Exercise Coordination and Alignment Branch (ECAB) Support Analyst

DEFTEC Corporation; Norfolk (VA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision benefits

401K with match

Educational reimbursement

Paid time off

Job summary

DEFTEC Corporation seeks an Exercise Coordination and Alignment Branch (ECAB) Support Analyst to integrate Warfare Development priorities into NATO’s exercise enterprise and coordinate multi‑year programs with SHAPE, JWC, JFTC, JATEC, and JALLC. The role advances future warfighting concepts, transformation initiatives, and after‑action reporting.

You will support planning conferences, governance, and cross‑agency collaboration, drafting campaign plans and developing supporting products while

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree or equivalent professional experience.
• Minimum 5 years in military exercise planning, collective training, or defense transformation initiatives.
• Active NATO Secret Security Clearance.
• Proficiency with MS Office Suite and collaboration platforms.

Responsibilities

• Integrate Warfare Development and Transformation priorities into NATO's exercise enterprise.
• Support governance and strategic alignment across NATO’s exercise enterprise.
• Participate in planning conferences, workshops and coordination events.
• Develop exercise-related campaign plans, concepts and products.
• Support WDiE and WDETs, including articulation of themes and activities.
• Assist with Audacious Training lines of effort and AI-enabled capabilities.
• Draft after-action reviews, lessons learned, and formal reports.

Skills

Project management

Communication

Multinational coordination

Security clearance

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s in IR/Def/Strategic Studies/Political Science or related

5+ years military exercise planning or defense transformation experience

Job description

Exercise Coordination and Alignment Branch (ECAB) Support Analyst

DEFTEC delivers mission-critical solutions through skillfully delivered services and innovative products. We are inspired by our clients' critical missions and driven to provide the most effective solutions to execute their missions, operational challenges, and requirements. Our dedicated, experienced, and talented employees work closely with our clients to ensure the delivery of exceptional services and products.

Position Overview:

The Exercise Coordination and Alignment Branch (ECAB) Support Analyst supports the integration of Warfare Development and Transformation priorities into NATO's exercise enterprise, assisting ECAB with the coordination, governance, and strategic alignment of Multi‑Domain Operations (MDO) objectives and future warfighting requirements across a multi-year program of work, including participation in planning conferences, workshops, and coordination events. The incumbent supports the development of future warfighting capabilities and transformation initiatives by assisting ECAB in leveraging exercises to identify capability gaps, refine concepts, and assess emerging capabilities through Warfare Development in Exercises (WDiE) and Warfare Development Exploitation Teams (WDETs), as well as supporting Audacious Training and innovation integration efforts including AI‑enabled capabilities, experimentation, and JATEC participation. This role contributes to after‑action review and lessons‑learned processes, drafting formal reports and recommendations and supporting rolling programs of work for WDiE and related initiatives, while coordinating with NATO entities such as SHAPE, JWC, JFTC, JATEC, and JALLC, partners, and external stakeholders, and tracking branch contributions to NATO‑level guidance including SACEUR's Guidance on ETEE. The incumbent maintains records, schedules, and document repositories, provides regular progress updates to the Project Lead and COTR, and directly supports the Branch Head as required, representing ECAB at meetings and conferences both within and outside NATO boundaries with anticipated travel of up to 30 days per year.

Job Responsibilities:

• Integrate Warfare Development and Transformation Priorities
• Support Warfare Development Integration by assisting ECAB with integration of Warfare Development priorities, Multi‑Domain Operations (MOO) objectives, and future warfighting requirements into NATO's exercise enterprise through a coordinated multi-year program of work.
• Support integration and governance by assisting ECAB with providing governance, synchronization, and strategic alignment across NATO's exercise enterprise.
• Participate in planning conferences, workshops, and coordination events, ensuring integration of warfare development themes and priorities.
• Assisting ECAB in the above tasks includes supporting the development, refinement, and documentation of exercise‑related campaign plans, concepts, and supporting products.
• Develop Future Warfighting Capability and Transformation Initiatives
• Support Warfare Development Exploitation by assisting ECAB in using exercises to identify capability gaps, refine concepts, assess emerging capabilities, and support future force development through Warfare Development in Exercises (WDiE) and Warfare Development Exploitation Teams (WDETs), including identification, refinement, and documentation of themes and candidate activities.
• Support Audacious Training (AT) and Innovation Integration by assisting ECAB in integrating AT Lines of Effort (LoE) (enhancing realism, leveraging new technology/innovation, and acting on lessons learned), AI‑enabled capabilities, experimentation, innovation initiatives, and JATEC participation in NATO exercises.
• Assess Exercise Outcomes and Convert Observations to Actionable Recommendations
• Support after‑action review (AAR) and lessons‑learned processes, drafting formal reports and recommendations.
• Contribute to the development of rolling programs of work for WDiE and related initiatives.
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Coordinate with NATO entities (e.g., SHAPE, JWC, JFTC, JATEC, JALLC), partners, and external stakeholders as required.
• Track, consolidate, and report on branch contributions to NATO‑level guidance (e.g., SACEUR's Guidance on Education, Training, Exercises, and Evaluation (ETEE).
• Administrative & Knowledge Management
• Maintain records, schedules, and document repositories.
• Provide regular progress updates to the designated Project Lead and COTR.
• Additional Taskings
• Directly support the Branch Head as required and represent ECAB at meetings and conferences both within and outside NATO boundaries, with anticipated travel requirements of up to 30 days per year.
• Perform additional tasks as directed by the COTR that are consistent with the assigned labor category and within the scope of this contract.

Required Qualifications:

• Education & Experience
• Bachelor's or Master's degree in International Relations, Defense/Strategic Studies, Political Science, Emergency Management, or related field; OR equivalent professional experience.
• Minimum of 5 years' experience in military exercise planning, collective training, or defense transformation initiatives.
• Active NATO Secret Security Clearance
• Technical Competence
• Familiarity with NATO exercise planning processes and documents (e.g., NATO Warfighting Capstone Concept, Warfare Development Agenda, Bi‑SC Collective Training & Exercises Directive, SACEUR's Guidance on ETEE).
• Proven ability to draft professional‑level planning documents, reports, and campaign plans; proficiency with MS Office Suite and collaborative platforms.
• Skills & Attributes
• Strong organizational and project management skills.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Experience coordinating with multinational or interagency partners.

• DEFTEC offers a comprehensive whole-life benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, holiday, paid time off, 401K with a match, life insurance, short/long‑term disability, and educational reimbursement.

The DEFTEC team comprises professionals who make a difference daily in crucial national security missions. Our leadership knows that this happens by employing a diverse team that is well cared for. Our top priority is our employees, making DEFTEC an ideal workplace.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. Please get in touch with [e-mail] if you require reasonable accommodations.

DEFTEC is a Drug‑Free Workplace where post‑offer applicants and employees are subject to testing for marijuana, cocaine, opioids, amphetamines, PCP, and alcohol when criteria are met as outlined in our policies.

AAP/EEO Statement

DEFTEC Corp is an Equal Opportunity and Affiliated Employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type based on actual or perceived race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and medical conditions related to pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding), gender, gender identity, and gender expression, religious creed, disability (mental and physical) including HIV and AIDS, medical condition (cancer and genetic characteristics), genetic information, age, marital status, civil union status, sexual orientation, military and veteran status, denial of family and medical care leave, arrest record and/or any other characteristic(s) protected by federal, state or local law.

This policy applies to all terms of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, training, compensation, benefits, employee activities, and general treatment during employment.

Other Duties

Please note that this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of the activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time, with or without notice.