Position: Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Location: New York, NY (Hybrid)
Contract Type: Full-Time
Clearance: Not required (ability to obtain is a plus)
Compensation: Competitive executive salary + performance incentives + equity participation (milestone-based)
Job Summary
Team PAC Group LLC is seeking a visionary, execution-oriented Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to lead a newly established maritime unmanned aerial systems (UAS) company headquartered in New York. The company develops and deploys advanced maritime UAV capabilities supporting defense, security, and commercial maritime operations.
The CEO will define company direction and growth—owning strategy, market positioning, partnerships, and revenue expansion across government and commercial customers. This leader will work closely with the parent organization, senior technical leadership, and strategic partners to scale our team into a high-growth defense technology enterprise.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership
- Define and execute the long-term vision, strategy, and growth roadmap for our team.
- Position the company as a leader in maritime UAV innovation, autonomy, and mission outcomes.
- Identify and prioritize opportunities across defense, maritime security, offshore infrastructure, and commercial maritime sectors.
Business Development & Partnerships
- Lead executive engagement with U.S. DoD stakeholders, U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, allied governments, and defense primes.
- Develop strategic partnerships with maritime technology companies, shipbuilders, sensor manufacturers, and autonomy software providers.
- Drive revenue growth through government contracts, strategic programs, and commercial adoption.
Stakeholder & Corporate Leadership
- Serve as the primary external face of the company with customers, partners, investors, and industry stakeholders.
- Align priorities and performance with the parent organization and key strategic partners.
- Establish governance, KPIs, and executive decision-making frameworks to support scale.
Culture & Organizational Development
- Build and inspire a mission-driven culture grounded in innovation, accountability, and execution.
- Recruit and develop senior leadership (technical, operations, BD, and finance).
- Ensure effective communication and alignment across teams and stakeholders.
Qualifications
Required
- Senior leadership experience as CEO, President, GM, or equivalent executive in defense, aerospace, autonomy, robotics, or unmanned systems.
- Strong background working with government customers, especially DoD and/or maritime security organizations.
- Proven track record scaling a technology organization and driving revenue growth.
- Ability to translate complex technical capabilities into clear market strategy and customer value.
Preferred
- Experience in maritime systems, naval operations, or shipboard integration environments.
- Familiarity with defense acquisition pathways (e.g., OTA, SBIR/STTR, FAR/DFARS, IDIQ).
- Experience in venture-backed or high-growth defense tech environments.
- Understanding of ISR, autonomy stacks, AI-enabled sensing, and advanced sensor integration.
Key Leadership Attributes
- Vision-driven executive leadership paired with strong commercial instincts.
- Strategic judgment in complex defense and maritime markets.
- Credibility with government, industry, and technical stakeholders.
- High ownership mindset with the ability to build from early-stage to market leadership.
Location & Travel
This role is based in New York with periodic travel required for customer engagement, partner development, and program execution.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pacgroupllc/