Joint Planning & Mission Design Lead

Sitreps 2 Steercos; Maryland; On-site; USD 160,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Early-Stage Defense Tech Software in the Washington DC / Northern Virginia area seeks a seasoned joint planning expert to field real-world mission planning work and translate insights into product with engineers. You will work directly with the mission head, balancing operator needs with software design, and travel to support events worldwide.

This is a high-ownership, fast-moving role requiring deep military planning background, comfort with ambiguity, and the ability to brief senior leaders

Qualifications

• Around 10 years of active-duty military experience.
• Expert command of the Joint Planning Process and service-specific planning workflows.
• At least one tour of real-world staff planning at a joint force headquarters (JTF or combatant command).
• Daily use of current AI tools in either department or commercial contexts.
• Genuine curiosity about product design and UI/UX; ability to translate operator needs into product.

Responsibilities

• Own an effort end to end: initial meeting, scoping, product design, training, and ongoing support.
• Go out to real-world operations and exercises worldwide and participate as a planner, not an observer.
• Embed with a unit and train hands-on from junior to senior ranks.
• Design the product concept using AI tools and collaborate with engineers to implement it.
• Build and critique real staff products, including orders, annexes, IPOE, and MSELs.
• Bring operator judgment into the product portfolio and identify future needs.

Job description

Early-Stage Defense Tech Software in the Washington DC / Northern Virginia area seeks a seasoned joint planning expert to field real-world mission planning work and translate insights into product with engineers. You will work directly with the mission head, balancing operator needs with software design, and travel to support events worldwide.

This is a high-ownership, fast-moving role requiring deep military planning background, comfort with ambiguity, and the ability to brief senior leaders