Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Drones

Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Location: Baltimore County, MD

Industry: Autonomous Drones / Dual-Use Defense Tech

About the Company

A fast-growing drone company building autonomous systems for critical defense, government, and commercial missions. Backed by meaningful contract traction and a proven platform, the company is now scaling from R&D and prototyping into repeatable U.S.-based production. With strong demand signals and an expanding customer base, the company is positioned to lead the next chapter of growth in defense robotics.

About the Role

The Chief Executive Officer will serve as the company’s top executive, responsible for overall performance, growth, and execution. This is a hands-on role with full ownership of P&L, strategy, and delivery. The CEO will translate board-level objectives into results across manufacturing, program execution, compliance, and customer delivery. Success will be measured by the company’s ability to scale U.S.-based production, meet defense contract requirements on schedule, and build a durable organization prepared for growth.

This is an excellent opportunity for a hands-on operator who thrives at the intersection of leadership, manufacturing, and defense customer engagement. The ideal candidate can navigate boardrooms and production floors with equal fluency.

Key Responsibilities

Strategy & P&L

• Own company P&L, cash flow, and long-term strategy.
• Set a clear 12–36 month roadmap with measurable targets.
• Partner with the Board on strategic planning, capital allocation, and investor relations.

Execution & Delivery

• Ensure programs meet schedule, quality, and cost objectives.
• Translate strategic objectives into execution roadmaps with clear accountability.
• Build a disciplined program management framework (PMO, EVMS, risk management).

Manufacturing & Supply Chain

• Lead the scale-up of U.S.-based production.
• Establish AS9100-quality systems and maintain compliance with defense standards.
• Oversee supplier performance, negotiate strategic partnerships, and manage key vendors.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Build and manage a high-trust, high-performance leadership team across engineering, manufacturing, finance, and business development.
• Partner closely with the CFO and COO to align financial discipline with operational execution.
• Foster alignment between R&D, production, and customer delivery.

Defense Readiness & Compliance

• Ensure adherence to ITAR, EAR, DFARS, and evolving CMMC standards.
• Maintain security and regulatory readiness for U.S. defense contracts.

Culture & Mindset

• Lead with urgency, ownership, and accountability.
• Instill a “builder’s culture”: execution over bureaucracy, clarity over complexity.
• Represent the company with credibility to defense, government, and strategic partners.

Ideal Candidate

• 15+ years in aerospace, defense, or dual-use robotics with at least 5 years in a CEO/President/GM/COO role.
• Demonstrated ability to manage P&L, scale manufacturing, and deliver programs on time.
• Experience leading organizations through growth from prototype/R&D to scaled production.
• Strong understanding of defense compliance (ITAR, EAR, DFARS, NIST 800-171, CMMC).
• Proven ability to lead and inspire cross-functional teams.
• Comfortable in both factory and boardroom environments.
• U.S. citizenship required; security clearance strongly preferred.



Why Join Us

Step into a CEO role where your leadership directly shapes the trajectory of one of the fastest-growing defense robotics firms in the country. This is not a bureaucratic position—it’s a hands-on, high-impact role where urgency and execution matter most. You’ll lead the transformation from contracts to scaled delivery, build the leadership team of tomorrow, and ensure U.S.-based production sets the standard for reliability and innovation in the defense sector.