Chief Operating Officer, Defense Services

About Skylight

Skylight is a digital consultancy using design and technology to help government agencies deliver better public services. We’re at the forefront of a civic movement to reinvent how all levels of government serve families, patients, and many others in today's digital world.

If you want to play a part in driving this critical movement forward, we’d love for you to join our growing team of public interest technologists. The work we do matters.

About the job

Since launching several years ago, our team has grown rapidly. We find ourselves in an exciting position to further deepen our partnerships within the government contracting space, to continue to attract and retain amazing teammates, and to scale our capacity to make an even bigger difference in the world.

Currently, our company is organized into three main groups: Executive Office (sets and operationalizes the strategic direction of the company), Human Services (focused on clients such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), and Defense Services (focused on clients such as the U.S. Air Force).

As the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of our Defense Services business unit, you’ll report directly to Skylight’s Vice President (VP) of Defense Services and be responsible for shaping the business unit’s strategic direction, managing the end-to-end operations, and driving results on a day-to-day basis.

What you’ll do

Collaborate with the VP of Defense Services and other members of Skylight’s executive team (e.g., CEO, COO, VP of Growth) in setting and driving the business unit’s long- and short-term strategic direction

Lead the execution of the business unit’s strategic direction through activities such as organizational-wide goal setting, performance planning, operational planning, and performance management

Manage and engage in the day-to-day operations of the business unit, such as overseeing the work of managers, ensuring our client delivery teams are performing at the highest levels, and troubleshooting a variety of issues as they arise

Play a direct role in all aspects of growing Skylight’s portfolio of defense services contract work with agencies such as the Air Force, Army, and Navy, including business development, opportunity capture, and bid & proposal

Maintain ongoing visibility into the financial, operational, and performance health of the organization, including client projects, to facilitate proactive and sound decision-making

Collaborate closely with Skylight’s Executive Office, including the COO, to ensure that the business unit’s operations align with the core operations of the company as a whole, including finance, accounting, legal, people ops, marketing, communications, growth, contract management, and information technology

Build a diverse, inclusive, equitable, and performance-oriented culture, ensuring that team members thrive and organizational outcomes are met

Build and maintain trusted relationships with key customers, partners, stakeholders, and vendors

What we're looking for

Minimum qualifications

Experience in the defense services industry

Ability to manage a multi-million-dollar profit & loss business, including multiple client engagements with multiple subcontractors

Ability to sustain and grow a professional services business through business development, opportunity capture, and bid & proposal

Strong understanding of how a professional services and government contracting business works

Startup mentality, including a high degree of entrepreneurialism and resourcefulness

Excellent general management and leadership skills

Outstanding organizational skills, including attention to detail

Excellent people management skills

Experience building and managing high-performing teams

Relentless commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion

Collaborative, supportive leadership style

Excellent interpersonal and problem-solving skills

Strong business acumen

Superb written and oral communication skills

Relentless commitment to excellence and quality in everything we do

Strong understanding of business functions such as people ops, finance, marketing, business development, etc.

Ability to collect, analyze, and derive actionable insights from financial, operational, and performance data

Ability to serve as a coach/mentor to other leaders and managers

Ability to work successfully within a professional services environment (e.g., can communicate effectively with clients)

Passionate about creating better public outcomes through great government services

A mindset and work approach that aligns with our core values

Ability to travel for work from time to time

Nice-to-have qualifications

Prior experience working in the civic tech space

Experience working in a remote-team environment

Don’t meet 100% of the criteria but think you can do the job? We’d love to chat anyway! We’re on a mission to build diverse teams, and studies have shown that women and marginalized folks are less likely to apply to jobs if they don’t check every box.

Other requirements

All work must be conducted within the U.S., excluding U.S. territories. Some federal contracts require U.S. citizenship to be eligible for employment.

You must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. now and in the future without sponsorship.

As a government contractor, you may be required to obtain a public trust or security clearance.

You may be required to complete a company background check successfully.

Some of our available roles are on federal contracts that require a degree or additional years of experience as a substitute.

Position type

This is a full-time, exempt position.

Location

This is a fully remote position.

Care package

Salary

The salary range for this position is between $170,000 and $240,000.

Benefits

Your well-being is important to us, so we focus on supporting you in a variety of ways:

Medical insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance

Short-term and long-term disability insurance

Life and AD&D insurance

Dependent care FSA, healthcare FSA, health savings account

Dollar-for-dollar 401(k) match up to 10% of your salary with no vesting period

Flexible paid-time-off policy (generally around 25 days per year), plus 11 paid federal holidays

Up to 12 weeks paid-time-off for all eligible new birth, adoption, or foster parents

Performance rewards, including annual salary increase, annual performance bonus, spot bonuses, and stock options

Business development / sales bonuses

Referral bonuses

Annual $2,000 allowance for professional development

Annual $750 allowance for tech-related purchases

Annual swag budget of $100 to display your Skylight pride with some merchandise (hoodies, hats, and more)

Dollar-for-dollar charity donation matching, up to $500 per year

Access up to $1,000 before payday to cover emergency expenses

Flexible, remote-friendly work environment

An environment that empowers you to unleash your superpowers for public good

Interview tips

Visit our join page to learn more about how our interview process works.

Check out our Career Pathways framework to learn more about the different roles within Skylight and the skills needed to do them.

If you’d like to request reasonable accommodations during the application or interviewing process, please contact our recruiting team at .

We participate in E-Verify and upon hire, will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you’re authorized to work in the U.S.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, veteran status, or any other category protected by applicable law.