Senior Program Protection Specialist

Air Combat Effectiveness Consulting Group (ACE Group), LLC; Lexington Park (MD); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

ACE Consulting Group seeks a Senior Program Protection Specialist to support DoD acquisition programs at Naval aviation program offices in Patuxent River, MD. You will lead program protection planning, CPI identification, and protection strategies across the lifecycle, working with PMs, systems engineers, and security teams.

The role requires 10+ years in DoD-related fields with 5+ years in program protection or system security engineering; active TS clearance is required.

Qualifications

• Over 10 years of experience in DoD acquisition, systems engineering, cybersecurity, or program protection.
• At least 5 years in program protection or system security engineering.
• Experience supporting Naval aviation or weapons system acquisition programs.
• Experience conducting risk assessments, vulnerability analysis, and protection strategy development.
• Strong technical writing and acquisition documentation skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop, review, and maintain Program Protection Plans per DoD and Navy policy.
• Identify CPI and mission-critical functions for aviation and weapons systems.
• Conduct threat-informed risk assessments of foreign intel, supply chain, and cyber threats.
• Integrate protection requirements with systems engineering, cybersecurity, and acquisition activities.
• Support Anti-Tamper and supply chain risk management strategies.
• Assist with milestone documentation including acquisition strategies and test docs.
• Coordinate protection activities with security offices, intelligence, and IPTs.
• Provide analysis, briefing materials, and reports for leadership.
• Participate in design reviews and milestone decisions to embed protection.

Skills

DoD acquisition

Systems engineering

Cybersecurity

Program protection

Technical writing

Acquisition documentation

Education

CISSP

Security+

DAWIA certification

Job description

POSITION DESCRIPTION

ACE Consulting Group is seeking a Senior Program Protection Specialist to support Department of Defense acquisition programs at Naval aviation program offices located in Patuxent River, MD.

The Senior Program Protection Specialist will provide subject matter expertise in program protection planning, system security engineering, and critical technology protection for advanced aviation and weapons systems. The candidate will support the development and implementation of Program Protection Plans (PPP), assist program offices in identifying and protecting Critical Program Information (CPI), and ensure protection strategies are integrated across the system lifecycle.

This position supports government program managers, systems engineers, and security organizations to ensure program protection requirements are incorporated into acquisition strategies, engineering efforts, and sustainment activities.

This position is contingent upon contract award.

Specific Duties And Responsibilities Include

• Develop, review, and maintain Program Protection Plans (PPP) in accordance with DoD and Navy policy.
• Identify and document Critical Program Information (CPI) and mission-critical functions/components for aviation and weapons systems.
• Conduct threat-informed risk assessments to evaluate vulnerabilities to foreign intelligence collection, supply chain compromise, and cyber threats.
• Integrate program protection requirements with systems engineering, cybersecurity, and acquisition activities.
• Support implementation of Anti-Tamper (AT) and supply chain risk management strategies.
• Assist program offices with milestone documentation including acquisition strategies, system engineering plans, and test documentation.
• Coordinate program protection activities with security offices, intelligence organizations, and program Integrated Product Teams (IPTs).
• Provide technical analysis, briefing materials, and written reports supporting program leadership and senior stakeholders.
• Participate in design reviews, risk assessments, and milestone decision reviews to ensure protection measures are incorporated into system design.
• Provide subject matter expertise on DoD program protection policies, procedures, and best practices.

Requirements

Experience

• Over 10 years of experience performing duties related to DoD acquisition, systems engineering, cybersecurity, or program protection.
• At least 5 years of experience supporting program protection or system security engineering activities.
• Experience supporting Naval aviation or weapons system acquisition programs.
• Demonstrated experience conducting risk assessments, vulnerability analysis, and protection strategy development for defense systems
• Strong experience in technical writing, analysis, and development of acquisition documentation.

Security

• Active Top Secret clearance with current background investigation is required.
• TS/SCI eligibility desired.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting Naval aviation program offices.
• Experience with Anti-Tamper, supply chain risk management, and system security engineering practices.
• Familiarity with DoD acquisition processes and milestone reviews.
• Professional certifications such as CISSP, Security+, or DAWIA certification.
• Experience supporting classified programs and working within secure DoD environments.

About ACE Group

ACE Group is a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business providing expertise in the operational application of current and future airborne weapons systems, emphasizing their lethality and survivability in the battlespace. Our employees draw from extensive operational, acquisition, and engineering experience to provide decision makers with the knowledge required to equip the Armed Services with affordable, lethal, and survivable weapons systems.

We serve as trusted agents within customer organizations, providing expertise in the design, development, procurement, and test and evaluation of advanced weapons and aviation platforms. Our philosophy is simple: success is grounded in service and honest relationships with our customers and employees.

ACE Consulting Group, LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer, including Disability/Veterans. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, protected veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.