Federal Programs Director Jobs (NOW HIRING)

@Orchard LLC is actively recruiting an experienced Director of Business Operations to support key Federal and Enterprise accounts and initiatives, and to be a presence in the soon-to-open Alexandria, VA office for our client, a fast-growing technology company serving both Federal agencies and commercial clients. Our client, SEMPRE (www.sempre.ai), is redefining communications for critical and enterprise operations. Their purpose is to keep people connected, no matter what. They build easy-to-operate, hard-to-destroy technology for the people who expect security and performance that never wavers—in defense, industry, and everywhere critical decisions happen.

The Director of Federal Business Operations will serve as the premier operational leader and strategic anchor for SEMPRE's federal business portfolio. Reporting directly to the Chief Operating Officer (COO), this role is the bridge connecting senior SEMPRE leadership, technical engineering teams, defense customers, and institutional partners. The ideal candidate will combine exceptional operational capabilities and program management execution with a sophisticated understanding of corporate protection, federal compliance, HR, security management, and structural scalability.

Core Responsibilities.

New Program Acquisition and Contract Management. 

• Take total corporate ownership over the acquisition lifecycle and management of all Federal program activities, contracts, subcontracts, and technical project delivery.
• Ensure strict compliance and corporate protection across all agreements while navigating the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS), Commercial contracting, and related statutory structures. 
• Partner with legal and executive teams to structure, review, and negotiate agreements to protect SEMPRE's high-value IP and corporate standing while precisely satisfying government criteria.

• Lead high-visibility federal programs from kickoff to closeout, maintaining precise ownership over project budgets, timelines, risk matrices, and milestone delivery.
• Coordinate cross-functionally across SEMPRE engineering, software development, product management, and supply chain teams to ensure delivery schedules closely align with government customer expectations.
• Manage resource allocation and project capacity planning across multiple concurrent federal defense contracts.

Business Operational Excellence

• Establish, formalize, and scale corporate operational standards, templates, and best practices for the federal business division. Establish and run the SEMPRE Quoting process for both commercial and federal customers.    
• Draft, publish, and maintain robust Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) governing proposal development, contract ingestion, project execution, and client reporting.
• Establish and run the quoting process of the company for both commercial and federal quotes.
• Enforce governance and documentation frameworks that guarantee all federal initiatives remain audit-ready at any given point in the project lifecycle.

• Maintain absolute corporate readiness and oversight regarding critical regulatory and cybersecurity benchmarks, with emphasis on NIST guidelines (including NIST SP 800-171, CMMC, and related security architectures).       
• Ensure all internal operations, hardware provisioning, data storage protocols, and programmatic touchpoints strictly align with federal information security constraints.

Strategic Stakeholder Relations

• Serve as a key interface and trusted advisor to federal government clients, contracting officers (COs), program managers (PMs), and primary system integrators.
• Brief senior SEMPRE executive leadership and boards on program execution statuses, contract expansions, financial run-rates, and strategic operational risks.

Your background, education, and qualifications will include.

• Citizenship & Clearance: Must be a United States Citizen with the clear ability to obtain and maintain a Federal Public Trust or higher clearance.
• Education: A Bachelor’s degree in a STEM or Business Field is required, a Master’s degree preferred.
• Location: Located near Alexandria, Virginia, with the capability to work in a hybrid operational model (combining on-site collaborative leadership and remote management).
• Experience: 8+ years of progressive professional experience in federal program management, contract operations, or business execution within the defense technology, aerospace, or government contracting sectors. 
• FAR/DFARS: Deep, verifiable knowledge of the federal acquisition process, contract types (FFP, CPFF, T&M), and regulatory intricacies of the FAR and DFARS.
• NIST Compliance: Practical understanding of federal cybersecurity and compliance landscapes, specifically NIST SP 800-171, CMMC, or related corporate security protocols.
• Operational Framework Development: Proven track record of institutionalizing order, standing up formal SOPs, and architecting scalable business workflows in highly dynamic, technical, or startup environments.
• Communication Skills: Elite communication and interpersonal abilities, capable of translating complex contracts and operational mechanics cleanly into strategic options for executive decisions.

Compensation: The anticipated salary range is $180,000 - $235,000, with OTE earnings of $207,000 - $270,250. The compensation package is determined by experience and qualifications. Our client offers a competitive benefits package to all staff members.

Established in 2010, @Orchard LLC has an exceptional reputation, providing staffing solutions to time-sensitive, talent-scarcity issues to deliver better talent management ROI.  Our specialty lies in the critical area of program talent acquisition and resource management, not in one narrow skillset, but across many areas of technical and functional delivery. To learn more about our other exciting opportunities, visit our Jobs Page at www.atOrchard.com.