Operational Planning & Posture SME

Krilla Kaleiwahea, LLC; Hawaii; On-site; USD 130,000 - 153,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k)

Health insurance

Vision insurance

Dental insurance

Job summary

K2 is seeking an Operational Planning & Posture SME for MARFORPAC G-5 Plans. You will define planning standards, resolve complex integration problems, and ensure every high-visibility product is decision-ready before it reaches senior leaders.

This role requires deep joint planning expertise, 10+ years in staff planning and decision support, and TS/SCI eligibility. You set the bar, enforce it, and elevate the branch's planning quality.

Qualifications

• Master's degree or equivalent practical experience in a relevant field.
• Career-level military education — Expeditionary Warfare School or equivalent.
• 10+ years in joint/service planning and senior-leader decision support.
• Mastery of JPEC planning forums, OPTs and staffing dynamics.
• Knowledge of MCPP and JPP.
• TS/SCI eligibility and ability to obtain access.

Responsibilities

• Define planning standards and resolve the hardest integration problems.
• Ensure high-visibility products are decision-ready before senior leaders.
• Own the quality and enforce planning discipline across the branch.
• Intervene where complexity, risk, or ambiguity threatens outcomes.
• Contribute to Joint Planning and Execution Community processes.

Skills

Joint planning

Senior decision support

Staff product production

TS/SCI eligibility

Education

Master's degree or equivalent

Expedutionary Warfare School / MCS/JWC

Doctoral degree (preferred)

Tools

MCPP understanding

JPP familiarity

Planning product drafting

Job description

Pay: $130,000.00 - $153,000.00 per year

Full job description

Overview

This isn't a staff action tracker role. This is the expert seat — the one that defines how the branch plans, catches what others miss, and keeps high-visibility products from falling apart under scrutiny. You'll serve as the Operational Planning & Posture SME at MARFORPAC G-5 Plans, where the Indo-Pacific competitive environment demands deliberate planning support that's coherent, defensible, and aligned across the entire Joint Planning and Execution Community. If you've spent a career mastering the craft of joint planning and you're ready to set the standard — this is your post.

THE MISSION

MARFORPAC G-5 Plans needs a technical authority who can define planning standards, resolve the hardest integration problems, and ensure every high-visibility product is decision-ready before it hits senior leaders. As the Operational Planning & Posture SME, you don't own the battle rhythm — you own the quality. You intervene where complexity, risk, or ambiguity threatens outcomes. You set the bar. You enforce it. You make the branch better.

Pulled from the full job description

Benefits

• 401(k)
• Health insurance
• Vision insurance
• Dental insurance

Requirements

• WHAT YOU BRING
• Master's degree or equivalent practical experience in a relevant field
• Career-level and intermediate-level military education — Expeditionary Warfare School, Marine Corps Command and Staff College, or other service equivalents
• 10+ years of deep experience supporting joint and service planning and senior-leader decision support, including production and critical review of staff products
• Demonstrated mastery of JPEC planning forums and staffing dynamics including OPTs and joint planning groups
• Knowledge and application experience in the Marine Corps Planning Process (MCPP) and Joint Planning Process (JPP)
• Expert capability drafting and editing planning products with rigorous consistency, traceability, and formatting discipline
• TS/SCI eligibility
• Ability to comply with government workplace requirements and obtain and maintain required access and eligibility
• PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
• Intermediate or top-level operational planning education — JAWS, SAMS, MAWS, SAASS, Service and Joint War Colleges, or equivalent fellowships
• Senior PME completion — CGSC/ILE, USMC CSC, Naval War College, or equivalent
• Prior experience with USINDOPACOM, MARFORPAC, HQMC, a combatant command, Service component, or MEF HQ
• Doctoral degree in a relevant field

About the Company

WHY K2

K2 is an SBA 8(a) Native Hawaiian Organization built to compete and win on the missions that matter most. We don't build benches — we build legacies. When you join K2, you're joining a team that's been given a mandate to bring world‑class talent to DoD's hardest problems. You'll have the support of a company that moves fast, respects your expertise, and invests in your growth. This is where high‑performers come to do their best work.

K2 is proud to be a Native Hawaiian Organization. Every contract we win, every mission we support, and every person we hire contributes to a lasting legacy for the Hawaiian community and the nation we serve.