Ukraine Defense Industry Researcher in Arroyo Legacy Ukraine

Location & Engagement Structure

• Location: Kyiv, Ukraine (in-country presence required)
• Engagement Type:
  • Ukrainian FOP (Private Entrepreneur) contract, or
  • Independent Contractor (1099) under U.S. entity
• This is a non-employee contractor role with flexible structure depending on candidate profile and jurisdiction

Overview

Arroyo Legacy is seeking a Ukraine Defense Industry Researcher to deliver high-confidence, decision-ready intelligence on Ukraine’s defense and miltech ecosystem. This role focuses on identifying actionable signals across procurement, system performance, and market activity to directly support business development, partner selection, and operational planning.

This is an operational intelligence role, not academic research—requiring continuous monitoring of in-country developments, validation of information through multiple sources, and clear translation into business-relevant insights.

Core Responsibilities

1. Weekly Intelligence Reporting

• Produce a structured weekly intelligence reportcovering:
  • Defense technology developments (UAVs, EW, comms, autonomy, sensors)
  • Government procurement activity and signals (MOD, SBGS, Brave1, donors)
  • Market entry and activity of foreign defense companies
  • Regulatory, funding, and policy changes
• Deliver outputs in executive-ready format (BLUF, key developments, implications)

2. Procurement Tracking & Analysis

• Systematically track:
  • Major procurement programs and tenders
  • Contract awards, volumes, and participating vendors
  • Shifts in government and donor funding priorities
• Identify:
  • Upcoming opportunities
  • Procurement bottlenecks and delays
  • Patterns in supplier selection and pricing behavior

3. Weapon System Performance & Field Effectiveness

• Track and assess:
  • Effectiveness of deployed weapon systems (UAVs, EW, comms, etc.)
  • Real-world performance vs. claimed specifications
  • Adaptations and workarounds used in the field
• Collect insight on:
  • Failure modes and system weaknesses
  • Vulnerability to EW, logistics constraints, durability issues
• Highlight:
  • Systems gaining traction vs. those being abandoned or underperforming

4. Market & Ecosystem Intelligence

• Maintain a current view of:
  • Ukrainian manufacturers, startups, and integrators
  • Western companies entering or scaling in Ukraine
• Build and maintain a living databaseincluding:
  • Capabilities and product lines
  • Technology maturity (TRL/MVP)
  • Deployment status and known use cases
  • Partnerships and government relationships

5. Ground-Level Insight Collection

• Engage with:
  • Operators, engineers, procurement stakeholders, and industry contacts
  • Demo days, field tests, and relevant defense events
• Capture ground truth insights, including:
  • What systems are actually being used and why
  • Operational constraints (EW environment, airspace, logistics)
  • Gaps between narrative and reality

6. Business Development Support

• Translate intelligence into:
  • Client-facing briefs and advisories
  • Market entry and positioning recommendations
  • Partner identification and validation
• Support proposals with:
  • Competitive landscape insights
  • Feasibility and risk considerations
  • Realistic assessments of demand and deployment conditions

Deliverables

• Weekly Ukraine Defense Intelligence Report (Primary Output)
  • Procurement tracking (active tenders, awards, pipeline)
  • Weapon system effectiveness trends
  • Identified system failures and vulnerabilities
  • Key market developments and implications
• Procurement Tracker (Continuously Updated)
  • Major programs, buyers, vendors, volumes, timelines
  • Status (announced, active, awarded, stalled)
• Weapon System Performance Tracker
  • Systems in use (UAVs, EW, comms, etc.)
  • Observed effectiveness in field conditions
  • Known issues, failure modes, and limitations
  • Adoption trends (gaining/losing traction)
• Flash Reports (24–48 hrs)
  • Significant procurements, system failures, or battlefield-relevant developments
• Monthly Deep Dives
  • Focus areas (e.g., EW resilience, logistics drones, comms infrastructure)
  • Comparative analysis of systems and vendors
• Ecosystem Database
  • Companies, capabilities, partnerships, and deployment status

Required Profile

Experience

• 3–7+ years in:
  • Defense, intelligence, consulting, or miltech sectors
• Strong preference for:
  • Ukraine or Eastern Europe experience
  • Exposure to defense procurement or operational environments

Skills

• Ability to synthesize fragmented inputs into clear, actionable intelligence
• Strong analytical writing (concise, executive-level)
• Understanding of at least one domain:
  • UAVs, EW, communications, or sensing systems
• Ability to assess real-world performance vs. marketing claims

Languages

• English (fluent)
• Ukrainian and/or Russian (strongly preferred)

Key Traits

• Signal-focused – prioritizes what matters operationally and commercially
• Proactive and resourceful – builds access and finds information independently
• Commercially aware – understands implications for clients and deals
• Grounded in reality – values field performance over theory
• Discreet and trustworthy

Success Metrics

• Identification of actionable procurement opportunities
• Early detection of winning vs. failing systems
• Intelligence directly informing BD decisions and partnerships
• Improved speed and accuracy of market awareness
• Development of a trusted, insight-rich network