Program Associate Jobs in Lacey, WA (NOW HIRING)

Dcode is a team of doers dedicated to bridging the gap between the speed of technology and the federal government. We align people, culture, policies, and processes to get tech in the hands of those who need it most. Operating at the nexus of government leaders, emerging tech companies, and venture capital, we turn roadblocks into results.

We are a mission-driven, detail-oriented Senior Program Associate to support high-priority initiatives for a defense sector client.

This role is ideal for professionals with 2-3 years of experience who can independently own defined workstreams, produce high-quality, decision-ready deliverables, and coordinate effectively across complex government, military, civilian, and industry stakeholder environments.

Operations specialty: You will serve as an operational anchor, synchronizing efforts among Army innovation organizations while maintaining situational awareness, coordinating key events and TDYs, updating site information, and producing decision-ready SITREPs. You will translate broad objectives and assigned tasks into executable actions, establish repeatable process flows, and proactively resolve operational bottlenecks.

Duty Station: Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA

Salary range: $79,000 to $98,000 plus bi-annual bonuses

Top Secret clearance is strongly preferred. Eligibility for clearance is required.

Key Responsibilities

Program Delivery & Client Support

• Execute defined workstreams with appropriate guidance, ensuring timely and high-quality delivery of outputs.
• Develop clear, structured deliverables - including briefings, analyses, frameworks, reports, and program artifacts - that support client decision-making and program progress.
• Support day-to-day client interactions through meeting preparation, note-taking, action tracking, stakeholder follow-up, and synthesis of inputs.
• Build a strong understanding of client mission priorities and connect day-to-day activities to broader organizational goals.
• Contribute to agile, sprint-based execution cycles while managing multiple tasks, changing priorities, and dependencies.
• Anticipate potential issues, recommend practical solutions or process improvements, capture lessons learned, and help refine tools, frameworks, and methodologies.

Operations Coordination & Synchronization

• Coordinate day-to-day operations and synchronize efforts among Army innovation organizations.
• Plan, schedule, and synchronize key events, workshops, operational touchpoints, and stakeholder engagements.
• Coordinate TDYs, travel logistics, site movement, and event requirements for team members and visiting personnel.
• Maintain and update site information, operational trackers, calendars, action logs, and situational-awareness tools.
• Draft and submit regular SITREPs that provide leadership with clear visibility into activities, progress, decisions, risks, and support requirements.
• Facilitate clear, high-level communication among military units, civilian leads, government stakeholders, and external innovation partners.
• Interpret broad objectives from assigned tasks and translate them into executable actions, owners, timelines, milestones, and follow-through.
• Establish and refine operational process flows to eliminate bottlenecks, improve cross-functional synchronization, and optimize program delivery.

Required Skills and Experience

• 2-3 years of relevant professional experience in consulting, government, defense, operations, finance, program delivery, or a related field.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to structure ambiguous problems and develop practical next steps.
• Experience producing high-quality, client-ready deliverables using PowerPoint, Excel, and written reports.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the judgment to tailor information for working teams and senior leaders.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks, priorities, stakeholders, and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Familiarity with or interest in government acquisition, innovation, technology integration, and mission delivery.
• Comfort working in agile, iterative delivery environments with evolving requirements.
• Demonstrated ownership, attention to detail, follow-through, and a proactive approach to identifying and resolving issues.

Operations Specialty Qualifications

• Experience coordinating operations, events, schedules, travel, workstreams, or staff actions in a high-tempo environment.
• Experience in an Army S3 office, DoW operational staff, or comparable operations-coordination role is a strong differentiator.
• Ability to maintain situational awareness, update site and program information, manage trackers, and synthesize operational data into clear SITREPs and briefings.
• Demonstrated ability to establish new process flows, optimize existing processes, and turn ambiguity into repeatable, efficient workflows.
• Strong cross-functional communication and synchronization skills across military, civilian, government, and external stakeholders.
• Ability to extrapolate objectives from assigned tasks, establish priorities and next actions, and follow operational issues through closure.

• Take ownership of your workstreams and consistently deliver high-quality outputs.
• Are proactive in identifying problems, coordination gaps, resource issues, and thoughtful solutions.
• Can connect day-to-day tasks, financial decisions, and operational actions to broader mission and organizational priorities.
• Thrive in structured but fast-moving environments with evolving requirements and multiple stakeholders.
• Communicate clearly, maintain attention to detail, and create reliable follow-through without waiting for continuous direction.
• Are curious, adaptable, resilient, and eager to learn in a mission-driven setting.

We look for resilient hustlers:

Our CEO busted her face on the balance beam in college and got back up... our CRO has knocked on a thousand doors, was rejected 999 times, and kept on knocking... What is your story?

Equal Opportunity Statement

We provide equal opportunity to all persons without regard to ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender, family or parental status, national origin, veteran, or disability status. All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

We believe diversity is a strength and aim to build an innovative and welcoming culture where people from all backgrounds feel respected and included. We believe that true innovation happens when everyone has the tools, resources, and opportunities to excel.

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