Executive Officer

Job Details

Company: Akiva Defense
Job Ref: # 2041212
Date Posted: 5/22/2026
Location: San Diego, CA

Description

Reporting to the CEO, The Executive Officer (XO) exists to unload cognitive load from the CEO, convert high-level strategic intent into concrete operating order, and dramatically expand what the company can accomplish in a given period. This is not a traditional administrative position; it is a high-bandwidth, operationally mature, and strategic proxy role. Operating in close proximity to the CEO, the XO must absorb intent without constant management, handle sensitive matters with unshakeable discretion, and drive parallel workstreams to closure without creating additional friction or drag. The XO will ensure that the company's time, intellectual property, relationships, and strategic position are fiercely protected.

Key Responsibilities:

  • Interpret the CEO's vision, strategy, and verbal intent, translating them into structured execution paths and moving parallel initiatives to absolute closure.
  • Attend high-stakes external engagements alongside or on behalf of the CEO—including investor meetings, technical evaluations, partner discussions, and defense industry events.
  • Act as a disciplined observer in the room, analyzing counterparty dynamics, identifying hidden risks or intentions, and debriefing with the CEO to preserve their bandwidth for core decision-making.
  • Maintain a mission-first mindset, prioritizing the company's objectives above all else. Exercise the judgment and maturity required to speak freely, fully, and candidly to the CEO.
  • Hold and protect the operational rhythm of the company. Manage inbound communications, govern access to the CEO, route priorities effectively, and systematically eliminate distractions.
  • Prepare deep contextual briefs prior to strategic meetings. Capture complex discussions, draft high-quality meeting notes, document relationship updates, and aggressively track the status of critical strategic partners and stakeholders.
  • Manage the creation and flow of correspondence, documentation, and sensitive defense/tech materials, seamlessly routing legal and compliance documents through counsel prior to release.
  • As the company transitions into Series A and scales rapidly, help lead the build-out of the operational backbone.
  • Help institutionalize structure across teams and support recruiting efforts to bring top-tier, highly disciplined talent into the expanding infrastructure.

Must-Have Skills, Experience, and Education:

  • 6-10 years of experience in high-stakes environments that demand rapid synthesis and operational execution.
  • Familiarity with/strong aptitude for grasping advanced technology, enterprise software, AI systems, or federal/defense contracting ecosystems.
  • Highly organized with a proven track record of managing parallel project lifecycles to completion.
  • Impeccable judgement and operational discretion in secure, confidential environments.
  • Operational maturity and gravitas - the poise, self-directed judgment, and presence required to operate smoothly alongside executive authority, senior government officials, and institutional investors.
  • High bandwidth and ambiguity tolerance - comfortable processing vast amounts of highly technical or fast-moving information. The flexibility and confidence to thrive in a Series A Startup ecosystem where clear structures must be engineered out of ambiguity.
  • Disciplined under pressure - function with exceptional clarity in high-pressure situations and take action.
  • Able to work near authority without becoming familiar, deferential, inflated, or performative.
  • Mission-driven - prioritize objectives above all, and exercise judgement and discretion to speak freely and fully with the CEO.
  • Exceptional verbal and written communication skills.
  • Ability to handle sensitive national security adjacent data; willingness to undergo background checks or clearance processing if required.

Why this opportunity?

The CEO is looking for a highly disciplined, mission-oriented, transitioning Military Officer to serve as a force multiplier to help him orchestrate the company's operations.

This is an exciting, challenging and rewarding role that will directly and positively impact U.S. Military operations. With his 17 years serving in the Government Accountability Office advising the DoD and his vast experience in defense modernization, force-structure development, cyber readiness and organizational transformation, the CEO founded the company because he recognized the need to better address the rapidly changing strategic requirements of the U.S. warfighter. He has brought together a team of defense R&D and engineering experts who have developed systems architectures to greatly advance C2 systems capabilities that ensure U.S. warfighters maintain the operational advantage in the field. You will have early-stage equity ownership and be an integral contributor within an amazing team that is directly improving critical operational capabilities of our Nation's warfighters!


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