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Darpa Program Manager Jobs in Massachusetts (NOW HIRING)

Draper

Science and Technology (S&T) Lead

Lowell, MA · On-site

$101K - $133K/yr

... programs within the national security S&T community (DARPA, ONR, AFRL, NRL, etc.) as well as ... Work with engineering management directors and group leaders to support their relevant technical ...

Draper Labs

Science and Technology (S&T) Lead

Lowell, MA · On-site

$101K - $133K/yr

... programs within the national security S&T community (DARPA, ONR, AFRL, NRL, etc.) as well as ... Able to analyze Draper strategy and work with management to build capability in key areas to help ...

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All JobsDarpa Program JobsDarpa Program Manager JobsDarpa Program Manager Jobs in Massachusetts

Darpa Program Manager information

See Massachusetts salary details

$42K

$117.4K

$171.5K

How much do darpa program manager jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 26, 2026, the average yearly pay for darpa program manager in Massachusetts is $117,360.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $86,800.00 and $144,700.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the difference between Darpa Program Manager vs DARPA Contract Officer?

AspectDarpa Program ManagerDARPA Contract Officer
CredentialsAdvanced degrees in science, engineering, or related fields; experience in project managementBachelor's or master's degree in business, finance, or related fields; contracting experience
Work EnvironmentResearch labs, project teams, innovation-focused settingsGovernment procurement offices, contract management divisions
Employer & IndustryU.S. Department of Defense, research and development sectorU.S. Department of Defense, procurement and contracting sector

While both roles operate within DARPA and the defense industry, Darpa Program Managers focus on overseeing innovative research projects, whereas DARPA Contract Officers handle procurement and contract administration. Understanding these distinctions helps candidates target their skills and career goals effectively.

What are DARPA Program Managers?

DARPA Program Managers are specialized professionals who oversee and guide cutting-edge research and development projects funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). They are responsible for conceptualizing new programs, managing project execution, coordinating with researchers and industry partners, and ensuring that projects meet ambitious technical goals. Program Managers typically have strong scientific or engineering backgrounds and are selected for their vision, expertise, and ability to drive innovation. Their work is critical to developing breakthrough technologies that enhance national security and defense capabilities.

How much do DARPA program managers make?

DARPA program managers typically earn between $150,000 and $200,000 annually, depending on experience and qualifications. They often hold advanced degrees and have expertise in science, engineering, or technology, with additional benefits such as government health insurance and retirement plans.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a DARPA Program Manager, and why are they important?

To thrive as a DARPA Program Manager, you need an advanced degree in a STEM field, extensive research experience, and a proven track record in technology innovation or project leadership. Familiarity with government contracting, proposal review systems, and technical evaluation tools is typically required. Exceptional communication, strategic vision, and the ability to collaborate across disciplines are vital soft skills for success in this role. These competencies are crucial for effectively guiding high-risk, high-reward research projects that advance national security and technological innovation.

What are some unique challenges faced by DARPA Program Managers when overseeing innovative research projects?

DARPA Program Managers often face the challenge of managing high-risk, high-reward research initiatives that may not have clear precedents or guaranteed outcomes. They must coordinate multidisciplinary teams, balance ambitious timelines, and navigate strict government compliance requirements. Additionally, PMs need to foster collaboration between academia, industry, and government while ensuring projects remain aligned with DARPA's mission to drive transformative breakthroughs. This requires agility, resilience, and strong communication skills to adapt to changing priorities and technical uncertainties.

Is it hard to get a job at DARPA?

Securing a position as a DARPA program manager is highly competitive due to the organization's focus on advanced research and innovation. Candidates typically need extensive experience in science, engineering, or technology, along with a strong track record of project management and security clearances. The hiring process involves rigorous evaluation, interviews, and background checks.

What does a DARPA program manager do?

A DARPA program manager oversees the development and execution of advanced research projects in emerging technologies. They manage project teams, allocate funding, set technical goals, and coordinate with government agencies and industry partners to ensure innovative solutions meet strategic objectives.

What is the average salary for DARPA?

DARPA program managers are federal employees, and their salaries typically range from approximately $130,000 to $180,000 annually, depending on experience and seniority. These roles often require advanced technical expertise, security clearances, and project management skills. Compensation may also include benefits such as health insurance and retirement plans.
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What job categories do people searching Darpa Program Manager jobs in Massachusetts look for? The top searched job categories for Darpa Program Manager jobs in Massachusetts are:
What cities in Massachusetts are hiring for Darpa Program Manager jobs? Cities in Massachusetts with the most Darpa Program Manager job openings:
Darpa Program Manager jobs near you
Infographic showing various Darpa Program Manager job openings in Massachusetts as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 5% Internship, 50% As Needed, 19% Full Time, 4% Part Time, 21% Nights, and 1% Summer. Highlights an 86% Physical, 8% Hybrid, and 6% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $117,360 per year, or $56.4 per hour.

