IT Jira Specialist

SAIC; San Diego (CA); Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

SAIC is seeking an IT/JIRA Specialist (Agile Product Support SME) to drive Agile process implementation and Jira/Confluence administration for the Joint Fires Network program. The role bridges operations leaders and development teams, translating mission requirements into actionable technical specs, while guiding release management and secure software practices. Hybrid work model with San Diego-based office involvement.

Qualifications

• Experience implementing Agile process and release management in DoD programs
• Hands-on Jira/Confluence admin with workflow design and automation
• Strong requirements traceability and agile tooling optimization
• Excellent communication with both operations leaders and technical teams
• Security-clearance readiness and ability to work on TS/SCI programs

Responsibilities

• Design and implement Jira workflows, automations, and roadmaps to support JFN requirements traceability
• Collaborate with DoD stakeholders to translate mission needs into technical specs
• Guide Agile practices, release management, and SAFe/Scrum processes in a government context
• Maintain security and compliance across Atlassian tools in a DoD environment

Job description

The IT/JIRA Specialist (Agile Product Support SME) is a highly specialized technical and operational role dedicated to enabling the delivery of the Joint Fires Network (JFN) Program. This position acts as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) driving Agile process implementation, requirements traceability, and project management tooling optimization to support JFN initiatives.

As an Agile Product Support SME, you will serve as the strategic bridge between operational leaders and technical development teams. You will collaborate directly with JFN leadership and department managers to translate mission requirements into structured, executable technical specifications, while providing expert guidance on Agile best practices and release management workflows.

As an IT/JIRA Specialist, you will serve as a principal administrator and technical expert for the Atlassian suite (Jira Software, Jira Service Management, Confluence, and Jira Advanced Roadmaps) across secure government networks. You will configure and maintain workflows, roadmaps, and automation schemes that keep the JFN development lifecycle highly visible, organized, and on schedule. This position is hybrid with the office work being performed in San Diego, VA.

TYPICAL EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelors and nine (9) years or more experience
• Masters and seven (7) years or more experience
• PhD or JD and four (4) years or more experience.

U.S. citizenship and an active Top Secret with the ability to obtain a TS/SCI.

DoD Program Experience:

• Experience supporting DoD acquisition programs, military software factories, or tactical C4ISR / C2 network programs.

Atlassian Expertise:

• 2+ years of hands-on experience as a Jira and Confluence administrator, with demonstrated proficiency in Jira Advanced Roadmaps.

Agile Release Management:

• Demonstrated experience in Agile Release Management, including planning, coordinating, and managing release schedules and deployment activities.

Software Development Practices:

• Demonstrated experience applying Agile software practices and supporting the secure software development lifecycle (SecDevOps/SDLC).

Leadership & Documentation:

• Demonstrated experience leading teams handling customer feedback requirements, writing user stories and acceptance criteria, and developing capability, tool, or system documentation.

Technical Skills

• Proven expertise designing complex, conditional Jira workflows, automations, and scheme configurations to support requirement traceability.
• Communication Skills: Demonstrated excellent oral and written communication skills to effectively translate complex operational needs into clear technical requirements for both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Strong Agile mindset with an in-depth understanding of Scrum, Kanban, and Scaled Agile Frameworks (SAFe) for Government.
• Initiative & Ownership: Demonstrated ability to take the initiative to proactively identify bottlenecks and complete tasks in a timely manner.
• Analytical mindset with a focus on metrics-driven continuous improvement in complex, mission-critical environments.

Preferred Certifications (A Plus)

• Active Atlassian Certified Professional certification (e.g., ACP-100 or ACP-120).
• Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO), Certified ScrumMaster (CSM), or SAFe Product Owner/Product Manager (POPM).
• CompTIA Security+ (or other DoD 8570/8140 IAT Level II compliant certification).