Senior Advisor - NAVFAC EXWC

DCS Corporation; Port Hueneme (CA); On-site; USD 124,000 - 222,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

401k and ESOP

Competitive leave and education

Professional development

Job summary

DCS Corporation seeks a Senior Advisor to provide strategic, technical, and operational guidance across NAVFAC EXWC’s multidisciplinary missions. You will influence program teams and government stakeholders, ensuring sound engineering approaches, cybersecurity integration, and compliant DoD practices.

In this high-visibility role, you’ll evaluate concepts, advise on engineering methods, and guide capability development across prototyping, testing, and training for next-generation systems.

Qualifications

• Must be a U.S. citizen with active clearance due to classified work.
• 12+ years of senior DoD science & technology, RDT&E, or systems engineering experience.
• Bachelor's in engineering, physics, CS or related field; master's preferred.
• Familiarity with DoD acquisition docs, MIL-STD, DFARS, and CMMC requirements.
• Strong advisory and communication skills for senior leaders.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and technical advisory across engineering, prototyping, cyber, ISR, modeling & simulation, and unmanned systems.
• Guide system architecture choices, tech insertion planning, and training development for next-gen capabilities.
• Review analyses, prototypes, and integration plans for mission alignment with PWS requirements.
• Offer oversight on DoD processes, risk, and transition plans; advise on continuity and knowledge transfer.

Skills

DoD acquisition

RDT&E prototyping

C5ISR

Cybersecurity integration

UxV systems

Modeling & simulation

Naval engineering

Senior advisory

Stakeholder comms

Clearance handling

Education

Bachelor's in engineering

Master's preferred

Tools

MIL-STD docs

CMMC compliance

Job description

DCS is looking a Senior Advisor will serve as a strategic, technical, and operational expert supporting NAVFAC EXWC's multidisciplinary RDT&E, prototyping, engineering, cyber, and unmanned systems missions. This role offers the opportunity to directly influence missioncritical decisions by providing seniorlevel guidance to program teams, technical leads, and government stakeholders. You'll ensure engineering approaches, technology development, cybersecurity integration, and operational planning remain technically sound, mission aligned, and compliant with DoD standards.

Although not a direct project management role, the Senior Advisor plays a pivotal part in shaping program execution-evaluating concepts, advising on engineering methods, guiding capability development, and offering informed recommendations across the full spectrum of activities outlined in the PWS. Candidates with deep NAVFAC EXWC or Naval RDT&E experience will thrive in this highvisibility, highimpact position supporting strategic decision making.

Essential Job Functions:

In this senior advisory capacity, you will provide expert insight across engineering, prototyping, cyber, ISR, modeling & simulation, and unmanned systems efforts spanning airborne, surface, subsurface, and littoral domains. You will work closely with government decision makers and multidisciplinary teams, reviewing analysis, prototypes, technical documentation, and test results to ensure alignment with mission priorities. Your expertise helps guide system architecture decisions, technology insertion planning, operational integration, and training development for nextgeneration capabilities.

Strategic & Technical Advisory

• Provide seniorlevel expertise across RDT&E efforts involving ES&C, C5ISR, ISR payloads, unmanned systems, cybersecurity, modeling & simulation, prototyping, and marine testing.
• Advise government leads on emerging technologies, capability gaps, and technical risk areas.
• Review engineering deliverables-including analyses, prototypes, TDPs, AoAs, STI reports, training packages, and integration plans-for accuracy and alignment with PWS requirements.
• Counsel program teams on DoD acquisition processes, standards, and compliance with NAVFAC EXWC mission needs.

Program, Technical & Mission Guidance

• Offer expert recommendations throughout concept design, prototype development, integration, and operational testing across multiple domains.
• Advise on system architecture design, interoperability challenges, cyber resiliency, and network or informationtransport performance.
• Help interpret modeling, simulation, test data, marine surveys, and UxV operational results to support informed decision making.
• Guide program teams on training standards, development of training packages, and TTPs for systems transitioning into operational use.

Oversight, Evaluation & Assurance

• Evaluate engineering approaches for feasibility, cost, schedule impact, technical risk, and mission alignment.
• Provide advisory oversight related to CMMC Level 2 requirements, clearances, classified facility needs, export controls, and handling of GFI/GFP.
• Review transitionin/transitionout plans and advise on continuity, risk mitigation, and knowledge transfer.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Serve as a senior technical representative in discussions with DoD partners, Intelligence Community organizations, laboratories, and international R&D collaborators.
• Deliver independent assessments during briefings, project reviews, and strategic planning sessions.

Required Skills:

• Due to the sensitivity of customer related requirements, U.S. Citizenship is required.
• Active Secret clearance required; TS/SCI highly preferred due to classified work and facility requirements in Ventura County.
• 12 years of seniorlevel experience in DoD science & technology, RDT&E, systems engineering, prototyping, ISR systems, UxVs, C5ISR, or naval expeditionary engineering; Prior experience with NAVFAC EXWC, NIWC PAC, NSWC PCD, NAVSEA, ONR, or similar naval engineering organizations.
• Bachelor's degree in engineering, physics, computer science, or related field; master's degree strongly preferred.
• Deep knowledge of ES&C engineering, prototyping, cybersecurity integration, modeling & simulation, sensor systems, and ISR interoperability supporting PWS Tasks 2-9.
• Familiarity with DoD acquisition documentation, technical data packages, MIL STDs, DFARS, DIACAP/RMF, and CMMC compliance requirements.
• Strong advisory and communication skills with the ability to distill complex information for senior leaders.
• Demonstrated ability to influence and guide teams without direct managerial authority.

Desired Skills:

• Prior NAVFAC EXWC Oceans Department (OC) experience.
• Experience supporting UxV operations, ISR payload integration, rapid prototyping, or missiondriven R&D.
• Knowledge of ITAR/EAR export controls and foreign disclosure processes.
• Experience advising on training package development and operationalization of prototype systems.

Pay Range and Benefits:

There are a variety of factors that can influence salary at DCS Corp, including but not limited to, geographic location, Federal Government contract labor categories and wage rates, relevant prior work experience, specific skills and competencies, education, and certifications.

The proposed salary range for this position is:

Salary Range: $123,639 - $222,211

At DCS, we pride ourselves on providing flexibility that allows employees to balance meaningful work with their personal lives. We offer competitive compensation, benefits, and opportunities for learning and development.

Our broad and competitive mix of benefits is designed to support and protect employees and their families. Our robust benefit offerings include medical, dental, 401k, ESOP, PTO, education reimbursement, work/life balance, parental and other leave programs.

Learn more about our benefits here: DCS Corp Benefits.