Portfolio Manager, Government Partnerships (DARPA & ARPA-H)

Lila Sciences

Cambridge, MA • On-site

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life

Posted 16 days ago

Job description

Your Impact at Lila
Lila Sciences is the world's first scientific superintelligence platform and autonomous lab for life, chemistry, and materials science. We are pioneering a new age of boundless discovery by applying AI to every aspect of the scientific method - to solve humankind's greatest challenges in human health, climate, and sustainability at a pace and scale never experienced before.
Government partners - from federal agencies and the National Labs to international science-funding bodies - will play a defining role in advancing this mission. As a Portfolio Manager within Government Partnerships, you will own one of Lila's public sector portfolios end-to-end, serving as the connective tissue between Lila's scientific roadmap and the institutions whose missions depend on a new model of science. Reporting to the Segment Lead, Government Partnerships, you will translate Lila's autonomous-science capabilities into compelling, executable engagements that unlock recurring funding, durable relationships, and mission-critical pilots. Your starting focus will be DARPA and ARPA-H, two agencies where Lila is actively building presence and where program managers are looking for exactly the kind of revolutionary, AI-driven science capabilities Lila offers.
What You'll Be Building
  • A trusted agency posture: You will own Lila's relationships across your assigned portfolio of agencies, program offices, and/or international counterparts - starting with DARPA and ARPA-H - building a clear, credible, technically grounded presence reflected in every external interaction.
  • A qualified, prioritized pipeline: You will build and maintain a structured pipeline of RFIs, RFPs, BAAs, FOAs, NOFOs, and other equivalent mechanisms, making sharp pursue/no-pursue calls based on strategic fit, readiness, and impact.
  • High-impact engagements: You will lead opportunities from identification through award and execution handoff, partnering with Product Managers, Principal Investigators, and the proposal execution team to convert meetings into pilots, CRADAs, user-facility access, and major procurements.
  • A unified external narrative: You will translate Lila's scientific thesis and autonomous-science workflows into compelling federal/international narratives, partnering with communications, policy, and technical teams to maintain one voice across the portfolio - tuned to DARPA's appetite for revolutionary capability bets and ARPA-H's mission-driven biomedical breakthroughs.
  • Durable sponsor relationships: You will develop the kind of sustained agency relationships - particularly with DARPA and ARPA-H program managers and office directors - that lead to recurring funding pathways and large procurements tailored to Lila's unique capabilities, not one-off awards.
  • A reusable capture playbook: You will contribute to and refine Lila's public-sector capture engine - qualification rubrics, narrative kits, capability libraries, and operating rhythms - that scale across the Government Partnerships team.
What You'll Need to Succeed
  • 10+ years of experience in federal or international government capture, business development, or partnerships, with a demonstrated track record of winning major awards or programs (FOAs, BAAs, NOFOs, CRADAs, etc.).
  • Working fluency in at least one major public-science ecosystem, with strong preference for DARPA and/or ARPA-H (other ARPA-*, DOE, NIH, NSF, NIST experience is highly valued). Ability to translate the complexity of this ecosystem to the rest of the Lila team.
  • Demonstrated ability to manage end-to-end capture - from opportunity identification through qualification, shaping, proposal, award, and execution handoff.
  • Experience translating complex science and AI into clear, credible narratives for non-technical, senior, and policy-facing government audiences.
  • Strong cross-functional leadership: comfort partnering with scientists, product managers, communications, policy, and legal to drive aligned outcomes under tight timelines.
  • Excellent written communication; comfort operating with ambiguity in a founding-team environment.
  • Willingness to travel regularly to build the relationships required for Lila to succeed.
Bonus Points For
  • PhD or scientific background in chemistry, materials science, life sciences, physics, or a related domain.
  • Prior employment at a National Lab, DOE program office, ARPA-*, NIH/NSF, or an international science-funding body - including service as a DARPA or ARPA-H program manager, SETA, or technical advisor.
  • Direct experience negotiating CRADAs or standing up user-facility access pathways.
  • Experience standing up a federal capture function from scratch.
  • Familiarity with the Genesis Mission, NAIRR, or analogous national AI-for-science initiatives.
  • Active U.S. security clearance.

Compensation
We offer competitive base compensation with bonus potential and generous early-stage equity. Your final offer will reflect your background, expertise, and expected impact.
U.S. Benefits. Full-time U.S. employees receive a comprehensive benefits program including medical, dental, and vision coverage; employer-paid life and disability insurance; flexible time off with generous company wide holidays; paid parental leave; an educational assistance program; commuter benefits, including bike share memberships for office based employees; and a company subsidized lunch program.
International Benefits. Full-time employees outside the U.S. receive a comprehensive benefits program tailored to their region. USD salary ranges apply only to U.S.-based positions; international salaries are set to local market.
Expected Base Salary Range
$168,000-$272,000 USD
About LILA
Lila Sciences is building Scientific Superintelligence™ to solve humankind's greatest challenges. We believe science is the most inspiring frontier for AI. Rather than hard-coding expert knowledge into tools, LILA builds systems that can learn for themselves.
LILA combines advanced AI models with proprietary AI Science Factory™ instruments into an operating system for science that executes the entire scientific method autonomously, accelerating discovery at unprecedented speed, scale, and impact across medicine, materials, and energy. Learn more at www.lila.ai.
Guided by our core values of truth, trust, curiosity, grit, and velocity, we move with startup speed while tackling problems of historic importance. If this sounds like an environment you'd love to work in, even if you don't meet every qualification listed above, we encourage you to apply.
We're All In
Lila Sciences is committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status.
Information you provide during your application process will be handled in accordance with our Candidate Privacy Policy.
A Note to Agencies
Lila Sciences does not accept unsolicited resumes from any source other than candidates. The submission of unsolicited resumes by recruitment or staffing agencies to Lila Sciences or its employees is strictly prohibited unless contacted directly by Lila Science's internal Talent Acquisition team. Any resume submitted by an agency in the absence of a signed agreement will automatically become the property of Lila Sciences, and Lila Sciences will not owe any referral or other fees with respect thereto.

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