Acquisition Transformation Lead

The defense market is surging, but the data that drives it hasn’t kept up. Companies, government, and investors are forced to perform heavily manual processes and piece together hundreds of disparate sources to make decisions. Obviant is building a data source of truth and AI tools for defense acquisition to solve this. We fuse information from thousands of sources – structured + unstructured – to provide a cohesive picture of budget, programs, the organizations running them, and much more. Whether it’s a company navigating GTM or a program manager developing capabilities, we’re providing all sides with the intelligence they need to execute effectively.

We’re growing fast and backed by top funds and DoD/national security veterans.

We believe that public sector mission sets matter above anything else. If you feel the same way, we’d love for you to join us.

The Role

You will serve as an embedded acquisition expert and trusted partner to our government collaborations. In this strategic role, you will provide hands-on guidance to help our customers navigate the complexities of federal acquisition, and develop the vision for how our platform can help transform that process. You will work closely with both customer stakeholders and Obviant’s product team to identify gaps, articulate emerging needs, and inform product evolution—helping shape platform capabilities and workflows that reflect the ideal end state for modern defense acquisition. This is a unique opportunity to pair acquisition domain expertise with the ability to make a huge impact.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary liaison between the government, key stakeholders, and our team

• Advise government users on acquisition processes, innovation, and how to navigate/execute effectively

• Work with users to identify product solutions & workflows that can address challenges in the acquisition process. You’ll work hand-in-hand with end-users to build future products.

• Determine how our data & platform can be applied to create the acquisition tools that you wish you had

• Scope future product development efforts, and work hands-on with engineering and product teams to execute. You’ll be a product owner.

• Drive adoption, including user training, feedback loops, and continuous improvement initiatives

• Identify pathways to expand pilots into expanded deployments with future product development

• Monitor and report on program progress, identifying risks, opportunities, and impact

Qualifications

• Deep expertise in government/DoD acquisition processes, policies, and pain points—especially around technology and innovation programs.

• Knowledge of defense acquisition information sources

• Strong understanding of the capability development & requirements processes

• Superior communication and facilitation skills, able to translate complex needs between end users, technical teams, and leadership.

• Passion for innovation, mission-driven work, and transforming acquisition to better support national security objectives.

Our Working Style – Why We Might Work Well Together

• You care about government & are mission-oriented - Our work is important, and is critical to improving a system that impacts us all.

• Perseverance and endurance - Hard problems are worth solving, and solving them can take a long time. There is no such thing as exhausting all options, it’s just time to look for new ones.

• Empowerment > micro-management – We’re building a culture of high-performers. Our job is to equip them with what they need and eliminate roadblocks for them to succeed. We trust their judgment, skills, and experience from there.

• We’re collaborative and communicate well - Constructive dialogue that takes all viewpoints into account is the only way we get to the right decision. Respect, trust, and complete transparency with each other is critical - keep it all in the open

• You’re really good at what you do… but it speaks for itself – High output, no ego. Being humble is extremely important to us

• You don’t mind change and are comfortable with uncertainty - We’re deliberate about setting goals, but we’re comfortable changing course and dealing with discomfort to get there. We’re still figuring things out, and that demands being flexible and iterative.

• Work doesn’t feel like “work” to you – We’re passionate about what we’re going after, and we devote more time to it than a typical 9-5. That often means putting in extra time at night and occasionally on weekends. However, maintaining your own personal balance comes above all else, and you should establish that however you need to - flexible schedule, taking advantage of time off, or anything else you need.

• You like to move fast and have a bias towards action - Our roadmap is directional at this stage - speed and a feeling of urgency is key to prove it out. We expect each other to proactively determine what needs to get done and go for it.

• Integrity is never negotiable – Transparency, honesty, and respect comes above all else.

Benefits & Structure

• We’re a tight-knit team headquartered in Arlington, VA. We work in the office together most days, and believe being in the same place is a competitive advantage.

• Flexible schedule - We all have other things going on in our lives. Doctor visits, kids’ activities, dog walks - take care of it whenever you have to. And work from home when you need to.

• Competitive compensation + Sizeable equity - We’re building something with massive upside potential, and you’ll have ownership in that. This is ours.

• Flexible vacation time - Use what you want, as long as you’re taking care of what needs to get done.

• Full health, dental, and vision insurance.

• And more…

Compensation Range: $130K - $190K