Wartime Readiness and Exercise Planning SME
About The Position
The Wartime Readiness and Exercise Planning SME serves as the senior technical authority and advisor at the PAE Maritime level for designing, coordinating, executing, and evaluating wartime readiness, contingency, and exercise planning activities. The role provides subject matter expertise in global operations planning and exercise management, ensuring force generation, activation, mobilization, and deployment frameworks align with Combatant Command requirements and Naval doctrine. The SME leads and supports Operational Planning Teams (OPTs) in accordance with the Naval Planning Process to maintain peak wartime readiness across maritime forces. The position requires a highly motivated professional who can operate independently in a dynamic, high-tempo environment and deliver precise, doctrine-compliant planning products that enhance PAE Maritime wartime readiness.
Requirements
- 10–15 years of progressive experience in global operations planning and exercise management within a military, joint, or DoW contractor environment.
- Demonstrated subject matter expertise in wartime readiness, contingency planning, force generation, and exercise design and execution.
- Strong understanding and practical application of Operational Planning Team (OPT) frameworks, including their structure, effectiveness measures, and execution.
- In-depth knowledge of the Naval Planning Process and its application to maritime operations.
- Experience operating at or supporting a major command, numbered fleet, or equivalent maritime operational level.
- Proven ability to develop and refine operations, mobility, contingency, and wartime readiness plans.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to brief senior military and civilian leaders.
- Bachelor’s degree in a related field, such as National Security, Military Studies, or Operations Research, or equivalent.
- U.S. citizenship and ability to maintain a Secret clearance.
Nice To Haves
- Master’s degree.
- Professional military education focused on operational warfare and joint campaign planning, design, coordination, and execution.
- Prior military experience in Navy, Marine Corps, or joint operational planning billets, such as N3/N5, OPT lead, or exercise planner.
- Experience with Joint Exercise Life Cycle (JELC), Joint Training System, or equivalent exercise programs.
- Familiarity with Adaptive Planning and Execution (APEX), Global Force Management (GFM), Global Maritime Response Plan (GMRP), and related DoW systems.
- Experience supporting Combatant Commands or Fleet-level maritime headquarters.
Responsibilities
- Serve as the primary SME for wartime readiness and exercise planning at the PAE Maritime level, advising leadership on force generation, activation, mobilization, and deployment operations.
- Design, develop, coordinate, and evaluate complex wartime contingency plans, deployment readiness exercises, and joint/combined training scenarios.
- Lead and facilitate Operational Planning Teams (OPTs), ensuring effective and disciplined execution in accordance with the Naval Planning Process (NPP).
- Align requirements with force-sourcing solutions; manage Unit Type Code (UTC) posturing, deployment data, and readiness reporting.
- Oversee the creation, review, and revision of wartime readiness plans.
- Ensure force generation and exercise frameworks adhere to Department of War (DoW), Joint, and Service-specific Navy and Marine Corps doctrine, policies, and directives.
- Conduct after-action reviews and lessons-learned analysis, and drive continuous process improvement for exercises and readiness events.
- Coordinate with joint, interagency, and coalition partners, as well as internal PAE Maritime stakeholders, to synchronize planning efforts.
- Provide expert recommendations to senior leadership on readiness posture, exercise design, and operational risk.
- Support the development of metrics, briefings, and decision-support products related to wartime readiness and exercise outcomes.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
