Vice President, Programs Stratospheric ISR
Tucson, AZ
Company Overview
Ondas Inc (NASDAQ:ONDS) is building a new kind of intelligence company, one designed for a world where speed, autonomy, and decision advantage matter more than ever. By combining multi-domain platforms, advanced sensing, secure networks, and AI-enabled analytics, Ondas helps defense, government, and critical infrastructure customers transform complex mission data into decision-ready insights when and where they matter most.
Ondas Sentinel is Ondas’ U.S.based defense division, purpose-built to deliver U.S.made, U.S. delivered capabilities for the Department of Defense and allied ministries of defense. The division brings together advanced autonomous systems, mission technologies, and intelligence solutions that help customers create persistent awareness, operate with confidence, and make faster decisions in complex and contested environments.
The Stratospheric ISR business unit within Ondas Sentinel is focused on one of the most unique mission areas in aerospace and defense: manufacturing and operating high-altitude stratospheric balloon systems. Few companies in the world can do this work at operational scale. That means our teams are not simply maintaining existing systems; they are building new capabilities, solving first-of-their-kind challenges, and helping define what persistent.
Job Description
The Vice President, Programs leads program execution and integrated delivery for Ondas Sentinel’s Stratospheric ISR business unit. Reporting to the EVP, Stratospheric ISR, this role works in close partnership with the EVP to oversee Engineering, the Program Management Office, Mission Control, and Launch & Recovery for the company’s stratospheric craft, missions, and systems. The Vice President, Programs is accountable for translating customer, business, and technical priorities into disciplined program execution, ensuring teams deliver against cost, schedule, technical, quality, operational, and mission commitments.
The ideal candidate is an experienced program, engineering, mission operations, or aerospace systems executive with deep experience leading complex technical programs in aerospace, defense, autonomous systems, government contracting, or a similarly demanding mission environment. Success in this role requires strong execution discipline, executive presence, cross-functional leadership, customer orientation, and the ability to align engineering, program management, mission control, and launch and recovery teams around clear priorities and accountable delivery.
This role is based on-site in Tucson, Arizona and requires regular engagement with engineering, program management, manufacturing, supply chain, quality and safety, finance, contracts, business development, mission control, launch and recovery, and executive leadership teams. Travel may be required to support customers, suppliers, other company locations, program reviews, proposal activities, launch operations, and mission readiness events.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead program execution for the Stratospheric ISR business unit, ensuring clear ownership of customer commitments, cost, schedule, technical performance, operational readiness, and mission outcomes.
- Work in close partnership with the EVP, Stratospheric ISR to oversee Engineering, the Program Management Office, Mission Control, and Launch & Recovery, ensuring priorities are aligned and decisions are made at the right level.
- Translate business unit strategy, customer needs, contract requirements, and technical roadmaps into integrated program plans, operating rhythms, milestones, risks, resource needs, and execution priorities.
- Build, lead, and develop program, engineering, mission operations, and launch and recovery leaders, creating a culture of accountability, disciplined execution, cross-functional collaboration, continuous improvement, and mission focus.
- Partner closely with VP Products, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality & Safety, Finance, Contracts, Business Development, and shared services to align program priorities with product delivery, customer commitments, and business unit objectives.
- Oversee program portfolio health, ensuring programs have integrated schedules, resource plans, technical baselines, risk registers, action tracking, decision logs, financial visibility, and recovery plans where needed.
- Establish and manage operating cadences and KPIs across program performance, engineering execution, mission readiness, launch and recovery readiness, cost, schedule, technical risk, quality, and customer deliverables; provide clear executive reporting on performance, risks, and decisions required.
- Strengthen program governance, including program reviews, change control, configuration alignment, technical readiness reviews, mission readiness reviews, launch readiness processes, and post-mission learning loops.
- Partner with Quality & Safety to ensure engineering, program, mission control, and launch and recovery activities support safe operations, audit readiness, nonconformance management, corrective action, regulatory expectations, and customer confidence.
- Develop budgets, staffing plans, resource models, program management systems, mission operations improvements, and execution roadmaps to support growth of the Stratospheric ISR business unit.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, Program Management, Operations, Business, or a related field; advanced degree preferred.
- 15+ years of progressive program, engineering, mission operations, aerospace systems, or technical delivery leadership experience, including significant experience leading leaders in a complex technical environment.
- Demonstrated success leading complex aerospace, defense, autonomous systems, high-reliability hardware, government contracting, or mission-critical technology programs.
- Strong understanding of program management fundamentals, systems engineering, integrated planning, technical execution, mission readiness, launch operations, risk management, change control, and operational performance management.
- Experience building or operating within disciplined quality, safety, and compliance environments, including technical reviews, readiness processes, nonconformance management, corrective action, audit readiness, and document control.
- Proven ability to lead cross-functional execution across Engineering, PMO, Mission Control, Launch & Recovery, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality, Finance, Contracts, Business Development, and executive stakeholders.
- Strong business and financial acumen, with experience supporting program budgets, forecasts, cost controls, estimate-at-completion reviews, resource tradeoffs, and executive-level decision-making.
- Experience with U.S. Government, defense, aerospace, or regulated customer environments preferred, including familiarity with program commitments, compliance expectations, contract deliverables, and customer program reviews.
- Preferred experience with high-altitude platforms, stratospheric systems, flight operations, mission control environments, launch and recovery operations, unmanned systems, or other aerospace mission systems.
- Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government security clearance, as required by program needs.
What We Offer
With leadership across Engineering, the Program Management Office, Mission Control, and Launch & Recovery for the Stratospheric ISR business unit, you will help shape how Ondas Sentinel plans, executes, and delivers complex stratospheric missions and systems for customers.
You will work side by side with experts in emerging technology, gaining exposure to cutting edge ideas and projects that are shaping the future. We offer a comprehensive benefits package including Medical, Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance because we believe in taking care of the you as a person, not just a team member.
Our Tucson workplace is designed to support collaboration, focus, and well-being, with an on-site environment that keeps engineering, program management, mission control, launch and recovery, manufacturing, quality, and support teams closely connected to the mission.
We believe in creating a dynamic and inclusive workplace where creativity thrives, and every voice is heard. Our commitment to all team members is built upon five core cultural pillars: Engage, Lean In, Create, Care, and Own. Together, these pillars form the foundation of our employee experience while adhering to the highest standards of ethical and sustainable practices.
Some Final Notes
The description gives you a sense of what the position involves, but is not an exhaustive list. We are a growing and evolving team, which means your responsibilities may shift or expand over time as new opportunities arise. Flexibility and curiosity are part of what make our work exciting!
At Ondas Sentinel, we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate belonging and diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all team members. We welcome applications from every background and life experience because we know our differences make us stronger.
We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.
