Build, Deploy, and Maintain AI for an Unpredictable World

Striveworks helps organizations harness the power of artificial intelligence to solve real-world national security and business challenges by serving as the command center between data, models, and business outcomes. Founded by data scientists and engineers, Striveworks set out to make the journey from deployment to ongoing optimization simple and effective.

With Striveworks, organizations aren’t just deploying AI—they’re building systems that remain reliable, adaptable, and ready to scale in an unpredictable world. Mission-critical operations require models that perform where they’re deployed, scale as workloads grow, and adapt rapidly as AI capabilities advance. Striveworks meets these demands, increasing reliability and performance while lowering costs—and enabling confident, data-driven decision-making in dynamic environments.

The Role

The Embedded Operations Manager is Striveworks’ permanent, on-the-ground presence at a US Army Division HQ, accountable for the “last mile” of the NGC2 program. Partnered with the Field Program Manager and Technical Lead, you bridge the gap between high-level program intent and daily tactical execution. This role is designed for a mission-driven professional who thrives on proximity to the Soldier and understands that in an operational environment, presence and follow-through are the only currency that matters. You are the critical link that determines whether Striveworks is viewed as a vendor or a trusted partner.

Operating with high autonomy, you manage the ground-level logistics, readiness, and relationships that keep the program moving. An Embedded Operations Manager operates with autonomy, sound judgment, and an ownership mentality—not because someone is watching, but because the mission demands it. This role requires someone who can hold the ground professionally when the rest of the team is remote, who can read a room full of Soldiers and a room full of senior leaders with equal credibility, and who knows instinctively when to solve a problem and when to escalate one. As an operations manager, you take personal ownership of the mission. You are the program’s earliest warning system, ensuring that our software engineers and data scientists are perfectly synced with the unit’s operational reality.

Day-to-day responsibilities:

• Ensure operational readiness: Own the preparation and execution checklists for all exercise cycles and operations, avoiding preventable gaps in systems or facilities access
• Manage on-site logistics: Lead end-to-end ground logistics, including equipment accountability, teammate enablement, and local project team coordination
• Cultivate Soldier-level trust: Build deep, daily relationships across the formation to ensure that Striveworks’ capabilities are integrated into the unit’s actual workflow
• Act as an early warning system: Identify and surface customer friction points, sentiment shifts, and emerging requirements to leadership with enough lead time to act
• Resolve ground-level issues: Handle customer exceptions and satisfaction issues autonomously, escalating scope changes or senior commander demands to the Field Program Manager
• Coordinate field execution: Synchronize on-site team activities with the technical roadmap, ensuring ground-level progress alignment to operational requirements
• Maintain situational awareness: Provide continuous updates on delivery risks and blockers to ensure that program leadership is never surprised by conditions on the ground

This position offers a hybrid/on-site work environment at customer sites at Schofield Army Barracks in Oߵahu, Hawaiߵi. You will be expected to travel up to 15% of the time.

The Right Fit

In addition to the specific skills and expertise detailed below, we are looking for individuals who share our values. Sharing a set of values allows us to move at the speed of trust. 

Collectively, we value a high-trust work environment where people respect each other and use candor kindly and constructively. We value work that intersects passion and perseverance, we geek out about the potential of our contributions, and we find joy in working hard on things that matter. Finally, we value taking ownership, having agency, and feeling individual responsibility for collective results.

Here’s what we’re looking for:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent demonstrated experience and 3+ years of experience with military operations at brigade level or higher; someone who understands how formations operate, not just how they’re organized
• Demonstrated ability to operate autonomously in ambiguous, high-stakes environments; sound judgment about when to act and when to escalate
• Track record of building trust with Soldiers and senior leaders through presence and follow-through—not rank or slide decks
• Strong written and verbal communication across organizational levels; able to represent Striveworks credibly in any room at the formation
• Sufficient technical fluency to participate meaningfully in software delivery conversations without leading them
• Active Secret (or above) US security clearance
• Due to the nature of this role, candidates must have US citizenship

The Wish List

We’re very interested in candidates who possess the above qualifications, and we appreciate and consider the addition of:

