Strategy And Operations Director Jobs in Virginia

Work with cutting edge AI technology, making the world a safer and more secure place. DroneShield (ASX:DRO) offers an opportunity to solve some of world's most challenging technical problems in the rapidly growing counter-drone sector.
Our customers operate in some of the most challenging and high-stakes environments in the world, including military organizations, government agencies, airports, critical infrastructure operators, and law enforcement. Protecting airspace in these settings requires technology that performs under pressure and teams that understand what's at stake. At DroneShield, employees work at the leading edge of counter-drone innovation, helping to address real-world security challenges as drone threats continue to evolve globally.
DroneShield's American operations are headquartered in Warrenton, Virginia, home to a growing team of approximately 30 highly skilled professionals. This office plays a critical role in the company's global success, leading U.S.-focused R&D, sales, and customer support, and working closely with American defence and security stakeholders to deliver mission-critical counter-drone solutions tailored to local operational needs.
As one of Australia's largest publicly listed defense companies and a member of the ASX200, DroneShield is experiencing sustained hypergrowth. Global revenue increased from approximately US$38 million in 2024 to over US$125 million in 2025, representing growth of more than 400% year over year, alongside record profitability and cash flow. The global counter-UAS market is estimated at approximately US$100 billion and remains at an early stage, positioning DroneShield as a global market leader and the only publicly listed pure-play counter-drone company worldwide.
DroneShield has grown from just 11 employees in 2017 to more than 450 employees globally today, with continued expansion planned across the United States, Europe, and APAC. The company invests over US$33 million annually in R&D, maintains a global sales pipeline exceeding US$1.65 billion, and continues to scale manufacturing and deployment capacity to meet accelerating demand.
The Washington DC / Northern Virginia office is central to DroneShield's long-term U.S. strategy - bringing innovation closer to the customer, strengthening domestic capability, and supporting national security, public safety, and critical infrastructure protection outcomes across the United States.
About the role
DroneShield is seeking a Operations Director with relevant experience to join the team in Warrenton, VA.
The position will report to the Chief Operating Officer.
The Operations Director - USA is accountable for building and running a field-first, delivery-driven operations engine that enables rapid, reliable demonstrations, deployments, and customer outcomes at scale.
This role is not a traditional back-office operations function. It is a front-line execution leadership role, directly responsible for:

• Winning and enabling customer outcomes through demos and deployments
• Delivering projects and defense programs with predictability and speed
• Building a high-velocity field operations capability across the U.S.

The role ensures operations is a commercial enabler, not a constraint-shifting the organization from reactive execution to planned, repeatable delivery systems.
Responsibilities, Duties and Expectations
Field Operations, Demos & Deployments
Own and lead a world-class field execution engine across the U.S.
Accountability:

• All demonstrations, trials, installations, and field support
• End-to-end execution from customer request → mobilization → delivery → support

Key Outcomes:

• 50% reduction in demo and mobilization time
• Consistent, repeatable demo execution across all regions
• Improved first-time fix rate (>20%)
• Standardized deployment models and field playbooks
• Seamless coordination of assets, people, and sites

Strategic Importance:

• Directly impacts revenue conversion, customer trust, and market influence
• Transforms field ops from ad hoc execution → repeatable system

Project Delivery
In concert with the Global Head of PMO build and lead a disciplined, scalable project delivery engine.
Accountability:

• Local management of Project Managers to ensure that priorities are met
• Local coordination of all programs, demos, installations, and complex deliveries

Key Outcomes:

• 85% of projects delivered on time and on budget
• Strong front-end planning replacing downstream recovery
• Clear ownership across all deployments and programs
• Reduced execution risk in complex defense and customer programs

Strategic Importance:

• Moves delivery from heroics → system-driven execution
• Underpins the company's ability to scale complex programs safely

Test Sites & Demo Infrastructure
Establish and operationalize U.S. test sites as core revenue-enabling assets.
Accountability:

• Site establishment, readiness, and integration into planning
• Ensuring test sites are always ready, available, and utilized

Key Outcomes:

• Fully operational regional test sites
• Sites integrated into scheduling (not reactive bookings)
• Reduced setup time and increased utilization
• Repeatable demo environments

Strategic Importance:

• Enables speed, consistency, and scale of demonstrations
• Critical to delivering a globally consistent customer experience

Warehouse & Inventory
Transform inventory into a deployment-ready, execution-critical capability.
Key Outcomes:

• 98% inventory accuracy
• 98% kitting accuracy for demos, projects, and field ops
• Materials always ready for deployment, not just manufacturing
• Warehouse flow aligned to field demand and project schedules

Strategic Importance:

• Directly impacts ability to mobilize quickly and deliver reliably
• Supports the shift to planned execution vs last-minute scrambling

Facilities & Field Infrastructure
Ensure facilities enable, not constrain, field delivery and growth.
Key Outcomes:

• Facilities ready ahead of demand (>90%)
• Infrastructure supports field ops, inventory, and demo capability
• No delays due to lack of space, tools, or readiness

Strategic Importance:

• Enables speed of deployment and operational readiness at scale

Health, Safety & Operational Assurance
Embed safe, compliant field execution at speed.
Key Outcomes:

• Zero major safety or compliance incidents
• Safety embedded into field, demo, and deployment processes
• Strong leading indicators and proactive risk mitigation

Strategic Importance:

• Critical for defense customers and field-based operations
• Ensures scaling does not introduce risk

Measures of Success
U.S. becomes a high-performing field delivery engine

• Demos are faster, repeatable, and reliable
• Projects are delivered predictably without firefighting
• Field operations operate as a scalable system, not a reactive function
• Test sites, inventory, and facilities fully enable execution
• Operations is seen as a direct driver of revenue and customer success

Qualifications, Experience and Skills

• Senior leadership experience in Engineering, Operations, Project Management or similar.
• Background in defence, aerospace, or highly regulated high-tech manufacturing
• Proven experience operating in global, multi-site environments
• Engineering or technical qualifications preferred
• Customer-oriented with a strong sense of ownership and accountability
• Relevant tertiary qualification in Operations, Engineering, Supply Chain or Business (desirable))

Note for recruitment agencies: We do not accept unsolicited candidates from external recruiters unless specifically instructed.