For candidates seeking a career that blends the latest technology with high-impact national security projects, our Defense Programs team at Hughes offers a uniquely challenging environment. Josh Watters, Vice President of Defense Programs, brings a wealth of experience to lead this growing division, influencing its culture and capabilities for the future.
Josh’s transition to Hughes was motivated by the clear objective of helping the defense business expand its influence. When joining EchoStar, he recognized the unique opportunity at Hughes to elevate the defense division from its traditional role as a service provider into a robust systems integrator. As Josh notes, while the defense sector within Hughes is relatively small compared to the commercial side, “this size offers agility and the chance to define a new trajectory” that leverages Hughes's foundational technology in fundamentally new ways for the Department of Defense (DoD).
"The defense portion of Hughes is relatively small, when you compare it to the corporate side and some of the other defense organizations. But, this size offers agility and the chance to define a new trajectory as we look to expand the defense business. So, that's really one of the driving reasons for why I chose to come here.”
— Josh Watters, Vice President of Defense Programs
What makes the work of the Defense Programs team truly interesting is its divergence from the corporate commercial side of Hughes. While they utilize the same foundational technologies, they apply them under the specialized rules and requirements of the DoD. "I've had conversations with people where they will say, 'That's a great idea, but commercial companies can't do that.' And my response is, 'No, commercial companies can't do it, but in our work with the DoD, we absolutely can,'" Josh shares.
This distinct operational space allows the team to tackle projects with high impact, such as the emerging autonomous drone program. Josh is actively working to transition the business from a module-level hardware provider to a full systems integration player. The recent success of the team’s autonomous drone demonstration highlights this pivot. The team successfully integrated existing Hughes hardware into three different drones to conduct a complex autonomous mission for a Navy customer. The drones autonomously identified an intruder, signaled detection, and tracked the individual before all units returned safely. This mission demonstrates a significant leap into integrated defense capabilities. These types of high-stakes, hands-on projects are typical of the dynamic environment within the Defense Programs team.
Josh’s leadership philosophy is rooted in the belief that “the collective is stronger than the individual.” He views his purpose as a leader not focused on individual tasks, but on being a force multiplier who enables teams to achieve complex tasks that they couldn't accomplish alone. This involves providing a clear vision, orchestrating the effort and motivating the team towards that common goal.
"I’m a firm believer that the collective is stronger than the individual. I may have a lot of ideas and a wealth of experience, but my goal is to ultimately be a force multiplier for a team. None of the complex systems we build today are created by a single person. My purpose as a leader is to enable teams to do things that they couldn't have done individually.”
— Josh Watters, Vice President of Defense Programs
To foster growth, especially bridging the experience gap often seen in the defense industry with many senior and early career individuals, but few in the middle, Josh employs a unique "sit behind, sit with, sit in front" mentoring philosophy:
This system is designed to allow early career team members to take "calculated risk or pursue relevant opportunities without thinking that they're risking it all." Importantly, Josh holds the mentor accountable for the failures, effectively creating a strong, secure environment for high-stakes learning. The newer team member owns their success, but the mentor owns the failure.
For candidates looking to join this impactful team, Josh highlights three key attributes that lead to success:
Problem-Solving Aptitude: Beyond technical knowledge, candidates must demonstrate they can apply a logical process to solve unfamiliar problems.
Self-Awareness (Knowing When to Ask for Help): Josh stresses the importance of recognizing when you are in over your head. “Diligence must be tempered with the ability to acknowledge limits and seek assistance.” Josh emphasized this approach as key to preventing costly mistakes in this high-stakes environment.
Leveraging Relationships: Success often depends on navigating a large organization. Successful candidates must be adept at relationship building and leveraging the organization's collective knowledge.
The Hughes Defense Programs team offers a rare combination of the stability and resources of a major corporation, coupled with the agility and excitement of a systems integrator actively developing next-generation defense technology. It's a place where complex systems and critical missions require a commitment to teamwork, intellectual rigor and disciplined innovation, offering an unparalleled career path for driven professionals.
