Program Manager

Orbis is seeking an experienced Program Manager to lead the delivery of a partner nation Intelligence Collection training program in the Middle East. This is a senior practitioner role requiring hands-on credibility - and therefore must have been a former certified Case Officer from the U.S. Intelligence Community with regional experience in the Middle East. The Program Manager owns all aspects of program execution: instructor cadre, instructional quality, curriculum integrity, client relationship management, and contract compliance. This individual will serve as the face of Orbis to the customer, build trust with the customer's leadership, and ensure that every training cycle reflects the highest standards of source operations and instructor excellence. The program requires overseas commitment for approximately 5-6 months per year, and has a strong potential for multi-year extension, and the Program Manager will be incentivized for contract renewal.

MANAGE

Own program delivery, instructor performance, and contract compliance.

• Program Delivery: Manage all program resources and staff, ensure timely and substantive delivery of all training cycles, and maintain alignment between instruction, Points of Instruction (POIs), the customer, and contract requirements.
• Instructor Oversight: Directly supervise a cadre of case officer instructors. Conduct routine quality assurance on instruction, observe classroom and fieldcraft exercises, and provide performance feedback to ensure instructors maintain operational relevance and instructional excellence.
• Curriculum Management: Oversee the development, revision, and quality assurance of all POIs and training materials. Ensure curriculum accurately reflects current intelligence collection doctrine, street craft, and operational methodology. Own the process for vetting, updating, and approving instructional content.
• Customer Engagement: Serve as the primary interface with customer's leadership and key stakeholders. Build and maintain trusted advisor relationships at the senior level. Translate customer priorities into program adjustments and proactively communicate program performance, risks, and opportunities.
• Contract Compliance: Ensure all program activities adhere to the expectations and deliverables outlined in the Statement of Work (SOW). Manage reporting requirements, deliverable timelines, and all contract milestones.

GROW

Expand the program's scope and deepen Orbis's position as the trusted training partner in the region.

• Business Development: Partner with the Country Manager to identify and pursue program expansion opportunities, contract extensions, and adjacent training customer requirements and across other intelligence and security entities.
• Capability Alignment: Coordinate with Orbis Capabilities Managers to identify opportunities to integrate complementary service offerings - including analytical training, targeting methodologies, and source operations support - into program delivery and future proposals.
• Relationship Building: Cultivate and sustain relationships with customer's leadership team. Invest in relationship depth and breadth - not single points of contact - to ensure program continuity and future opportunity.
• Proposals & Pricing: Contribute subject matter expertise to program extension proposals, concept pitches, and new task order development. Support pricing and scope reviews to ensure offerings are technically credible and competitively positioned.

CONNECT

Bridge operational insights from the field to firm-wide intelligence training strategy and capability development.

• Regional Intelligence: Monitor shifts in partner nation intelligence priorities, regional security dynamics, and emerging training requirements. Proactively share insights with the Head of International Division and Chief Capabilities Officer to shape Orbis's regional strategy.
• Capability Development: Contribute operational experience and instructional insights to the development of new intelligence collection training curriculum, methodology frameworks, and capability offerings across the firm.
• Cross-Division Support: Support firm-wide strategy, proposals, and business development efforts in the intelligence training and capacity building domain when requested by senior leadership.

EVOLVE

Build an instructor cadre that grows in craft, credibility, and impact.

• Instructor and Cadre Development: Actively manage instructor performance through direct observation, structured feedback, and targeted coaching. Identify and address gaps in street craft knowledge, instructional technique, and cross-cultural communication.
• Career Growth: Understand aspirations and create opportunities for professional development aligned with program and contract growth. Foster a team culture that rewards improvement and operational innovation.
• Mentorship: Invest in the professional development of team members within and beyond the program. Model the practitioner-first culture Orbis brings to every engagement - where credibility is earned through experience and shared through teaching.

Experience

• 15+ years of operational experience in the U.S. Intelligence Community, with a significant portion spent as a certified Case Officer conducting intelligence collection operations
• Deep experience with foreign intelligence service liaison, partner nation capacity building, and cross-cultural operations, particularly in the Middle East or Gulf region
• Demonstrated experience designing, delivering, or managing HUMINT training programs, including source development, elicitation, assessment, surveillance and countersurveillance, and intelligence reporting
• Proven track record leading small, high-performing teams in deployed, forward-deployed, or overseas operational environments
• Experience managing U.S. government training contracts, including familiarity with federal contracting vehicles, deliverable management, and performance-based reporting requirements
• Established relationships with U.S. Intelligence Community organizations, foreign partner services, or international security and defense entities in the Gulf or broader Middle East region

Required Qualifications

• Certified Case Officer with documented operational experience conducting intelligence collection, including source recruitment, development, handling, and reporting across multiple collection disciplines
• Comprehensive understanding of the full intelligence collection cycle: target development, elicitation techniques, street craft, surveillance detection, and finished intelligence production
• Demonstrated ability to engage senior foreign intelligence officials with credibility, cultural awareness, and diplomatic acumen - representing Orbis as a trusted practitioner partner, not a vendor
• Experience managing programs to federal contract milestones and deliverable requirements

Desired Qualifications

• Prior experience as a certified instructor or curriculum developer within a U.S. government intelligence collection training program, with the ability to evaluate and improve instructional quality against operational standards
• Direct experience working with Middle Eastern intelligence or security services, with an understanding of culture, decision-making norms, and interagency dynamics
• Professional working proficiency in Modern Standard Arabic or a relevant Gulf dialect

Physical Requirements

• Moves throughout varied training environments including classrooms, field exercise areas, and outdoor ranges to monitor instructor performance and student engagement
• Remains stationary for extended periods during administrative oversight, reporting, and budget reviews; maintains mobility required for routine site inspections and field assessments
• Maintains operational effectiveness while working in outdoor environments characterized by extreme heat, dust, and variable conditions typical of Middle Eastern training sites; ability to travel overseas approximately 50-60% of the year

Orbis Operations is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, marital status, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Orbis Operations is committed to creating an inclusive and diverse workplace where all employees are valued and respected. We encourage applications from all qualified individuals, including those from underrepresented groups.

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Orbis Operations will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities throughout the application and employment process. If you require an accommodation, please contact us at hr@orbisops.com.