Director Mission Delivery and Operations

Berlinpermanent

Minerva is STARK's command and control software — the brain that connects operators to autonomous systems across multiple domains in real time. The Minerva team is a small, senior software group based in Berlin and Munich, working directly with our systems and hardware teams to build mission-critical C2 capabilities deployed in active operational environments.<br style="border:0px solid;margin:0px;color:rgb(32,32,32);font-family:Inter, '-apple-system', BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', 'Open Sans', 'system-ui', '-apple-system', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Noto Sans', sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji';font-size:14px;font-style:normal;font-weight:400;text-transform:none;background-color:rgb(255,255,255);">We move fast, ship real software, and operate under constraints most engineers never encounter — low-bandwidth networks, air-gapped devices, high-stakes decision loops. There is no room for abstraction for its own sake. Everything we build ends up in the hands of real operators in the field<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Inter, '-apple-system', BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', 'Open Sans', 'system-ui', '-apple-system', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Noto Sans', sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji';font-size:14px;font-style:normal;font-weight:400;text-transform:none;background-color:rgb(255,255,255);display:inline;">.

As the Director of Mission Delivery and Operations, you are the bridge between Stark's cutting-edge code and our customers' highest-stakes challenges. Your mandate is to: <ul style="margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;"><li style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;">Architect, build, and lead the unified engine that drives technical project management, mission enablement, and customer solutions engineering. </li><li style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;">You will own the entire delivery lifecycle, ensuring that our software doesn't just "deploy," but fundamentally transforms customer operations. </li><li style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;">This involves creating the frameworks, hiring the talent, and designing the technical processes that turn complex, bespoke integrations into a scalable, repeatable science. </li></ul> You are a systems-thinker who finds beauty in operational efficiency and possesses the grit to scale a department from the ground up in a fast-paced, high-growth environment where "good enough" is never the standard. The role is for someone who:<ul style="margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;"><li style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;">Thrives in chaos and operates with a calm sense of purpose.</li><li style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;">Loves shaping teams for mission delivery.</li><li style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;">Communicates crisply and persuasively across all levels.</li><li style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;">Keeps teams aligned and executing flawlessly when stakes are at their highest.</li><li style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;">Turns ambiguity into a clear, actionable direction.</li></ul>

1. Architect the Delivery Engine<ul style="margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;"><li style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;">Modular Delivery Framework: Design the end-to-end "Stark Way" for technical deployments, turning bespoke customer requirements into a scalable, modular delivery science that avoids the "custom-code trap."</li><li style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;">Tactical Feedback Integration: Establish "boots-on-the-ground" feedback loops with end-users to bridge the gap between technical specs and frontline realities, ensuring software iterations are battle-hardened.</li><li style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;">Rapid Tactical Deployment: Establish and lead a "Rapid Response" capability to execute high-velocity R&D prototypes and urgent, off-cycle system deployments. You will ensure the organization can pivot instantly to meet emerging threats or immediate customer requirements without compromising core stability.</li><li style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;">Field-to-Engineering Translation: Build the pipeline that synthesizes complex field intelligence into actionable engineering priorities, ensuring "impact" is measured by mission success and user adoption.</li></ul>2. Shape Cross-functional Synthesis<ul style="margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;"><li style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;">Strategic Executive Alignment: Prepare high-velocity decision briefs and risk assessments for the executive team, providing the technical and operational clarity needed to make high-stakes calls with confidence.</li><li style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;">Operational Gatekeeping & Proxy: Serve as the primary filter for technical leadership, managing external demands and representing the program's interests in high-level steering committees and partner meetings.</li><li style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;">High-Impact Special Projects: Take full ownership of complex, company-wide initiatives that don't fit into a single bucket—such as cross-departmental product launches or emergency strategic shifts—and drive them to completion.</li><li style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;">Stakeholder Trust & Relationship Architecture: Cultivate deep-rooted trust with key military partners and program offices, embedding Stark's solutions into their long-term operational and budgetary frameworks.</li></ul>3. Ensure operational Excellence & Real-Time visibility <ul style="margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;"><li style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;">Evolve the 'Delivery OS': Continually refine the internal operating processes of the mission delivery team, ensuring the organization can double in size and complexity without doubling in bureaucracy.</li><li style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;">Strategic Talent Acquisition: Own the architectural design of your department's growth, personally identifying and landing "force-multiplier" talent to scale the mission delivery and solutions engineering teams.</li><li style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;">Data-Driven Portfolio Oversight: Implement robust, lightweight reporting frameworks and real-time dashboards that provide absolute visibility into project health, team performance, and customer satisfaction.</li><li style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;">Product Portfolio Roadmap: Drive the operational strategy for deploying STARK software solutions from a comprehensive product portfolio.</li></ul>

<ul style="margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;"><li style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;">10+ years of experience in technical leadership, with a proven history of scaling delivery or operations teams in high-growth SaaS, GovTech, or deep-tech environments.</li><li style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;">You've seen what "good" looks like at scale. You know how to build repeatable processes that don't stifle innovation but rather provide the guardrails for speed.</li><li style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;">A background in military service and especially in the Cyber / IT domain is a strong plus.</li><li style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;">Exposure to defense, robotics, or embedded systems is helpful, but proven organizational mastery and execution discipline are paramount.</li></ul>Core Qualities<ul style="margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;"><li style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;">The "Stark" Factor: You are comfortable with ambiguity, thrive under pressure, and possess the "founder's grit" needed to build a department from a blank sheet of paper.</li><li style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;">Systemic Thinker: You understand organizational mechanics—how teams interconnect and how decisions create ripples across the business.</li><li style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;">Mission-First Mindset: You are obsessed with customer outcomes. You don't consider a project finished until the customer has achieved their mission objective.</li><li style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;">Risk Sentinel: You have an uncanny ability to spot problems, dependencies, and organizational tensions well before others notice them.</li><li style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;">Crisp Communicator: You effortlessly distill complex technical and strategic contexts into simple, compelling written and spoken communication.</li><li style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;">Trusted Operator: You build trust rapidly, operating with the highest levels of discretion, integrity, and a low-ego attitude.</li><li style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;">Owner's Mindset: You move with urgency, take full ownership, and relentlessly follow through until the result is delivered.</li><li style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;">Execution Focused: Ultimately, you possess the drive and capability to simply get things done.</li></ul>Tools & Mindset<ul style="margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;"><li style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;">Proficient with modern tools like Jira, Confluence, and advanced planning/reporting platforms.</li><li style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;">Highly proactive, exceptionally structured, and fully capable of independently driving complex projects to the finish line.</li><li style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;">Able to partner closely with engineers, understanding their needs and matching it with needs of our military customers.</li><li style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;">A mature understanding of handling classified information and supporting B2G (Business-to-Government) customers.</li></ul>Why STARK?<ul style="margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;"><li style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;">Direct Impact: Work alongside senior engineering leaders who are shaping the future of cutting-edge autonomous defense systems.</li><li style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;">Trust and Responsibility: A high-trust environment offering significant responsibility and influence from Day One.</li><li style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;">Mission Critical: Your work directly contributes to urgent defense capabilities for NATO-aligned nations.</li><li style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;">Organizational Influence: A unique opportunity to define the organizational and operational backbone of a critical software platform.</li><li style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;">Accelerated Learning: Experience a steep learning curve and unparalleled professional growth.</li></ul>

Director Mission Delivery and Operations

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