XMSTART is looking for a Project lead to guide our NSI Systems Engineering and Technical Advisory team supporting the Operations Innovation Office in Chantilly, VA. This position requires a proactive, organized, and highly communicative leader with strong technical project management and awareness. The successful candidate will oversee a multinational initiative and ensure project success by:

• Leading the planning, execution, and oversight of all IT, cybersecurity, and technical components of the project
• Providing strategic direction on networking, security, auditing, and emerging IT/cyber technologies (including AI)
• Advising customer leadership on project priorities, risks, resource allocation, and the overall effectiveness of planned initiatives related to cost, schedule, and performance
• Guiding optimization efforts across all IT domains including power, space, cooling, hardware, software, and licensing

Representing customer equities and ensuring project compliance with IT requirements, multinational considerations, and information‑sharing obligations

Requirements

• US Citizenship
• Active TS/SCI with CI polygraph
• Bachelor’s degree in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) and nine (9) years or more relevant experience; master’s in STEM field and seven (7) years or more experience.  STEM is a contractual requirement.
• Hands-on experience working with AI and operating in DevOps, and/or DevSecOps, and/or agile environments
• Hands-on expertise gathering and identifying actionable requirements for requested capabilities
• Hands-on experience with IT infrastructure design and implementation (power, space, cooling, connectivity)
• Ability to identify engineering opportunities to customer decision makers
• Demonstrated ability to simultaneously manage multiple tasks and effectively interact with developers, USG customers, other SETAs, and USG project managers.
• Polished communication skills (written/verba); impeccable interpersonal skills and judgment; and confidence in presenting analysis and recommendations to all levels of USG
• Hands-on JIRA and Confluence experience for project and internal team communications
• Expertise in MS Office applications (PowerPoint, Word, Access, Project)

Desired:

• Familiarity with coalition/multinational security architectures, cross‑domain solutions, information‑sharing agreements, and sovereignty-related policy factors
• Experience developing security documentation (SSP, SAR, POA&M) and knowledge of NIST, ICD 503, IC standards, and HPC/AI‑ML security
• Hands-on cyber experience, including active Intermediate or Advanced DoD 8140 certification (Security+ CE, CISSP, CASP CE, etc.)
• Minimum of 10 years supporting a Big 5 customer
• Experience with large-scale AI data center environments
• Ability to produce high-quality briefings and analytic products under tight timelines
• Experience supporting SES/SIS/FO/GO-level leadership