Force Design Analyst

IQ Sig; Alexandria (VA); On-site; USD 145,000 - 175,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401k w/ match

Gym Membership discounts

Volunteer Paid Time Off

PTO

Job summary

IQ Sig in the United States (Alexandria, VA) seeks an experienced analyst to support decision tools and future SOF force design initiatives. You will translate strategic guidance into actionable force concepts and contribute to capability trade-off assessments.

You will lead data-driven analyses, develop CONOPS, and participate in IPTs to refine force structures while briefing senior leaders on risk and opportunities. A Top Secret clearance with SCI eligibility is required.

Qualifications

• Clearance: Must possess an active Top Secret security clearance with SCI eligibility.
• Education: Master's degree in a relevant field; a Bachelor's with 15 years of directly relevant experience may be substituted.
• Experience: Minimum of 10 years in force development, force design, or strategic/operational planning within the Department of War (DOW).
• DoD Process Knowledge: Expertise in the Joint Strategic Planning System (JSPS) and defense acquisition processes.
• SOF Acumen: Deep understanding of SOF culture, capabilities, and employment.
• Strategic Analysis: Ability to analyze complex strategic problems and synthesize information.
• Communication: Exceptional written and verbal briefing skills to senior leaders.
• Project Leadership: Experience leading multi-stakeholder groups and IPTs.
• Quantitative Analysis: Proficiency with data analysis or modeling tools.

Responsibilities

• Provides analytic support and assists in developing decision support products.
• Assists analysis and development of future SOF force structures and capabilities.
• Contributes to development of CONOPS and capability gap assessments.
• Translates strategic guidance into force design concepts and operational plans.
• Develops and evaluates alternative force designs using models and data-driven assessments.
• Supports modeling/simulation analyses to test force structure options.
• Analyses existing and proposed force structures to identify gaps and weaknesses.
• Supports operational analyses to optimize force organization and equipment.

Skills

Strategic Analysis

Communication

Project Leadership

Quantitative Analysis

SOF Acumen

DoD Process Knowledge

Military Doctrine

Education

Master's degree in a relevant field

Bachelor's degree with 15 years of directly relevant experience

Job description

• Provides analytic support and assists in developing decision support products.
• Assists the analysis, assessment, and development of future Special Operations Forces (SOF) force structure and capabilities.
• Contributes to the development of new special operations operating concepts, concepts of operation (CONOPS), force design concepts, concept required capabilities, and capability gap assessments.
• Translates strategic guidance from the National Defense Strategy and other key documents into concrete force design concepts and resource-informed operational plans.
• Develops and evaluates alternative force design options using analytical models and data-driven assessments to determine optimal configurations.
• Provides inputs to modeling and simulation analyses to assess the effectiveness of different force structures and concepts of operation.
• Analyzes existing and proposed force structures to identify strengths, weaknesses, and gaps in capability.
• Supports operational analyses to determine how forces should be organized, equipped, and employed to achieve strategic objectives.
• Prepares and presents detailed reports, briefings, and recommendations to senior leaders on force structure, risk, and capability trade-offs.
• Facilitates wargames, workshops, and Integrated Product Teams (IPTs) to explore and validate emerging force design concepts.
• Researches and evaluates emerging technologies (e.g., AI, robotics, hypersonics, cyber warfare) and their potential impact on force design.
• Drafts requirements documents and proposals to support the programming and acquisition of new SOF capabilities.
• Maintains a thorough understanding of current and future threats, geopolitical trends, and military doctrine.

Qualifications

• Clearance: Must possess an active Top Secret security clearance with SCI eligibility.
• Education: Master's degree in a relevant field (e.g., National Security Studies, Military Science, Business Administration). A Bachelor's degree with 15 years of directly relevant experience may be substituted.
• Experience: Minimum of 10 years of experience in force development, force design, or strategic/operational planning within the Department of War (DOW).
• DoD Process Knowledge: Demonstrated expertise in the Joint Strategic Planning System (JSPS), defense acquisition and resourcing processes, and the development of formal military requirements documents.
• SOF Acumen: Deep understanding of SOF culture, capabilities, and operational employment.
• Strategic Analysis: Proven ability to analyze complex strategic problems, synthesize information from multiple sources, and develop innovative, data-driven recommendations.
• Communication: Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with experience briefing General/Flag Officers or senior civilian equivalents.
• Project Leadership: Experience leading and facilitating multi-stakeholder working groups and integrated product teams (IPTs).
• Quantitative Analysis: Proficiency with data analysis or modeling tools to support force structure and capability trade-off decisions.

The pay range for this position is between $145,000 and $175,000 per year. This position is benefits-eligible. Our suite of benefits includes Health, Dental, Vision, 401k w/ match, Gym Membership discounts, Volunteer Paid Time Off, and a generous PTO package.

We believe great talent comes from many backgrounds and experiences. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and make all employment decisions based on merit, qualifications, and business needs. We are committed to maintaining a workplace free from discrimination and harassment, consistent with all applicable laws.

Our team provides superior services, solutions and subject matter expertise to solve our customer's most challenging requirements in cyber, land, air, sea and space. We believe in empowering our employees to deliver exceptional results across our federal, state and private sector clients. We are values-led and mission driven. We can't wait to work with you!

The pay range for this role is:

145,000 - 175,000 USD per year (The Pentagon)