VP, Mission Operations & Customer Success

About the Role

Hidden Level develops advanced RF sensing systems that improve airspace awareness and support defense and commercial use cases. The company’s work spans threat protection, infrastructure security, and smart-city applications through sensors that provide timely, actionable insight.

The Vice President of Mission Operations & Customer Success is responsible for the complete customer journey, including technical showcases, deployment support, long-term adoption, growth, and customer advocacy. This executive will create and scale the operating model, teams, and workflows that help customers realize measurable mission outcomes with Hidden Level’s technology.

This position reports to the COO and partners closely with Product, Program, Engineering, Operations, and Growth. The ideal leader is highly strategic, comfortable in demanding environments, and skilled at turning complex technology into dependable operational execution.

The role may be based in the Washington, DC metro area or performed remotely from the East Coast.

Responsibilities

• Set the direction for all technical demonstrations and continuously improve how current and prospective customers experience them.
• Make sure demo teams can explain the technology, its operational value, and mission impact in a credible and compelling way.
• Work with Product, Engineering, and Growth to adapt demonstrations to specific customer needs and mission scenarios.
• Create repeatable demonstration processes that improve customer understanding and accelerate adoption.
• Build and lead the Mission Operations function for field planning, deployment, and sustainment of critical systems.
• Develop playbooks, readiness standards, and deployment methods that reinforce reliability, safety, and mission performance.
• Lead real-time mission support activities such as monitoring, troubleshooting, and stakeholder coordination.
• Define operational KPIs and performance measures tied to mission effectiveness and system availability.
• Collaborate with Programs, Operations, and Product to ensure smooth movement from development to deployment to ongoing support.
• Design and oversee onboarding so customers reach value quickly and are operationally ready.
• Drive proactive customer engagement that increases usage, satisfaction, and integration into mission workflows.
• Establish scalable support systems that deliver fast, high-quality responses to customer needs.
• Track customer health indicators and ensure customers are achieving clear mission outcomes.
• Build strong executive relationships and turn customers into long-term partners and advocates.
• Identify expansion, renewal, and footprint-growth opportunities with the CSGO and Growth teams.
• Collect customer feedback and field insights to shape product direction, operational enhancements, and strategic planning.
• Partner with VP of Growth and VP of Product to keep customer needs aligned with product strategy and market expansion.
• Work with VP of Programs to align program execution with mission and customer success goals.
• Coordinate with VP of Operations so supply chain, manufacturing, and delivery support mission readiness and customer timelines.
• Represent Mission Operations & Customer Success in executive discussions, strategic planning, and company-wide initiatives.

Requirements

• 12 or more years of experience in mission operations, customer success, technical operations, or a similar discipline.
• Demonstrated leadership in high-stakes, mission-critical settings such as defense, aerospace, national security, or advanced technology.
• Proven ability to create and scale operational teams or customer-facing organizations.
• Strong technical understanding and the ability to convert complex systems into clear operational value.
• Excellent communication skills, strong executive presence, and the ability to build trusted relationships.
• Experience collaborating across product, engineering, operations, and growth functions.
• Background in dual-use technology, sensing systems, autonomy, or related fields is preferred.
• Experience in both early-stage companies and larger operating environments is preferred.
• Familiarity with government, defense, or public-sector procurement and deployment cycles is preferred.
• Because of the nature of the technology, applicants must be U.S. citizens.

Compensation and Benefits

Hidden Level offers a competitive salary along with a comprehensive benefits package. Benefits include health insurance, paid parental leave, flexible time off, a 401(k) with employer contributions, life insurance, disability insurance, and possible stock options.

The estimated annual salary range for this position is $165,000 to $214,000. Final compensation depends on factors such as the scope of the role, relevant experience, education or training, key skills, and broader market and business considerations.

Equal Opportunity

Hidden Level is an equal opportunity employer and evaluates all qualified candidates without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected status under applicable law.