Senior Action Officer

Analytic Services Inc; Arlington (VA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

ANSER seeks an Action Officer to support the Director and Deputy Director of the ODA&A Front Office within the OSW. In this highly visible role, you will lead strategic initiatives, develop executive-level policy products, and provide senior leadership with actionable recommendations to enhance administrative and operational effectiveness.

You will coordinate across OSW, Military Departments, and external stakeholders, draft communications for senior officials, monitor policy implementation,

Qualifications

• Active Top Secret security clearance with SCI eligibility.
• Master’s degree; 15 years of professional experience in DoW or federal executive-level organizations, or a bachelor’s with 5 extra years.
• At least 12 years within the OSW, with senior leader stakeholder engagement experience.
• Experience developing executive correspondence, policy memoranda, and briefing materials for senior officials.
• Strong policy analysis, strategic planning, and cross-organizational coordination skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams).

Responsibilities

• Develop executive memoranda, directives, decision papers, and briefing materials adhering to DoW standards.
• Conduct policy research, risk assessments, and strategic analyses for senior decision-makers.
• Lead strategic initiatives and coordinate projects for the Director of Administration and Management.
• Serve as primary action officer for portfolios and coordinate actions across organizations.
• Track and resolve issues spanning HR, finance, logistics, security, and information management.
• Represent the office in interagency meetings and with external stakeholders.
• Draft executive correspondence and responses supporting senior leadership.
• Monitor policy implementation and evaluate program effectiveness through metrics.
• Provide strategic recommendations on time-sensitive issues affecting operations.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Policy coordination

Executive-level writing

Stakeholder engagement

Analytical reasoning

Education

Master’s degree

Bachelor’s degree + 5 years

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft PowerPoint

Microsoft Teams

Job description

Company Overview:

ANSER enhances national and homeland security by strengthening public institutions. We provide thought leadership for complex issues through independent analysis, and we deliver practical, useful solutions. ANSER values collaboration, integrity, and initiative and we are client focused in all that we do. Because we were established for the purpose of public service and not for profit, we measure our success in the impact of our service.

Position Overview:

ANSER has an immediate opening for an Action Officer to support the Director and Deputy Director of the Office of the Director of Administration and Management (ODA&A) Front Office within the Office of the Secretary of War (OSW). In this highly visible role, you will lead and coordinate strategic initiatives, develop executive-level policy products, and provide senior leadership with actionable recommendations that enhance the Department’s administrative, management, and operational effectiveness. You will serve as a trusted advisor on time-sensitive issues while collaborating across the OSW, Military Departments, and external stakeholders to ensure policy alignment and successful execution of key initiatives.

Day-to-Day Responsibilities:

• Develop executive-level memoranda, directives, decision papers, and briefing materials that comply with Department of War writing standards.
• Conduct policy research, gap analyses, risk assessments, and strategic analyses to support senior leader decision-making.
• Lead and coordinate strategic initiatives and special projects on behalf of the Director of Administration and Management.
• Serve as the primary action officer for assigned portfolios and coordinate actions across multiple functional organizations.
• Track, synchronize, and resolve complex issues involving human resources, financial management, logistics, security, information management, and other administrative functions.
• Coordinate with organizations across the OSW, Military Departments, Defense Agencies, and external stakeholders to ensure policy consistency and implementation.
• Draft executive correspondence, congressional responses, memoranda, and directives supporting senior Department leadership.
• Monitor implementation of approved policies and programs and evaluate organizational effectiveness through metrics and performance assessments.
• Represent the Office of the Director of Administration and Management during interagency meetings, working groups, committees, and task forces.
• Provide direct policy support and strategic recommendations on sensitive and time-critical issues affecting Department operations.
• Lead or support organizational studies, policy reviews, crisis response planning efforts, and other special initiatives as directed by senior leadership.

Required Qualifications:

• Active Top Secret security clearance with SCI eligibility.
• Master’s degree
• 15 years of professional experience supporting DoW or federal executive-level organizations. Will accept a bachelor’s degree with 5 additional years of experience.
• 12 years of experience within the OSW, and associated familiarity with senior leader stakeholder engagement, organizational issues, and interpersonal relationships.
• Comprehensive knowledge of DoW and OSW policy, priorities, organizational structures, and strategic initiatives.
• Experience developing executive correspondence, policy memoranda, decision papers, and briefing materials for senior government officials.
• Experience conducting policy analysis, strategic planning, organizational assessments, and decision support for executive leadership.
• Experience coordinating complex initiatives across multiple organizations and functional disciplines.
• Knowledge of federal administrative processes, organizational management, and policy development.
• Experience supporting senior military and civilian leaders within the DoW.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, including Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams.
• Experience developing performance metrics, evaluating program effectiveness, and recommending process improvements.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Active Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) clearance.
• Demonstrated expertise communicating complex issues through concise executive-level written and oral products.
• Experience leading high-visibility initiatives involving multiple stakeholders and competing priorities.
• Demonstrated ability to build productive relationships across military, civilian, and interagency organizations.
• Experience independently managing executive-level priorities with minimal oversight.
• Experience driving strategic initiatives from concept through implementation and transition.
• Strong interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence when engaging senior military and civilian leadership.

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), if you have a disability and would like to request an accommodation in order to apply for a position with ANSER, please call 703-416-2000 or e-mail [e-mail]

ANSER is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We seek individuals from a broad variety of backgrounds with varying levels of experience who have a desire to do meaningful work. We recruit, employ, train, compensate, and promote regardless of race, color, gender, religion, national origin, ancestry, disability, age, veteran status, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by law.