Director of Federal Programs

[ABOUT ISTARI DIGITAL]

Istari is a digital engineering software company enabling our customers to turn the physical world into the digital to accomplish their specific mission or business objectives.

Istari was founded with the vision of making open, scalable digital engineering ecosystems a reality – where new technologies and systems are created digitally, free from the real-world constraints of costs and schedules. We are creating the world’s best engineering model sharing platform, allowing our customers to simply and securely integrate their models across different engineering disciplines, organizations, and security levels.

At Istari, we are passionate about our mission of creating the world's first open and scalable industrial metaverse. Whether our customers are designing prototypes, performing virtual testing, or training AI and autonomy for complex systems, we know that going digital will save them time, resources, and reduce their environmental impact.  

While we are a distributed team with most team-members working remotely, we place an emphasis on staying connected and collaborative, prioritizing in-person opportunities to build trust as a team. At Istari, we still believe that trust is best built in-person. To do this, we have an engineering headquarters in Cambridge, MA for focused technical development and several times per year we gather for an off-site that allows us to develop our professional skills and our team relationships.

[VALUES]

At Istari, we live by our values, which include:

Purposeful Autonomy

We value letting people self-organize and self-motivate. 

Our flat structure and lack of meeting clutter are meant to empower individuals and teams to be proactive.

Our autonomy is measured, goal-oriented, and results-driven – not meandering.

Clear objectives help us prioritize our time.

Smart Transparency

We believe in honest-but-kind communication, transparency, and open-door policies.

We love learning about challenges and tackling them early, not hearing good or bad news late.

We share work-in-progress across our team. 

Fast feedback keeps autonomy purposeful.

Continual Curiosity

At Istari, we love learning to do things ourselves.

We ask, read, share, teach – even watch YouTube videos – to learn new skills to solve problems.

When we make breakthroughs, we write them down.   

Writing focuses ideas, helps us learn, and helps us share.

Equal Opportunity

Istari is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, protected veteran status, or disability status.

We are seeking an accomplished leader to direct our federal programs portfolio, serving as both a strategic leader at the company and the primary Technical Program Manager —a complex, multi-network initiative requiring multiple government approvals and extensive coordination across diverse stakeholders. In this high-visibility role, you will shape overall program strategy, guide cross-functional teams, and ensure that all technical objectives, government certifications, and mission requirements are achieved. The ideal candidate brings deep experience in secure networking, enterprise architecture, and cybersecurity for large-scale federal IT implementations, coupled with a proven ability to navigate complex regulatory environments and drive significant business growth.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership & Oversight: Set the vision and direction for federal programs, ensuring alignment with organizational objectives and evolving sponsor needs. Establish performance metrics and governance models to monitor the health of all federal initiatives. Drive stakeholder engagement and executive-level decision-making to resolve conflicts, reassign resources, or adjust priorities as conditions change. Foster a culture of innovation and continuous improvement that promotes collaboration, knowledge sharing, and talent development across the federal programs portfolio.
• Technical Program Management & Execution: Lead cross-functional teams to deliver on technical objectives, including software integration and capability development, on time and within budget, while meeting stringent government regulations. Implement robust project plans, including cost estimation, schedule management, and performance tracking, to handle multi-network integration across multiple security. Oversee risk management processes, identifying program-level risks and developing mitigation strategies in coordination with project teams and senior stakeholders. Coordinate with internal and external partners (e.g., Engineering, Customer Success, Government Sponsors) to ensure contract deliverables, technical documentation, and reporting requirements are fully met. Oversee budget execution to optimize program capabilities, software development efforts, and revenue generation, while ensuring cost control and financial accountability.
• IT, Networking & Cybersecurity: Shape enterprise architecture strategies to unify networking, IT systems, and cybersecurity practices across federal programs. Develop secure-by-design solutions that support mission-critical operations, including integrated cyber defense measures to protect against emerging threats. Collaborate with the Cybersecurity team by ensuring systems are built with cyber functional requirements that align with government compliance, including authorities to operate (ATO), certification to field (CTF), and reciprocity frameworks. Drive Istari Platform capability integration by working closely with software development teams to ensure that new features and enhancements align with program objectives and government requirements.
• Business Development & Stakeholder Engagement: Identify and pursue new growth opportunities within the federal market, building strategic partnerships to expand the organization’s portfolio of government projects. Support proposal efforts and negotiate with sponsors, showcasing a strong technical vision and a track record of delivering on complex commitments. Engage with senior government officials and industry partners to communicate program status, foster collaborative relationships, and reinforce the organization’s reputation for excellence.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Systems Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• 10+ years of experience managing complex IT, networking, or cybersecurity initiatives, with a track record of success in government or enterprise-level programs.
• Extensive leadership experience overseeing multi-disciplinary teams and large-scale federal contracts.
• Expert knowledge of secure networking, enterprise IT systems, and cybersecurity frameworks, including DevOps/DevSecOps.
• Demonstrated capability in government system authorizations (e.g., ATO), certification to field, and reciprocity processes.
• Proven record of business development, strategic planning, and high-level stakeholder engagement in federal contracting environments.
• Active or eligible for U.S. Government security clearances.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience implementing integrated network and security architectures for multi-enclave or large-scale federal systems.
• Familiarity with Earned Value Management (EVM), subcontract management, and critical path analysis.
• Working knowledge of cybersecurity best practices and Risk Management Framework (RMF) processes to maintain required approvals.
• Exceptional communication skills for proposal writing, technical briefings, and sponsor negotiations.

BENEFITS

We offer highly competitive benefits, including:

Health and Family

- Medical/Dental/Vision

- Employee Premiums are 100% Company Paid

- Life Insurance

- Flexible Work Hours 

- Unlimited Paid Time Off (PTO) with federal government holidays

Financial

- Competitive Compensation 

- 401k 

- Company Stock Options

- Home Office Setup Budget

Learning

- Reimbursement for approved trainings and subscriptions

- Conferences (travel, lodging, and fees)

Note - some benefits are not available to interns or contractors.

Thank you for your interest in Istari. Expect to hear back from us soon with next steps.