, and Operations teams 

• Support clear and structured handoffs from Business Development, Program Management, and Operations

• Align stakeholders on transition timelines, responsibilities, and expectations 

• Act as a central point of coordination to prevent gaps in ownership 

Contract Start and Early Operations Support 

• Support program kickoff readiness and onboarding activities 

• Ensure contract/subcontract execution, personnel onboarding, subcontractor onboarding, and system setup are complete at contract start 

• Assist Program Managers and Operations during early-stage execution to resolve setup issues and stabilize operations 

• Conduct, capture, and document lessons learned with all stakeholders to improve future transitions 

Process Discipline and Continuous Improvement 

• Build, refine, and scale the transition and readiness function as the company grows, establishing it as a repeatable capability 

• Identify recurring breakdowns in transition, staffing, or contract/subcontractor setup 

• Strengthen repeatable frameworks that reduce operational risk at contract start 

• Reinforce a culture of accountability, clarity, and execution readiness 

What Success Looks Like (First 6 to 12 Months) 

• Develop, and implement a repeatable Pre-Award and Transition Plans 

• Programs transition from award to execution with fewer delays and gaps 

• Contract/Subcontracts starts are organized, predictable, and fully prepared 

• Risks and readiness issues are identified and resolved earlier 

• Clear visibility exists into transition status and program readiness 

• Program Managers spend less time resolving setup issues 

• Cross-functional coordination between Growth, Finance, Subcontracts, Contracts, and Operations improves 

• Transition processes are consistently followed and trusted 

What you bring:

We require: 

• 7+ years of experience in operations, program management, transition management, or a related cross-functional role, including 2+ years leading transition or operational readiness efforts 

• Experience with federal contracting proposal and contracting processes. 

• Experience with contract/subcontract lifecycle (proposal, award, transition, execution) 

• Experience working with program tracking tools (e.g., JIRA or similar systems) 

• Experience leading multi-stakeholder efforts across business and delivery teams, including influencing senior stakeholders without direct authority 

• Strong organizational, tracking, and documentation skills 

• Ability to identify gaps, risks, and dependencies in complex workflows 

• Sound judgment operating independently in a fast-paced, evolving environment, with the ability to make decisions and escalate appropriately 

Nice to have:

• Active U.S. security clearance (Secret or above) 

• PMP, Agile, or equivalent program management certification 

• Experience with federal services contracts (cost-plus, T&M, FFP) and associated transition requirements 

• Prior experience standing up or scaling a transition/readiness function 

Work Environment: Remote with occasional travel as required (up to 10%).

Compensation and Benefits:
Salary range: $75,000 to $98,000

• Competitive salary based on experience
• Performance bonus eligibility
• 401k with company match
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Life and disability insurance
• Health Savings Account
• Professional development programs
• Employee referral bonus program

Why Trilogy Innovations

At Trilogy Innovations, we believe strong teams build meaningful solutions. We deliver high quality systems and software engineering services across public and private sectors, supporting complex and mission critical environments with integrity, collaboration, and care.

Since 2010, our talented team has partnered with organizations such as the FBI, U.S. Air Force, NASA, Department of Education, Department of Energy, DHS, SOCOM, and leading private sector clients. We are known for combining technical excellence with a thoughtful, people first approach.

At Trilogy, you will work alongside smart, committed professionals in a supportive, learning oriented environment. We value innovation, accountability, and continuous growth, and we encourage our people to bring both expertise and humanity to the work they do.

If you are looking to contribute to impactful work while growing your skills in a collaborative and forward-thinking organization, Trilogy Innovations is a place where you can do just that.
Trilogy Innovations, Inc. provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.