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Darpa Program Manager Jobs in Boston, MA (NOW HIRING)

STR

Lead Autonomy Software Engineer

Woburn, MA · On-site

$174K - $225K/yr

... management of these assets to assure the mission success of US air and space assets. SAAM also ... Our main customer focus is on Air Force, Navy, and DARPA research programs. The Role: As an ...

Textron

Director, Advanced Materials

Wilmington, MA

Ensure program execution excellence with attention to schedule, risk management, cost performance ... such as AFRL, DARPA, MDA, ARL and ONR. Ability to develop technology roadmaps and long-term ...

STR

Lead Signal Processing Researcher

Woburn, MA · On-site

$173K - $216K/yr

... DARPA, etc.) and Intelligence Community needs. About the Role: As a Lead Signal Processing ... Active Security Clearance, with eligibility to support special access programs, for which US ...

Textron

Director, Advanced Materials

Wilmington, MA · On-site

Ensure program execution excellence with attention to schedule, risk management, cost performance ... such as AFRL, DARPA, MDA, ARL and ONR. Ability to develop technology roadmaps and long-term ...

Textron

Director, Advanced Materials

Wilmington, MA · On-site

$130 - $170/hr

Ensure program execution excellence with attention to schedule, risk management, cost performance ... Experience engaging with DoD S&T organizations such as AFRL, DARPA, MDA, ARL and ONR. * Ability to ...

STR

Principal Signal Processing Researcher

Woburn, MA · On-site

$206K - $284K/yr

... Navy, DARPA, etc.) and Intelligence Community needs. About the Role: As a Principal Signal ... Active Security Clearance, with eligibility to support special access programs, for which US ...

STR

Principal Defense Systems Analyst

Woburn, MA

$220K - $260K/yr

... management of these assets in the service of the survivability and capability of US air and space ... Our main customer focus is on Air Force, Navy, and DARPA research programs. The Role: The SAAM ...

STR

Principal Defense Systems Analyst

Woburn, MA · On-site

$220K - $260K/yr

... management of these assets in the service of the survivability and capability of US air and space ... Our main customer focus is on Air Force, Navy, and DARPA research programs. The Role: The SAAM ...

STR

Principal Defense Systems Analyst

Boston, MA

$220K - $260K/yr

... management of these assets in the service of the survivability and capability of US air and space ... Our main customer focus is on Air Force, Navy, and DARPA research programs. The Role: The SAAM ...

Galois, Inc.

Principal Scientist

Boston, MA · On-site

With clients including NASA, DARPA, AWS, and the DoW, we leverage our cutting-edge research to ... Program Leadership: Proven success securing external research grants or contracts, and managing ...

Textron

Director, Advanced Materials

Wilmington, MA · On-site

... • Ensure program execution excellence with attention to schedule, risk management, cost ... DARPA, MDA, ARL and ONR. • Ability to develop technology roadmaps and long-term investment ...

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All JobsDarpa Program JobsDarpa Program Manager JobsDarpa Program Manager Jobs in Boston, MA

Darpa Program Manager information

See Boston, MA salary details

$42K

$117.1K

$171.1K

How much do darpa program manager jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 8, 2026, the average yearly pay for darpa program manager in Boston, MA is $117,097.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $86,600.00 and $144,400.00 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 is a DARPA Program Manager?

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.

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.
What are popular job titles related to Darpa Program Manager jobs in Boston, MA? For Darpa Program Manager jobs in Boston, MA, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Darpa Program Manager jobs in Boston, MA look for? The top searched job categories for Darpa Program Manager jobs in Boston, MA are:
What cities near Boston, MA are hiring for Darpa Program Manager jobs? Cities near Boston, MA with the most Darpa Program Manager job openings:
Darpa Program Manager jobs near you
Infographic showing various Darpa Program Manager job openings in Boston, MA as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 77% Full Time, 17% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 4% Contract. Highlights an 96% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 3% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $117,097 per year, or $56.3 per hour.

