Engagement Manager, Defense

ABOUT CODE METAL Code Metal is the leader in automated software engineering you can trust. As AI writes more of the world's code, the bottleneck in software has shifted from writing code to verifying it works, and AI cannot verify its own work with certainty. Code Metal takes a fundamentally different approach: constrain AI to what it does reliably, verify every step independently of the model using formal methods, and keep engineers in the loop on the decisions that matter. The result isn't code that probably works — it's code that is provably correct, with auditable proof. Customers including the U.S. Air Force, L3Harris, RTX, and Toshiba use Code Metal to modernize legacy code, optimize performance on real hardware, and move prototypes to production, fast. Founded in 2023 with offices in Boston and San Francisco, Code Metal is funded by Accel, Salesforce Ventures, B Capital, Smith Point Capital, J2 Ventures, Shield Capital, Overmatch, RTX, and others. Learn more at codemetal.ai http://codemetal.ai. THE ROLE: Code Metal sells a technically complex, premium product into high-stakes defense environments, and our customers expect a level of service that matches. We're looking for an Engagement Manager who sets the standard for white-glove delivery: someone who owns the customer relationship and the delivery engine behind it, from pre-proof of concept through production deployment. This is not a passive account management role. You will be the connective tissue between our customers, our engineers, our product managers, and our growth team, running disciplined project delivery while building stakeholder trust that keeps engagements on track when complexity surfaces and continues to deepen customer relationships. RESPONSIBILITIES: - Own end-to-end engagement delivery. From pre-POC scoping through production deployment, you are accountable for project plans, milestone tracking, risk identification, and on-time delivery across all active accounts. - Manage customer relationships at every level. Establish credibility before issues arise, set and manage customer expectations early and often, and serve as a calm, reliable presence when deployments get complex. - Run structured project governance. Define engagement timelines, milestone frameworks, and communication cadences. - Stabilize first-of-kind deployments. Triage issues with product and engineering, set honest expectations with customers, and turn complex rollouts into confidence-building moments that strengthen the relationship. - Flex across whatever the engagement demands. Contract coordination, requirements clarification, technical scoping, escalation management - do what needs to get done to move things forward. - Build repeatable playbooks. Support multiple accounts simultaneously and document what works to develop engagement frameworks that scale Code Metal's delivery capacity without sacrificing quality. - Close the loop internally. Surface customer friction to the product and engineering teams, partner with Growth on expansion and renewals, and ensure internal decisions are grounded in what's actually happening in the field. Who You'll Work With: - Growth owns the commercial relationship and the deal. You'll anchor deals to delivery realism and hand Growth the evidence that earns renewals and expansion. - Technical Program Management owns the internal delivery plan and execution, coordinating component and integration delivery to solutions. - Solutions shapes, scopes, and builds across the journey. You'll partner with them from pre-sales through delivery to ensure the Code Metal product is delivered with the needed customization and configuration for the customer’s environment. REQUIREMENTS: - 7+ years of experience leading customer engagements, implementations, or deployments in technical, enterprise environments. - Experience owning white-glove enterprise-delivery at an elite professional services firm (e.g. management consulting, investment banking) and/or a high-growth SaaS or deep tech company. - Background in commercial defense or defense technology; familiarity with how primes, Tier 1 suppliers, and defense customers evaluate and procure new technology. - Technically fluent: comfortable discussing software, firmware, or signal processing with engineers and translating complexity for non-technical stakeholders. Familiarity with AI-enabled technologies. - Proven ability to lead complex, multi-stakeholder deployments and turn difficult situations into customer wins. - Strong executive presence and communication skills; effective with both working teams and senior stakeholders. - Highly organized and self-directed; comfortable managing multiple accounts and engagements in a fast-moving, resource-constrained environment. - Current possession of a security clearance, or the ability to obtain one. BENEFITS - Pay depends on experience, but we strive to be at the upper end of the salary range - Health care plan with 100% premium coverage, including medical, dental, and vision - 401k with 5% matching - Paid Time Off (uncapped vacation, plus sick and public holidays) - Flexible hybrid or remote work arrangement - Relocation assistance for qualifying employees Wage Transparency - The salary range for this role is not a guarantee of compensation or salary, as the final offer amount may vary based on factors including, but not limited to, individual proficiency, skills, experience, and location. We are an equal opportunity employer. US Citizenship may be required for certain project assignments involving security clearance. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.