• Direct experience with Army battlefield technology implementations at the unit level; you’ve watched a capability land well or fail badly, and you know the difference
• Familiarity with DOD IT, network, and communications infrastructure as an operator, not just an observer
• Experience with systems-account management, system access administration, or similar on-site enablement responsibilities in a DOD environment
• Prior experience in an embedded, liaison, or resident role with a defense technology vendor or program office
• Exposure to agile software delivery practices—enough to track a sprint, understand a backlog, and ask the right questions of a technical team
• Enough familiarity with machine learning/AI capabilities in operational contexts to explain basic value propositions to a skeptical Soldier

The anticipated base pay range for this position is $155,000–$180,000/year. Striveworks’ total compensation package includes a competitive base salary, equity grants, and cash bonuses.

The Benefits

• Medical/dental/vision insurance
• Voluntary life, long-term disability, accident, and hospital indemnity insurance
• HSA and FSA (including dependent care FSA) plans 
• 401(k) plan
• Unlimited PTO
• Paid parental leave

Check us out on Built In!

Striveworks is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, belief, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity or expression), national origin, social or ethnic origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factors. Striveworks will not tolerate discrimination or harassment of any kind.

If you require assistance or a reasonable accommodation in the application process, please contact Operations at hr@striveworks.us.

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete an employment eligibility verification form upon hire.

Striveworks is a participating employer in the E-Verify program.

Notice to applicants:

We have seen a rise in recruitment scams. Please note that outreach from Khan Academy recruiters will only come from the @khanacademy.org domain. Our team does not use Gmail or other personal accounts for contacting potential candidates. Khan Academy will never solicit money, equipment fees, or sensitive financial information at any stage of the hiring process. We also do not work with external recruiting agencies, so outreach from headhunters presenting opportunities on behalf of Khan Academy is illegitimate. Please always check the email domain and cross-reference the position with the official Khan Academy Careers page to confirm an opening is valid.

ABOUT KHAN ACADEMY

Khan Academy is a nonprofit with the mission to deliver a free, world-class education to anyone, anywhere. Our proven learning platform offers free, high-quality supplemental learning content and practice that cover Pre-K - 12th grade and early college core academic subjects, focusing on math and science. We have over 181 million registered learners globally and are committed to improving learning outcomes for students worldwide, focusing on learners in historically under-resourced communities.

OUR COMMUNITY 

Our students, teachers, and parents come from all walks of life, and so do we. Our team includes people from academia, traditional/non-traditional education, big tech companies, and tiny startups. We hire great people from diverse backgrounds and experiences because it makes our company stronger. We value diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging as necessary to achieve our mission and impact the communities we serve. We know that transforming education starts in-house with learning about ourselves and our colleagues. We strive to be world-class in investing in our people and commit to developing you as a professional.

THE ROLE

We’re looking for a Staff UX Researcher to join our Design team. The heart of this role is not just conducting research, but building the high-performance engine that powers user understanding across our entire product. You will be the architect of our "People Who Do Research" (PWDR) program, empowering our Design team to conduct their own tactical research while you provide the methodological rigor, technical guardrails, and strategic oversight. We are looking for an expert who can lead our transition into AI-enhanced research operations—acting as the essential "Human-in-the-Loop" to ensure that as we accelerate our workflows, our insights remain grounded, ethical, and highly actionable.

You will play a vital role in scaling our impact, serving as a coach and consultant to product teams as they navigate the complexities of U.S. school districts. By building the playbooks and knowledge systems that turn raw data into institutional wisdom, you will help us fulfill the mission of the organization: to provide a free, world-class education to anyone, anywhere. 

