Counter-Narcotics Operations Lead

CACI•Tampa, FL

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Counter-Narcotics Operations Lead provides operational, strategic, and programmatic leadership in support of the USCENTCOM J3 Interagency Action Group (JIAG). The role integrates Department of Defense capabilities with interagency partners—including law enforcement, intelligence community agencies, and diplomatic missions—to disrupt illicit narcotics networks and associated transnational threat finance in the CENTCOM Area of Responsibility (AOR). The lead oversees operational planning, interagency coordination, resource tracking, and mission-execution milestones, drawing on knowledge of joint staff processes, DoD counter-narcotics funding and authorities, and collaboration across federal law enforcement and foreign partner environments. The position serves as the primary contractor lead and interface with CENTCOM J3 JIAG leadership. It manages task orders, deliverables, timelines, risks, resources, and program reviews; coordinates planning, intelligence-led initiatives, information sharing, and threat-network targeting across CENTCOM directorates and interagency partners; and provides expertise on DoD counter-narcotics authorities and interagency procedures. The role also tracks narcotics trafficking, precursor chemical diversion, and related illicit finance networks in Central and South Asia, the Middle East, and maritime transit routes in the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea. The lead oversees administrative workflows, classified document handling, and scheduling in SCIFs; coordinates logistics, partner-nation visits, conferences, and working groups; and ensures compliance with security, classification, OPSEC, and information-handling requirements. Work is primarily in a fast-paced SCIF/headquarters office at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida. Periodic shift work or irregular hours may be required for operational surges and contingencies.

Requirements

Active Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) clearance.
Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution in International Relations, National Security Studies, Criminal Justice, Business Administration, Project Management, or a related field.
Eight to ten years of professional experience in program/project management, military operations, defense intelligence, or federal law enforcement.
Three to five years of direct support to counter-narcotics, counter-threat finance, transnational organized crime, or interagency operations within a Combatant Command, Joint Task Force, or federal agency.
Demonstrated experience working in a Joint Staff environment, such as J3, J2, or J5, and drafting executive-level operational briefings.
Willingness and ability to pass a Counterintelligence Polygraph examination if required by command directive.
Ability to coordinate complex cross-functional initiatives across organizations with different cultures and statutory authorities.
Exceptional oral and written communication skills, including the ability to condense complex intelligence and operational data into executive summaries.
Strong command of Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), SharePoint, and military command-and-control or portal systems.
High discretion, sound judgment, and rigorous adherence to operational security protocols.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in a relevant discipline, or extensive operational military/interagency experience combined with specialized training.
Operational familiarity with the USCENTCOM AOR, its key transit routes, and illicit threat networks.
Experience with DoD counter-narcotics funding cycles, building partner capacity programs, or Foreign Military Sales/Drawdowns.
Project Management Professional certification or Defense Acquisition University Program Management Level II/III.
Completion of a Joint Staff or Service Staff Officer course.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary contractor lead and interface to CENTCOM J3 JIAG leadership, aligning program objectives with operational requirements.
Monitor and manage task orders, deliverables, operational timelines, and mission milestones for counter-narcotics and counter-transnational organized crime initiatives.
Identify operational risks, develop mitigation strategies, and recommend resource allocations to support mission effectiveness across the CENTCOM AOR.
Prepare, review, and present executive briefings, operational summaries, decision memorandums, and quarterly program reviews for senior military and civilian leadership.
Coordinate operational planning and intelligence-led initiatives among CENTCOM directorates J2, J3, J5, and J8 and interagency partners.
Facilitate information sharing, operational debriefs, and threat-network targeting synchronization across working groups, operational planning teams, and foreign partner liaisons.
Provide subject matter expertise on DoD counter-narcotics authorities and interagency standard operating procedures.
Monitor narcotics trafficking patterns, precursor chemical diversion, and related illicit threat finance networks in specified regions and maritime transit routes.
Oversee program-level administrative workflows, classified document handling, and operational scheduling within SCIFs.
Coordinate logistics, partner-nation engagement visits, interagency conferences, and multilateral working group sessions.
Ensure compliance with DoD security guidelines, classification markings, OPSEC regulations, and interagency information-handling caveats.