Project Manager - ATO & Certification Process

Compensation (Salary Range): 140,000 – 190,000 USD per year

At Two Six Technologies, we build, deploy, and implement innovative products that solve the world’s most complex challenges today. Through unrivaled collaboration and unwavering trust, we push the boundaries of what’s possible to empower our team and support our customers in building a safer global future. Our Product Operations team is looking for a Project Manager to join our team. As the Project Manager for Product Operations you will be primarily responsible for owning the end-to-end Authority to Operate (ATO) and certification process, including NIAP Common Criteria, CSfC, and FIPS 140-3 validation for our product lines. You will ensure these systems are authorized for deployment on DoD and IC networks and remain in continuous compliance. As a secondary responsibility, you will support the Product Operations Lead on initiatives for the hardware team, including R&D-to-Manufacturing process development. This is a hybrid position and you can work from our Arlington or Herndon, VA office. Some travel (10-20%) will be required to interface with our customers and employees collaborating on cleared programs. What you will do: ATO Ownership (End-to-End): Own the end-to-end process for getting authorized for deployment on DoD and IC systems, then manage continuous and ongoing certification, accreditation, risk assessment, and security requirements. NIAP / Common Criteria, CSfC & FIPS 140-3: Serve as the go-to expert on the certification and continuous authorization process across NIAP Common Criteria, CSfC, and FIPS 140-3 validation, ensuring compliance with government requirements and policies. Cross-Functional Requirements & Reciprocity: Work with stakeholders inside and outside the company, including tech leads, product managers, and existing IC/DoW customers, to define a clear list of requirements and actions needed to achieve ATO certification and pursue reciprocal ATOs with existing customers. DevSecOps & Secure SDLC: Steward a DevSecOps approach with product and engineering teams so security is designed in from the start, and create the artifacts needed to support a secure software development lifecycle. Continuous Compliance: Support the ongoing system improvements needed to maintain certification and accreditation status as they evolve, including additional hardware and cybersecurity certification processes (e.g., FIPS 140-3 validation) from a project management perspective. Process & Standards Development: Partner with the Product Operations Lead to build R&D-to-manufacturing processes and standards that do not currently exist, including hand-off procedures, work instructions, and stage-gate criteria for transitioning a product from engineering into production. Status Reporting: Provide the Product Operations Lead and Product Leadership team with regular, consolidated status on ATO and certification milestones and, secondarily, on Product Operations initiatives supporting the hardware team. Documentation & Audit Readiness: Maintain certification and process documentation so both the compliance and Product Operations functions are repeatable and audit-ready, reducing reliance on institutional knowledge held by any one person. What you will need: 7+ years of project or program management experience within a defense contracting or high-assurance hardware/software environment Experience certifying software and hardware systems on both DoW and IC networks Experience certifying commercial technologies in addition to government-owned technologies Experience with hardware certifications and cybersecurity validation, such as FIPS 140-3, for high-assurance product lines Interest in supporting US government national security missions across the intelligence and defense communities Security clearance needed: Active TS/SCI Two Six Technologies is committed to providing competitive and comprehensive compensation packages that reflect the value we place on our employees and their contributions. We believe in rewarding skills, experience, and performance. Our offerings include but are not limited to, medical, dental, and vision insurance, life and disability insurance, retirement benefits, paid leave, tuition assistance and professional development. The projected salary range listed for this position is annualized. This is a general guideline and not a guarantee of salary. Salary is one component of our total compensation package and the specific salary offered is determined by various factors, including, but not limited to education, experience, knowledge, skills, geographic location, as well as contract specific affordability and organizational requirements. Salary Range $140,000 — $190,000 USD Looking for other great opportunities? Check out Two Six Technologies Opportunities for all our Company’s current openings! Ready to make the first move towards growing your career? If so, check out the Two Six Technologies Candidate Journey ! This will give you step-by-step directions on applying, what to expect during the application process, information about our rich benefits and perks along with our most frequently asked questions. If you are undecided and would like to learn more about us and how we are contributing to essential missions, check out the Two Six Technologies News page! We share information about the tech world around us and how we are making an impact! Still have questions, no worries! You can reach us at Contact Two Six Technologies . We are happy to connect and cover the information needed to assist you in reaching your next career milestone. Two Six Technologies is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices based on race (including traits historically associated with race, such as hair texture, hair type and protective hair styles (e.g., braids, twists, locs and twists)), color, religion, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions and lactation), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age (40 and over), marital status, disability, genetic information, and protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. For more information review the Two Six Technologies Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action Policy and the EEO Poster. If you are an individual with a disability and would like to request reasonable workplace accommodation for any part of our employment process, please send an email to recruiter contact . 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