WHAT YOU’LL DO

• PWDR Program leadership and enablement: Refine and scale our "People Who Do Research" program. You will empower designers and product triads to conduct high-quality tactical UXR research (both qual and quant)  by providing the playbooks, training, and mentorship necessary to maintain rigorous standards across the team.
• AI strategy and research operations: Design, propose, and manage a research tech stack (including Dovetail) powered by responsible AI. You will implement automated workflows for recruiting, synthesis, and insight distribution, serving as the UXR "Human-in-the-Loop" authority to ensure AI-generated outputs are grounded, ethical, and accurate.
• Cross-product research, synthesis, and leadership:  Act as the Design Leadership Team’s expert on customer and user profiles, end-to-end user journeys, and forward-looking research. You will synthesize insights that span multiple product surface areas to identify "connective tissue," strategic gaps, and opportunities that go beyond the scope of individual embedded researchers or designers on product teams.
• Strategic advisory and methodological governance: Serve as a high-level internal consultant, guiding teams on the selection of lean vs. rigorous methodologies. You will lead or co-facilitate complex mixed-method studies when business needs require, providing the foundational frameworks (blueprints, journey maps) that keep teams aligned with the "big picture."
• Support the design team with on-site research in schools, providing guidance and ethical scaffolding, and ensuring legal compliance. U.S. based travel up to 20%.

Responsibilities may change as business and team needs evolve.

WHAT YOU BRING

• Mastery of research methods and rigor: 12+ years of UX research experience in complex enterprise software or SaaS environments. You have a deep command of the craft that allows you to spot flaws in research design or AI-generated summaries.
• Coaching skills: Proven experience in mentorship, coaching, or building "Research Ops" programs. You find as much professional fulfillment in enabling others to do great as you do in conducting the research yourself.
• Responsible AI fluency: Deep technical curiosity regarding GenAI and LLMs, with a practical understanding of their limitations. You know how to leverage AI for speed while acting as the ultimate guardrail for quality and ethics.
• Operational architecture: A track record of building scalable systems, templates, and workflows that have successfully improved the velocity and quality of a design organization.
• Design and product fluency: A sophisticated understanding of the product development lifecycle (PDLC) and software development lifecycle (SDLC), enabling you to integrate research checkpoints into the existing workflows of designers and engineers seamlessly.
• Communication and influence: Exceptional communication skills and "executive presence," with the ability to convince cross-functional leaders of the value of democratized (yet governed) research.
• Motivated by the Khan Academy mission “to provide a free world-class education for anyone, anywhere."
• Proven cross-cultural competency skills demonstrating self-awareness, awareness of other, and the ability to adopt inclusive perspectives, attitudes, and behaviors to drive inclusion and belonging throughout the organization.

Qualities we value in ourselves, and those who join our team:

• Introspective, mature, low-ego, and emotionally intelligent
• Growth mindset, willingness to learn and to teach others
• Proactively seek out the people and info you need to move work forward and unblock yourself
• High comfort level working within a strong top-down product vision led by our CEO, Sal Khan
• Able to balance the immediate tactical needs of helping deliver and ship features with scouting ahead for what’s next
• Comfortable with ever-shifting priorities and ambiguous situations, like you’d experience in a startup
• Willing to roll your sleeves up and pitch in when a project goes off-script
• Excited about education and engaging learning experiences, deeply curious about how and why people learn

NOTE: Submitting a portfolio with your application is required. We're looking for a portfolio that highlights the parts of your background and experience that are relevant to the job description. Applications without a portfolio link or attachment (plus password if required) will not be considered.

PERKS AND BENEFITS

We may be a non-profit, but we reward our talented team extremely well! We offer:

• Competitive salaries
• Ample paid time off as needed – Your well-being is a priority
• 8 pre-scheduled Wellness Days in 2026 occurring on a Monday or a Friday for a 3-day weekend boost
• Remote-first culture - that caters to your time zone, with open flexibility as needed, at times
• Generous parental leave
• An exceptional team that trusts you and gives you the freedom to do your best
• The chance to put your talents towards a deeply meaningful mission and the opportunity to work on high-impact products that are already defining the future of education
• Opportunities to connect through affinity, ally, and social groups
• And we offer all those other typical benefits as well: 401(k) + 4% matching & comprehensive insurance, including medical, dental, vision, and life

At Khan Academy we are committed to fair and equitable compensation practices, the well-being of our employees, and our Khan community. This belief is why we have built out a robust Total Rewards package that includes competitive base salaries, and extensive benefits and perks to support physical, mental, and financial well-being.