Contract, Technical Writer, Life Sciences

Lila Sciences

Cambridge, MA • On-site

Full-time

Posted 19 days ago

Job description

Your Impact at LILA
Science only creates impact when the right people understand it. At Lila Science, our Government sector team sits at the interface between world-class researchers and the government clients and internal stakeholders who need to act on their work. We're looking for a Life Sciences Technical Writer who thrives in that space.
Reporting to the Head of Government Partnerships, you'll serve as the essential bridge between our life sciences researchers and the people who fund, oversee, and act on their work, taking highly technical findings, methods, and data from biology, biochemistry, and translational research and reshaping them into language that is clear, credible, and decision-ready. You'll work closely with our Grants Manager (who leads the full proposal process) to develop the technical and scientific components that sit at the heart of every competitive submission.
You'll also serve as a quality gatekeeper: someone with enough domain expertise to catch scientific inaccuracies, challenge imprecise claims, and ensure that every deliverable meets the highest standards of technical rigor before it leaves the building.
This is not a documentation-maintenance role. It's a strategic communication role for someone with enough scientific fluency to understand what researchers are saying, and enough communication skill to make it land with audiences who aren't in the lab. We are specifically looking for someone with a demonstrated track record of grant writing success, ideally including funding they have secured for their own research. Critically, we're also looking for someone who uses AI tools as a force multiplier: a writer who can use LLMs, build lightweight automation, or design workflow tools that let one exceptional person do the work of many.
What You'll Be Building
  • Translate Science for Government Audiences. Work directly with Lila scientists across the life sciences portfolio to understand their research, then produce briefings, white papers, and executive-level reports that accurately convey the science for government clients, program officers, and agency stakeholders, adapting tone, depth, and format to the audience.
  • Proposal & Grant Support. Partner with the Grants Manager to develop the technical and scientific components of proposal applications (technical narratives, specific aims, method descriptions, preliminary data write-ups, scientific appendices) for NIH, ARPA-H, DARPA BTO, and UK-funded life sciences initiatives, ensuring consistency in tone, format, and compliance throughout.
  • Content Library & Knowledge Management. Build and maintain a repository of reusable, version-controlled technical content (vetted scientific descriptions, method summaries, capability statements, and regulatory narratives) that can be efficiently adapted across proposals and programs.
  • AI-Augmented Workflows. Actively use LLMs and similar AI tools to accelerate drafting, editing, and summarization workflows, and design lightweight automations that systematize and scale the technical writing function across programs.
  • Technical & Regulatory Documentation. Develop and maintain program documentation (SOPs, study protocols, risk assessments, verification and validation plans, data management plans, biosafety summaries) and regulatory-ready packages aligned to US and UK frameworks, with proper version control and traceability.
  • Visual Communication. Create figures, diagrams, flowcharts, and presentation materials that make research milestones, experimental designs, and outcomes immediately legible to non-specialist audiences.

What You'll Need to Succeed
  • PhD in a life sciences discipline (molecular biology, biochemistry, cell biology, immunology, neuroscience, genomics, biomedical engineering, or closely related field).
  • Demonstrated track record of grant writing success, including proposals that have been awarded.
  • Demonstrated experience translating complex scientific or technical content for non-technical audiences, ideally in a government, policy, or regulated environment.
  • Scientific literacy sufficient to hold substantive conversations with researchers, represent their work accurately (nuances and limitations included), and push back when claims are imprecise or unsupported.
  • Exceptional written communication skills, with proven ability to write clearly and concisely for executives, clients, and non-specialist stakeholders.
  • Hands-on experience using AI tools (LLMs, AI writing assistants, or similar) in professional workflows: active, habitual use, including comfort building lightweight tools or automations to streamline repetitive writing and documentation tasks.
  • Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple deliverables across parallel programs and tight timelines.
  • Eligibility to obtain a US security clearance.

Bonus Points For
  • Prior experience writing technical content for major life sciences funders (NIH R01, U01, program project, or cooperative agreements; ARPA-H; BARDA; UK funding applications such as UKRI councils MRC and BBSRC, NIHR, ARIA, Innovate UK).
  • Experience securing your own research funding (F31, F32, K-series, dissertation awards, postdoctoral fellowships, or equivalent independent grants in the US or UK), or translating seed/pilot funding into larger follow-on awards.
  • Active US security clearance.
  • Experience supporting a grants or business development function in a research or government-adjacent organization, including familiarity with study protocols, data management plans, biosafety documentation, and translational or preclinical reporting standards.
  • Ability to create clear figures, schematics, and visual summaries for broad audiences, with experience designing or managing a content library or documentation repository.

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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