Ground Systems Operational Concepts & Doctrinal Disruption Lead

Ground Systems Operational Concepts & Doctrinal Disruption Lead

Description of the Role

This is not a liaison role. It is an innovation leadership role with doctrinal authority. The ideal candidate is a senior officer transitioning to a second career who wants to have genuine impact on what gets built, not just introduce people at conferences. This person co-authors the Concept of Operations, defines engagement rules, and prepares the evaluation scenarios that will determine whether the program succeeds or fails at Demonstration. When the engineering team debates whether a feature matters operationally, this person settles it with credibility earned in the field.

Detailed Responsibilities

• Co-author the Concept of Operations for all vehicle families, grounded in operational credibility and current doctrine
• Define engagement rules: human-in-the-loop mandatory, rules of engagement framework, escalation protocols
• Prepare the defense procurement agency evaluation scenarios, Program Demonstration and Qualification Review
• Drive innovation positioning within the national robotics program and allied cooperation frameworks
• Maintain and develop institutional relationships: defense procurement agency (land systems division), armed forces staff, allied defense ministries, and centers of excellence
• Challenge engineering assumptions with operational reality: arbitrate when engineers build what is technically elegant versus what soldiers actually need
• Represent the CELL at defense exhibitions and conferences with the authority of someone who has commanded in the field
• Shape ground robotics doctrine from within the program: contribute to national and allied doctrine publications on autonomous ground vehicles

Competencies: Diplomas, Experience, and Soft Skills

• 15+ years in the armed forces
• Active institutional network within the defense procurement ecosystem. Ability to open doors that are otherwise closed to startups.
• Demonstrated interest in innovation and technology, not just operational command. Has contributed to doctrine development, operational analysis, or capability planning.
• Fluent French. Professional English. German and Spanish valued. Understanding of allied doctrine language.
• Diplomatic skills combined with directness: can translate startup urgency into institutional language and military requirements into engineering specifications.
• Willingness to be embedded in a small, fast-moving team where rank is irrelevant and contribution is everything.