The compensation band for this role is $152,908 - $172,022 USD annually for candidates based in the United States and $206,626 - $232,455 CAD annually for candidates based in Canada.

The pay range for this position is a general guideline only. The salary offered will depend on internal pay equity and the candidate’s relevant skills, experience, qualifications, and job market data. 

MORE ABOUT US

• Sal’s TED talk from 2011
• Sal’s TED talk from 2015
• Sal's TED talk from 2023
• Our team:  http://www.khanacademy.org/about/the-team

OUR COMPANY VALUES

Live & breathe learners

We deeply understand and empathize with our users. We leverage user insights, research, and experience to build content, products, services, and experiences that our users trust and love. Our success is defined by the success of our learners and educators.

Take a stand

As a company, we have conviction in our aspirational point of view of how education will evolve. The work we do is in service to moving towards that point of view. However, we also listen, learn and flex in the face of new data, and commit to evolving this point of view as the industry and our users evolve.

Embrace diverse perspectives

We are a diverse community. We seek out and embrace a diversity of voices, perspectives and life experiences leading to stronger, more inclusive teams and better outcomes. As individuals, we are committed to bringing up tough topics and leaning into different points of view with curiosity. We actively listen, learn and collaborate to gain a shared understanding. When a decision is made, we commit to moving forward as a united team.

Work responsibly and sustainably

We understand that achieving our audacious mission is a marathon, so we set realistic timelines and we focus on delivery that also links to the bigger picture. As a non-profit, we are supported by the generosity of donors as well as strategic partners, and understand our responsibility to our finite resources. We spend every dollar as though it were our own. We are responsible for the impact we have on the world and to each other. We ensure our team and company stay healthy and financially sustainable.

Bring out the joy

We are committed to making learning a joyful process. This informs what we build for our users and the culture we co-create with our teammates, partners and donors.

Cultivate learning mindset

We believe in the power of growth for learners and for ourselves. We constantly learn and teach to improve our offerings, ourselves, and our organization. We learn from our mistakes and aren’t afraid to fail. We don't let past failures or successes stop us from taking future bold action and achieving our goals.

Deliver wow

We insist on high standards and deliver delightful, effective end-to-end experiences that our users can rely on. We choose to focus on fewer things — each of which aligns to our ambitious vision — so we can deliver high-quality experiences that accelerate positive measurable learning with our strategic partners.

We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, or Veteran status. We value diversity, equity, and inclusion, and we encourage candidates from historically underrepresented groups to apply.

As part of this commitment, Khan Academy will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations for the hiring process. If reasonable accommodation is needed, please contact careers@khanacademy.org

Mattermost Federal | TS/SCI Environments

Mattermost Federal builds secure collaboration platforms used by U.S. defense, intelligence, and national security organizations operating in the most demanding environments in the world.

We are looking for Forward Deployed Engineers (FDEs) who want to solve real operational problems alongside mission teams. In this role you will work directly with operators, analysts, and engineers to deploy and build systems that are used every day in mission environments.

This is not a traditional engineering role. You will operate close to the mission, often inside classified environments, working through ambiguity and building solutions that have immediate operational impact.

The problems you will work on here are hard, ambiguous, and consequential.

What You’ll Do

Forward Deployed Engineers operate at the intersection of engineering, operations, and mission execution.

You will:

• Work directly with defense and intelligence organizations to understand operational problems
• Deploy and integrate Mattermost in classified and mission-critical environments
• Build plugins, integrations, and automations that enable operational workflows
• Prototype new capabilities quickly and iterate based on operator feedback
• Debug complex systems operating in constrained environments
• Help shape the evolution of the Mattermost platform based on mission needs

You will move between writing code, deploying infrastructure, and working directly with operators, often within the same week.

Travel is typically approximately one week per month onsite with customers.

Commitment to the Mission

Forward Deployed Engineers at Mattermost Federal are mission partners, not external vendors.

Our customers operate in environments where coordination and decision speed matter. FDEs work side-by-side with mission teams to deliver systems that improve operational outcomes.

We are looking for engineers who:

• Care deeply about supporting national security missions
• Take ownership of outcomes, not just code
• Are comfortable operating in classified environments
• Thrive when solving complex problems with limited information

AI-Forward Engineering

Mattermost Federal is aggressively adopting AI-enabled workflows across mission operations.

