Technical Program Manager - Horizon
Washington, DC
Software Engineering /
Program Management /
Hybrid
Spear AI is seeking a Technical Program Manager (TPM) to drive the development and deployment of our Horizon platform, a next-generation data management and analytics system for maritime sensor data. Spear AI serves the national security industry, providing hardware, software, and data solutions across classification levels for operational deployment. As a rapidly growing company committed to continuous fielding and rapid development, we're building a scalable platform that ingests, processes, and analyzes massive volumes of acoustic and environmental data from diverse sources. This hybrid position offers the opportunity to work at the intersection of big data engineering, machine learning, and defense technology.
The ideal candidate will be a technical leader with hands-on engineering experience who can coordinate complex, parallel development efforts across multiple teams and deployment environments. This role requires someone who can navigate the complexities of both unclassified and classified software deployments while maintaining aggressive delivery timelines. You'll be responsible for ensuring successful integration across distributed teams, managing technical dependencies, and driving architectural decisions that balance immediate operational needs with long-term platform scalability.
Key Responsibilities
- Coordinate cross-functional teams including data engineers, frontend/backend developers, DevSecOps, and security architects across multiple locations and time zones
- Manage complex technical dependencies between streaming data pipelines (Red Panda/MQTT), batch processing systems, and multi-tenant data architectures
- Create and maintain comprehensive project roadmaps, identifying critical path items and proactively mitigating risks across competing priorities
- Lead technical design reviews and architecture decisions, balancing trade-offs between feature velocity, security requirements, and system scalability
- Interface with government stakeholders and program offices to gather requirements, communicate progress, and manage expectations for classified deployments
- Oversee the transition from unclassified to classified environments, coordinating ATO processes and security control implementations
- Facilitate development cycle planning and technical deep-dives to ensure continuous improvement and knowledge sharing
- Manage vendor relationships and third-party integrations to ensure seamless interoperability
- Track and report key metrics including deployment velocity, system performance, data pipeline throughput, and SLA compliance
- Collaborate with engineering leadership to make build-vs-buy decisions and technology stack choices
- Travel approximately 20% to team locations, deployment sites, and customer facilities as needed
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related technical field
- 5+ years of experience managing complex software platform development, with demonstrated success delivering large-scale data systems
- Hands-on technical experience with modern software development, including: Proficiency in at least one programming language (Python, Java, JavaScript, Go); Experience with cloud platforms (AWS/Azure/GCP) and infrastructure as codeUnderstanding of data pipeline architectures and streaming systems; Familiarity with containerization (Docker/Kubernetes) and microservices
- Proven ability to manage multiple parallel workstreams with competing priorities and aggressive deadlines
- Experience with Agile methodologies and tools (Jira, Confluence, GitHub Projects, or Linear)
- Strong technical communication skills with ability to create architecture diagrams, technical specifications, and executive briefings
- Experience working with geographically distributed teams and remote collaboration tools
- Experience managing stakeholder relationships across engineering, product, and customer organizations
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a data-driven approach to decision making
- U.S. Citizenship required - Must be willing to obtain and maintain a Secret or Top Secret/SCI security clearance (at no expense to you)
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with Department of Defense programs or national security systems
- Familiarity with classified environment deployments (IL4/IL5/IL6) and ATO processes
- Knowledge of data lakehouse architectures (Apache Iceberg, Delta Lake) and modern data stack
- Experience with real-time data streaming platforms (Kafka, Pulsar, Red Panda)
- Understanding of machine learning workflows and MLOps practices
- Experience with React/TypeScript frontend development and GraphQL APIs
- Project Management Professional (PMP), Scrum Master, or similar certification
- Experience with maritime domain awareness or acoustic data processing systems
- Knowledge of DoD security frameworks (RMF, NIST 800-53, DISA STIGs)
- Experience managing open-source or dual-use technology development
