Growth Strategy Associate (1166)

This is a U.S. based position. All of the programs we support require U.S. citizenship to be eligible for employment. All work must be conducted within the continental U.S. Who we are: Raft ( https://TeamRaft.com ) 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. We are a leader in autonomous data fusion and Agentic AI, with a purposeful focus on Distributed Data Systems, Platforms at Scale, and Complex Application Development. With headquarters in McLean, VA, our range of clients includes innovative federal and public agencies leveraging design thinking, cutting-edge tech stack, and cloud-native ecosystem. We build digital solutions that impact the lives of millions of Americans. About the role: We are expanding our Growth and Strategy team and are seeking a Growth Strategy Associate to support high-impact opportunities across Department of War (DoW), Intelligence Community (IC), and commercial defense markets. This role is ideal for an early-career professional with an active security clearance who is eager to learn about product-led growth, mission-critical technology solutions, and defense market development. The Growth Strategy Associate will work closely with product managers, technical leads, and mission stakeholders to research, track, and support product opportunities across our defense technology portfolio. This position offers hands-on exposure to real operational challenges, warfighter needs, product development cycles, and a clear path for growth into product strategy or business development roles within the defense sector. What You'll Do • Assist in tracking and researching opportunities from initial discovery through operational deployment and customer adoption • Help maintain business development and product tools, including GovEagle, and Salesforce • Research market opportunities using tools such as GovWin, SAM.gov, beta.SAM.gov, and DoW/IC opportunity databases to support product planning • Support product managers and customer-facing teams by gathering user and operator feedback, documenting mission-critical pain points, and organizing feature requests • Assist in preparing materials for product reviews, including opportunity summaries, competitive research, threat landscape analysis, and customer insights • Conduct research on customer mission needs, operational requirements, market trends, and competitive products in the defense technology sector • Help coordinate product demonstrations, operational assessments, customer meetings, and pilot programs by preparing materials, scheduling sessions, and capturing feedback • Document customer insights and lessons learned to support product improvement and mission impact • Travel up to 70% to support industry events, customer meetings, product demonstrations, and deployment activities What You'll Bring • Bachelor's degree in computer science, Engineering, National Security Studies, Business, or a related field • 0–2 years of relevant experience (internships, co-ops, or academic projects strongly considered) • Strong research and analytical skills with attention to detail and understanding of operational contexts • Good written and verbal communication skills with a willingness to learn and ability to communicate with military/government stakeholders • Ability to manage multiple tasks and meet deadlines in a fast-paced, mission-focused team environment • Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, PowerPoint, Word) • Eagerness to learn about product development, defense technology, operational needs, and government markets • Self-motivated with a positive, can-do attitude and comfort working in ambiguous, rapidly evolving environments Highly Preferred Qualifications • Familiarity with agile or product development concepts and DevSecOps practices • Exposure to DoW, IC, or federal defense technology programs and acquisit ... (truncated, view full listing at source)