FDEs will be among the first engineers deploying and operationalizing AI capabilities in secure environments.

You will help build and deploy systems such as:

• AI agents that summarize operational channels and generate SITREPs
• AI-assisted mission timelines and decision logs
• Knowledge retrieval across operational history
• AI tools that help operators understand fast-moving mission data

We are looking for engineers who are excited about experimenting with AI capabilities while maintaining mission-grade security and reliability.

What We Look For

• Strong engineering ability (Go, Python, TypeScript, or similar)
• Comfort working across the full stack from infrastructure to applications
• Ability to solve open-ended technical problems
• Strong communication skills with both engineers and operators
• Willingness to travel ~1 week per month

Ideal Background

• Experience working with DoD, IC, or national security organizations
• Experience deploying systems in secure or classified environments
• Familiarity with Kubernetes, distributed systems, and APIs
• Experience building integrations or operational tooling

Security Requirements

• U.S. Citizenship required: For candidates residing in the U.S.: This role may require the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government security clearance in the future. As such, U.S. applicants must be U.S. citizens and eligible under applicable clearance requirements.  
• Active TS/SCI clearance preferred or ability to obtain one
• Applicants must meet eligibility requirements for access to export-controlled information as defined by U.S. export control laws, including EAR and ITAR. 

Why This Role Exists

The best software is built close to the problem.

Forward Deployed Engineers at Mattermost Federal work directly with the people using the systems we build. You will see problems firsthand, build solutions quickly, and deploy them into environments where reliability, security, and speed matter.

If you want to build systems used in real missions and work directly with the people who depend on them, this role is for you.

Mattermost takes a market-based approach to pay and pay may vary depending on your location. The successful candidate’s starting pay will be determined based on job-related skills, experience, qualifications, work location, and market conditions. These ranges may be modified in the future.

Mattermost is seeking a Senior Account Executive – Federal (Navy Focus) to own and expand one of our most strategic territories, centered on the United States Navy. This is a quota-carrying individual contributor role focused on strategic selling, renewal expansion, and net-new growth across the Navy ecosystem—spanning commands, program offices, and the supporting contractor ecosystem across NAVAIR, NAVSEA, SPAWAR/PEO C4I, NAVWAR, ONR, BUMED, and more.

The ideal candidate brings deep Navy domain expertise, established relationships across acquisition and mission stakeholders, and proven experience working with Federal Systems Integrators (FSIs) to accelerate program-level adoption. This is a high-impact, high-visibility role reporting directly to the VP of Federal Sales.

What You'll Do

Own and Grow the Navy Territory

• Serve as the primary seller responsible for Mattermost's Navy business across commands, N-codes (N2/N6), PEO organizations, program offices, and mission-aligned stakeholders.
• Develop and execute multi-year account strategies aligned to Navy modernization and mission priorities.
• Expand Mattermost's footprint across additional commands and programs through strategic penetration and executive alignment.
• Identify, qualify, and advance pipeline across Navy commands, program offices, and associated systems integrators and prime contractors.
• Track Navy IT modernization initiatives, budget cycles, and acquisition strategies to anticipate and shape opportunities ahead of the competition.

Drive Strategic Renewals and Expansion

• Maintain executive ownership of large-scale renewals and expansion motions across the territory.
• Partner closely with an Account Manager who supports renewal execution, while retaining accountability for strategic renewal outcomes.
• Identify cross-program expansion opportunities within existing deployments.

Close Complex Enterprise SaaS Transactions

• Lead sophisticated, multi-threaded sales cycles involving technical validation, security review, contracting workflows, and executive sponsorship.
• Manage the full sales cycle from prospecting through negotiation and close, including large, complex, multi-year enterprise software agreements (deal sizes of $500K–$5M+).
• Navigate Federal procurement environments including FAR/DFARS requirements and common contract vehicles (IDIQs, GWACs, OTAs, GSA MAS, SEWP, CIO-SP3).
• Build strong internal deal governance and forecasting discipline through Salesforce.

