Associate Product Manager at Raft in McLean, VA

Summary: Raft is a customer-obsessed non-traditional defense tech company dedicated to empowering U.S. military and government agencies with cutting-edge AI/ML and data solutions. As an Associate Product Manager, you will support the development and maintenance of product roadmaps, assist in project management activities, and contribute to business development efforts while interacting directly with the executive team. Responsibilities: - Support the development and maintenance of product roadmaps across Raft’s core product lines by tracking progress, capturing feedback, and surfacing prioritization inputs to senior PMs and leadership - Assist in program and project management activities across multiple concurrent workstreams, helping to track milestones, flag risks, and keep cross-functional teams aligned - Coordinate meetings, working sessions, and executive briefings, preparing agendas, capturing action items, and following up to ensure accountability - Support business development and company growth efforts by contributing to RFI/RFP responses, capability briefs, slide decks, and other materials that communicate Raft’s products and value proposition to prospective customers and partners - Conduct market and competitive research to inform product and growth strategies, synthesizing findings into clear, actionable summaries - Interface with DoD customers, program stakeholders, and internal engineering teams to relay requirements, document feedback, and help ensure alignment between what is being built and what the customer needs - Assist in Agile ceremonies and help maintain team backlogs, user stories, and sprint documentation as needed - Develop and maintain internal documentation, SOPs, and product collateral that support both delivery execution and external-facing communications - Adapt fluidly to competing priorities, stepping in where the business needs you most and handling ambiguity with professionalism and composure Required Qualifications: - 0–2 years of experience in product management, project coordination, business analysis, program support, or a related role. Internship experience counts - Bachelor's degree in a STEM field (Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, or similar). A technical foundation is important, you don't need to write code, but you need to be comfortable talking to engineers and understanding technical tradeoffs - Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to distill complex information into clear, concise outputs for both technical and non-technical audiences - Demonstrated ability to manage competing priorities without dropping balls, organized, detail-oriented, and proactive about staying on top of multiple workstreams - Personable, collaborative, and confident enough to interact directly with executives, customers, and senior stakeholders - High adaptability and a genuine comfort with ambiguity, you can pivot quickly when priorities shift and don't need a rigid playbook to do good work - Familiarity with Agile methodologies and basic product management concepts (roadmaps, user stories, backlogs, sprint planning) - Proficiency with common productivity and project management tools (e.g., Jira, Confluence, Notion, Google Workspace, Microsoft Office) - Analytical mindset with the ability to structure problems, gather data, and support evidence-based decision-making - A natural curiosity about defense technology and a desire to understand the missions and stakeholders Raft serves - Must be a U.S. Citizen and eligible to obtain and maintain a Top Secret/SCI security clearance Preferred Qualifications: - Prior exposure to government contracting, DoD programs, or the defense technology ecosystem - Experience contributing to business development activities such as proposals, capability briefings, or white papers - Familiarity with defense acquisition concepts (e.g., FAR/DFARS, OTA, SBIR) or interest in learning them - Experience working in or supporting a software development environment, even in a non-engineering capacity - Background in competitive collegiate or club sports, or other high-commitment team environments, evidence that you know how to juggle real demands, operate within a team, compete to win, and push yourself beyond the minimum - Demonstrated ability to create polished, compelling presentation and communication materials for leadership audiences Required Skills: Product Management, Project Coordination, Business Analysis, Program Support, STEM Technical Foundation, Agile Methodologies, Roadmap Development, User Stories, Backlog Management, Sprint Planning, Jira, Confluence, Notion, Google Workspace, Microsoft Office, Analytical Skills, Defense Technology Knowledge, Business Development, Proposal Writing, Capability Briefings, Defense Acquisition Concepts, Software Development Environment, Confidence, Curiosity Benefits: Fully covered healthcare, dental, and vision coverage, 401(k) and company match, Take as you need PTO + 11 paid holidays, Education & training benefits, Generous Referral Bonuses, And More!