Nuclear Budget and Policy Analyst

SAIC; Arlington (VA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

SAIC has an immediate opening for an experienced Nuclear Budget and Policy Analyst to support the Headquarters Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration. The role focuses on financial planning, programmatic support, and policy analysis for NC3 (AF/A10XN) with heavy PPBE involvement.

The position requires extensive PPBE and NC3 portfolio management experience, DoW financial administration knowledge, and the ability to communicate complex budget concepts in

Qualifications

• U.S. citizenship and an active TS/SCI eligibility clearance.
• Extensive experience with the DoD PPBE process and NC3 portfolio management.
• Strong understanding of DoW financial management systems and POM cycles.
• Proven ability to draft budget justifications and policy analyses for DoD budget cycles.
• Bachelor's Degree with 10+ years or Master’s with 8+ years in defense funding and policy analysis.

Responsibilities

• Develop comprehensive financial exhibits and program status reports to support NC3 portfolio management.
• Draft budget justifications and advocacy materials for use in internal programming, POM cycles, and congressional budget reviews.
• Conduct detailed program and budget analysis across all PPBE phases and provide recommendations.
• Coordinate input across Headquarters Air Force, Combatant Commands, Joint Staff, and other stakeholders for budget and policy decisions.
• Lead development and delivery of financial briefings, point papers, and programmatic overviews.
• Serve as a technical advocate for AF policies in budgeting, programming, and nuclear governance forums.

Skills

Budget analysis

Policy analysis

PPBE process

NC3 governance

Technical writing

Cross-agency coordination

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Master's Degree

Job description

SAIC has an immediate opening for an experienced Nuclear Budget and Policy Analyst to provide mission-critical expertise to the Headquarters Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration. This role will provide financial planning, programmatic support, and policy analysis for the Nuclear Command, Control, and Communication (NC3) Division (AF/A10XN). The ideal candidate is a detail-oriented professional with significant experience in the Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution (PPBE) process, NC3 portfolio management, and Department of War (DoW) financial administration. Work will be performed onsite at the Pentagon in Arlington, VA.

Job Responsibilities:

• Develop comprehensive financial exhibits and program status reports to support the effective management of NC3 portfolios, ensuring alignment with mission priorities and funding directives.
• Draft budget justifications and advocacy materials for use in internal programming, the Budget Program Objective Memorandum (POM) cycle, and congressional budget reviews to secure resources for NC3 programs.
• Conduct detailed program and budget analysis throughout all phases of the Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution (PPBE) process. Deliver recommendations to optimize funding allocation and strategic outcomes.
• Coordinate organizational input across Headquarters Air Force (HAF), Combatant Commands, Joint Staff, and other relevant stakeholders, facilitating clear communication and achieving unified results in budget and policy decisions.
• Lead the development and delivery of insightful financial briefings, high-quality point papers, programmatic overviews, and decision-support materials.
• Serve as a trusted technical advocate for Headquarters Air Force policies in budgeting, programming, and nuclear governance forums, including technical working groups and strategic leadership engagements.

Required Qualifications:

• U.S. citizenship, and an active Top-Secret Clearance (TS/SCI eligibility required).
• Proven expertise in the Department of the Air Force (DAF) organizational structure, policies, and strategic deterrence/nuclear integration operations.
• Extensive experience working with DoW's Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution (PPBE) process, including expertise in interacting with the Department of the Air Force and Joint Staff.
• Strong understanding of Department of War (DoW) financial management systems, Program Objective Memorandum (POM) cycles, and federal appropriations and budgetary processes.
• Proficiency with collaboration platforms (e.g., Microsoft SharePoint) and task management tools (e.g., CATMS, eTask, TMT).
• Exceptional communication and technical writing skills, with the ability to convey complex budget and policy concepts in both technical and non-technical terms.
• Bachelor's Degree and ten (10) years or more of relevant experience, or a Master's Degree and eight (8) years in successfully executing programmatic responsibilities related to defense funding and policy analysis.

Desired Qualifications:

• Strong understanding of current NC3 modernization efforts and associated governance structures.
• Proficiency in policy development, resource advocacy, and regulatory compliance monitoring within the Office of the Secretary of War (OSW) or other federal agencies.
• Effective leadership and interpersonal skills with the ability to collaborate with cross-organizational teams and foster stakeholder engagement.
• Advanced degree in a relevant field (e.g., Public Policy, National Security Studies, Defense Economics, or similar disciplines).