Execute a Federal Partner Ecosystem Motion

• Develop and manage strategic co-sell relationships with major Federal Systems Integrators, including Leidos, SAIC, Booz Allen Hamilton, General Dynamics IT, and others.
• Partner with Federal distributors and VARs (e.g., Carahsoft) to navigate contract vehicles, renewal workflows, and net-new agency entry.
• Align with partner capture teams and distributor resources to position Mattermost within prime contracts, task orders, and program-level pursuits.
• Maintain clear ownership of deal strategy and close execution while leveraging partners to accelerate procurement and expand reach.

Deliver Predictable Revenue and Forecast Accountability

• Carry and achieve an annual quota across net-new and strategic expansion outcomes.
• Maintain high forecast accuracy, deal hygiene, and pipeline rigor in Salesforce.
• Provide clear visibility to Sales leadership and Finance on deal timing, risks, and execution plans.
• Develop account plans and Executive Business Reviews (EBRs) that align Mattermost capabilities to Navy mission requirements and long-term strategic priorities.
• Provide competitive intelligence and market feedback to product, marketing, and leadership teams to inform Mattermost's federal go-to-market strategy.
• Represent Mattermost at Navy and defense industry events and conferences (WEST, Sea-Air-Space, AFCEA, etc.).

What We're Looking For

Required Qualifications

• 7+ years of enterprise SaaS sales experience, with a minimum of 4 years selling directly into U.S. Navy or broader DoD accounts
• Demonstrated track record of meeting or exceeding quota, with deal sizes of $500K–$5M+
• Established network of relationships within the Navy: program offices, N-codes (N2/N6), PEO organizations, commands, and/or supporting prime contractors
• Experience co-selling with Federal Systems Integrators and navigating partner-influenced deal structures
• Deep familiarity with Navy and DoD acquisition processes, including FAR/DFARS, contract vehicles (GSA MAS, SEWP, CIO-SP3, DIBNet, etc.), and funding mechanisms (O&M, RDT&E, SBIR/STTR)
• Experience selling into CMMC, FedRAMP, IL4/IL5/IL6, or similar DoD compliance environments
• Exceptional communication and executive presentation skills; comfortable briefing flag officers, SES civilians, and C-level executives
• Self-starter with the ability to thrive in a fast-moving, remote-first environment with high levels of autonomy
• Availability to travel approximately one week per month for customer/prospect visits and events
• Must be a U.S. citizen and eligible to obtain a U.S. government security clearance

Clearance Requirements

• Must be eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance
• Active Secret clearance preferred; TS/SCI is a plus

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior U.S. military service, preferably Navy or Marine Corps, or extensive experience in defense contracting supporting Navy programs
• Experience selling secure collaboration, DevSecOps tooling, cybersecurity, or mission-critical infrastructure software
• Familiarity with Navy IT modernization initiatives such as Project Overmatch, CANES, or NIWC-managed programs
• Experience supporting deployments in controlled or classified environments (IL4/IL5/IL6)
• Established relationships within key Navy stakeholders and FSI partner ecosystems
• Familiarity with Mattermost, Slack, Microsoft Teams, or competing collaboration platforms in a federal deployment context
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Information Technology, or a related field (or equivalent professional experience)

What Success Looks Like in Year 1

• Successfully retain and expand the major Navy renewal footprint
• Build executive-level relationships across Navy acquisition and mission hierarchies
• Establish repeatable co-sell execution with strategic FSIs
• Close net-new program opportunities across Navy commands and program offices
• Deliver predictable, finance-ready forecasting and pipeline visibility

Why Mattermost

Mattermost is uniquely positioned at the intersection of secure collaboration, mission software, and defense modernization. This role offers the opportunity to shape and scale Mattermost's presence within one of the largest and most strategic branches of the U.S. Department of Defense.

If you thrive in complex environments, understand how mission outcomes drive technology adoption, and want to sell software that matters—we'd love to hear from you.

Mattermost takes a market-based approach to pay and pay may vary depending on your location. The successful candidate's starting pay will be determined based on job-related skills, experience, qualifications, work location, and market conditions. These ranges may be modified in the future.