Director Software Product Development Jobs in Virginia

Position Purpose:   

Signature Science develops advanced software technologies supporting national security, scientific research, and Department of Defense missions. We are seeking a Technical Product Manager to lead the transition of software solutions from research and development into reliable, production-ready products that can be deployed, maintained, and continuously improved throughout their operational lifecycle.

This individual will serve as the bridge between software engineering, systems engineering, program management, operations, and customers. The Technical Product Manager will establish repeatable product lifecycle processes, coordinate software releases, manage customer deployments, oversee software sustainment, and ensure products remain reliable, supportable, and responsive to evolving mission needs.

While prior experience with Department of Defense acquisition processes is desirable, it is not required.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Lead the transition of software technologies from research prototypes into production-ready products.
•  Develop and manage software product roadmaps, release plans, and lifecycle strategies.
• Coordinate software releases across engineering, quality assurance, operations, cybersecurity, and customer organizations.
• Establish product readiness criteria, including testing, documentation, training, deployment, and sustainment planning.
• Develop and maintain software configuration, version management, release documentation, and customer communications.
• Coordinate software deployments supporting applications running on both embedded systems and workstation/server platforms.
• Establish repeatable processes for software updates, maintenance releases, defect tracking, and product enhancements.
• Work closely with software developers and systems engineers to prioritize customer requirements and technical improvements.
• Coordinate customer demonstrations, beta deployments, field evaluations, and production rollouts.
• Manage product backlogs and enhancement requests based on customer feedback, operational priorities, and business objectives.
• Monitor product health, customer satisfaction, operational performance, and software quality metrics.
• Collaborate with program managers and engineering leadership to align software development activities with customer milestones and delivery schedules.
• Support the evolution of software products throughout their lifecycle, including modernization, technology refresh, and long-term sustainment.
• Develop and maintain technical documentation including release notes, deployment guides, user documentation, and operational procedures.

Required Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Experience leading software products from development into production deployment.
• Strong understanding of the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), Agile development methodologies, and software release management.
• Experience working with cross-functional engineering teams to deliver complex software products.
• Excellent organizational, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience with software lifecycle tools such as Jira, Azure DevOps, Git, or similar platforms.
• Ability to understand technical concepts sufficiently to communicate effectively with software developers, systems engineers, and customers.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, Business, or a related technical discipline.
• Five or more years of experience in software product management, product operations, technical program management, software engineering, or software delivery.

Education/Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, Business, or a related technical discipline.
• Five or more years of experience in software product management, product operations, technical program management, software engineering, or software delivery.

Clearance:

This position requires that the candidate be willing and able to complete a successful background screening for a security clearance. Candidates with a current security clearance will receive preference.

Growth and Development/Supervisory Responsibilities:

The successful candidate will receive training and mentorship on Department of Defense software acquisition, capability development, lifecycle management, and customer processes. We are seeking an individual with strong product leadership and operational execution skills who can apply those capabilities within the defense environment

Working Conditions/ Equipment:

The role requires regular travel (domestically and generally within 120 miles of Washington DC) for internal project meetings, client meetings, or conferences. The position requires occasional work in the Arlington, VA and Charlottesville, VA offices. The ability to lift and carry light loads (under 25 lbs) without assistance is necessary.