Senior Mission Manager with Security Clearance

Nightwing; Sterling (VA); On-site; USD 99,000 - 206,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Vision insurance

Dental insurance

401k plan

Paid time off (PTO)

Job summary

Nightwing in Northern Virginia seeks an experienced Senior Mission Manager to lead sensitive intelligence and ISR operations in a high-stakes 24/7 environment. You will coordinate resources, manage operational risk, and provide actionable intelligence through direct leadership of multi-organizational teams.

You will oversee mission execution, communicate complex data clearly, and mentor junior personnel while supporting travel and surge requirements as needed.

Qualifications

• Active TS/SCI clearance with polygraph or ability to obtain it.
• 8+ years of relevant professional experience in intelligence, DoD, or high-consequence environments.
• 6+ years in intelligence, DoD, or related operations.
• Experience coordinating or leading sensitive missions and persistent collection operations.
• Experience making complex operational decisions under pressure.
• Experience with mission-management tools and operational platforms.
• Ability to work rotating 24/7 shifts.

Responsibilities

• Lead coordination, resourcing, execution, and oversight of persistent collection operations.
• Direct sensitive missions in a 24/7 operations center.
• Develop and execute approaches to maximize collection effectiveness and resource use.
• Coordinate with in-house and mission-partner teams across dispersed locations.
• Assess operational risk, priorities, and tradecraft implications of decisions.
• Make time-critical recommendations and decisions under pressure.
• Support assessments, briefings, and senior-level recommendations.
• Mentor junior personnel and support team readiness.
• Travel as required for missions and exercises.
• Perform other mission leadership duties as assigned.

Skills

Clearance: TS/SCI

8+ years experience

ISR/collection ops

Operational leadership

Risk assessment

Briefings/written comms

Shift work 24/7

Education

High school diploma or GED

Bachelor's degree in related field

Master's degree in relevant discipline

Tools

Command-and-control systems

Mission-management systems

SIGINT workflows

GEOINT workflows

OSINT workflows

Job description

Nightwing provides technically advanced full-spectrum cyber, data operations, systems integration and intelligence mission support services to meet our customers' most demanding challenges. Our capabilities include cyber space operations, cyber defense and resiliency, vulnerability research, ubiquitous technical surveillance, data intelligence, lifecycle mission enablement, and software modernization. Nightwing brings disruptive technologies, agility, and competitive offerings to customers in the intelligence community, defense, civil, and commercial markets. Nightwing is seeking an experienced and cleared Senior Mission Manager in the Northern Virginia area. This position requires work in a secure, mission-focused operations environment. Rotating shift work may include nights, weekends, holidays, and surge support based on mission requirements. This position may require travel as determined by the Customer. Position Summary The Senior Mission Manager will lead and coordinate sensitive intelligence, ISR, and collection operations in a fast-paced 24/7 mission operations center. This role is responsible for directing mission execution, coordinating resources, managing operational risk, and enabling actionable intelligence against high-priority national security threats. The successful candidate will bring mature operational judgment, experience in high-consequence mission environments, and the ability to lead multi-organizational teams under pressure. This role requires the ability to make complex, multi-factor decisions, understand tactical and strategic mission impacts, and communicate clearly with analysts, operators, mission partners, and senior stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the coordination, resourcing, execution, and oversight of persistent collection operations supporting defined intelligence requirements.
• Direct sensitive missions in a fast-paced, high-impact 24/7 operations center.
• Develop and execute operational approaches that maximize collection effectiveness and resource utilization.
• Coordinate with in-house teams, geographically dispersed elements, mission partners, and other organizations supporting intelligence and operational objectives.
• Assess operational risk, mission priorities, collection gaps, resource constraints, and tactical-to-strategic implications of mission decisions.
• Make time-critical recommendations and operational decisions under pressure.
• Apply knowledge of collection platforms, ISR capabilities, command-and-control systems, and mission-management tools to support operational outcomes.
• Integrate information from multiple sources, including intelligence reporting, operational feeds, collection systems, and mission partner inputs.
• Support all-source intelligence and collection workflows, including SIGINT, GEOINT, OSINT, open-source information, and other relevant sources as required.
• Lead or support mission partner coordination in a 24/7/365 watch-floor or operations-center environment.
• Build operational understanding of assigned targets, areas of responsibility, mission tools, and customer tradecraft.
• Support the development of assessments, briefings, operational summaries, and senior-level recommendations.
• Mentor junior personnel and support team development, knowledge transfer, and operational readiness.
• Support domestic and international travel, exercises, or short-duration deployments as required.
• Perform other mission leadership or operational support duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Active TS/SCI clearance with polygraph, or ability to obtain and maintain required clearance and polygraph eligibility based on contract requirements.
• 8+ years of relevant professional experience, or equivalent combination of education, training, military, law enforcement, intelligence, or operational experience.
• 6+ years of experience in intelligence, DoD, federal law enforcement, military operations, tactical operations, ISR, collection operations, aviation operations, crisis response, or other high-consequence operational environments.
• Experience coordinating or leading sensitive missions, persistent collection operations, mission integration activities, ISR operations, or related intelligence operations.
• Experience making complex operational decisions in high-stress or high-risk environments.
• Experience working with tactical ground operations, tactical air operations, command-and-control tools, mission-management systems, or operational platforms.
• Experience coordinating multi-organizational teams, mission partners, or geographically dispersed operational elements.
• Knowledge of collection requirements, resource allocation, mission execution, and operational tradecraft.
• Ability to work rotating shifts in a 24/7 operations center, including nights, weekends, and holidays.
• Ability to communicate complex operational information clearly through briefings, written products, recommendations, and shift turnover materials.
• High school diploma or GED.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in intelligence studies, national security, international affairs, military studies, aviation, criminal justice, emergency management, or a related field.
• Master's degree in a relevant discipline.
• Prior mission management, watch-floor leadership, program leadership, team lead, or operations leadership experience.
• Experience with mission integration, dynamic ISR operations, collection management, or all-source intelligence operations.
• Experience supporting strategic-level targets, national-level threats, or assigned areas of responsibility.
• Experience applying customer or sponsor tradecraft to operational decision-making.
• Experience with SIGINT, GEOINT, OSINT, open-source information, and multi-source intelligence workflows.
• Experience developing assessments, operational narratives, targeting support products, or senior decision-support materials.
• Experience supporting domestic or international deployments, exercises, or field-based mission requirements.
• Valid driver's license and REAL ID, if required for site access or mission travel.

Salary & Benefits

The salary associated with this position ($99,000-$206,000) is commensurate with the selected candidate's qualifications, years of relevant experience, and demonstrated level of expertise. Compensation will be determined based on these factors to ensure alignment with skills, responsibilities, and market standards.

• Nightwing offers medical, vision and dental insurance coverage in addition to a 401k plan, PTO, Holidays, and additional insurances.

Nightwing is An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status, age or any other federally protected class.