Senior Defense Systems Analyst - T&E & Data Insights

Institute For Defense Analyses, Inc.; Alexandria (VA); Hybrid; USD 113,000 - 277,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical plans

Dental & Vision

Retirement plan

Flexible work environment

Employee Assistance Plan

Paid parental leave

10 paid holidays

Generous paid time off

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

The Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) seeks an experienced Research Analyst to join the Science, Systems, and Sustainment Division (S3D). This role conducts rigorous analyses of complex military systems to support Department of War (DoW) acquisition and operational decisions.

You will plan, analyze, and report on assessments across domains such as autonomous systems, contested logistics, and space systems. A Ph.D. or Master’s with extensive experience, plus TS/SCI clearance, are required.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. or Master's with required DoW-focused experience.
• Experience in military systems analysis.
• Ability to obtain and maintain TS/SCI clearance.
• Willingness for domestic and international travel.

Responsibilities

• Design and execute T&E frameworks to assess systems performance.
• Conduct technical analyses of systems’ effectiveness, suitability, survivability.
• Utilize data analytics and visualization to translate datasets into insights.
• Produce high-impact reports for technical and non-technical audiences, including senior DoW leadership.

Skills

DoW operations

Acquisition lifecycle

Test & evaluation

Military systems analysis

Technical communication

TS/SCI clearance

Education

PhD in quantitative field (EE/Physics/Chem/Math)

Master's degree +6 years experience

Tools

MATLAB

C++

Python

Job description

The Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) seeks an experienced Research Analyst to join the Science, Systems, and Sustainment Division (S3D). This role conducts rigorous analyses of complex military systems to support Department of War (DoW) acquisition and operational decisions.

You will plan, analyze, and report on assessments across domains such as autonomous systems, contested logistics, and space systems. A Ph.D. or Master’s with extensive experience, plus TS/SCI clearance, are required.