SOF – Station Technical Operations Specialist

Rigid Tactical; Virginia Beach (VA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Rigid Tactical is seeking a Station Technical Operations Specialist to lead as the primary operator and SME for SOF exercise environments. You will deploy, configure, and maintain specialized intelligence collection, communications, EW, and surveillance systems in demanding expeditionary settings.

Expect strict adherence to OPSEC and military tradecraft, with collaboration across SOF assault teams, intelligence cells, and theater mission commanders to execute realistic technical injects and

Qualifications

• Five+ years of hands-on SOF, IC, or DIA technical ops experience.

Responsibilities

• Deploy, operate, and maintain specialized field equipment, secure communication nodes, tactical sensors, and arrays in expeditionary environments.

Skills

Special Operations

Intelligence Community

RF signature management

Tactical communications

UAS / Counter-UAS

Cyber-tactical tools

OPSEC

Education

DIA TOPS Course graduate

Security CE Certification

CCNA Certification

Tools

TACSAT

LOS radios

SDRs

Encrypted IP routing

Job description

Rigid Tactical is seeking a highly qualified Station Technical Operations Specialist to support future Special Operations Forces (SOF) exercise environments. Rigid Tactical provides premier operational, intelligence, and specialized technical support to the Department of Defense, Special Operations Command, and the Intelligence Community. We seek elite professionals who possess deep tactical experience, rigorous technical tradecraft, and a commitment to mission success.

The Station Technical Operations Specialist will serve as the primary technical operator and platform Subject Matter Expert (SME) during joint Special Operations Forces (SOF) training exercises. Operating within a tactical footprint, the specialist will plan, deploy, configure, and maintain specialized intelligence collection, communications, electronic warfare (EW), and technical surveillance/countermeasure systems in support of simulated multi-domain SOF operations.

This role requires strict adherence to military tradecraft, operational security (OPSEC), dynamic battlefield troubleshooting, and seamless cross-functional coordination with SOF assault teams, intelligence cells, and theater mission commanders.

• Location: CONUS
• Clearance: Secret

Qualification / Requirements:

• Minimum 5 years of hands-on experience in Special Operations, Intelligence Community (IC), or Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) technical operations (e.g., USSOCOM, JSOC, DIA S&T, or Service Component TechOps units)
• Must be a graduate of the formal Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) Technical Operations (TOPS) Course.
• Proven expertise in low-profile operational tradecraft, RF signature management, tactical power systems, micro-electronics, covert audio/video platforms, and tactical mesh networks.
• Advanced operational knowledge of tactical satellite communications (TACSAT), Line-of-Sight (LOS) radios, Software Defined Radios (SDRs), and encrypted IP routing.
• Prior experience supporting major SOF joint exercises (e.g., Emerald Warrior, Ridge Runner, Sage Eagle, or Trident Juncture).
• Advanced expertise in Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) / Counter-UAS platforms, EW detection arrays, or cyber-tactical exploitation tools.
• Certification in Security CE, Network , or CCNA.
• Familiarity with military operational planning processes (MDMP / SOF Deliberate & Time-Sensitive Planning).

Duties/ Responsibilities:

• Deploy, operate, and maintain specialized field equipment, secure communication nodes, tactical sensors, and specialized collection/transmission arrays in expeditionary environments.
• Execute rigid tactical tradecraft during station setup, disguise, remote placement, and recovery of technical devices in support of exercise injects.
• Conduct Technical Surveillance Countermeasures (TSCM) and RF spectrum sweeps to ensure SCIF/T-SCIF integrity and platform security.
• Manage station technical operations (TechOps) logs, frequencies, cryptographic keying material (COMSEC), and payload configurations.
• Interface directly with Exercise Control (EXCON) and SOF Task Force elements to plan, rehearse, and execute realistic technical injects aligned with exercise Master Scenario Events Lists (MSEL).
• Provide real-time technical troubleshooting and emergency casualty/failure workarounds under high-stress tactical conditions.
• Provide rapid technical exploitation and field processing of captured target devices/media in accordance with joint SOF doctrine.
• Maintain full compliance with DIA, USSOCOM, and theater-specific Technical Operations directives and security guidelines.
• Perform pre-mission operational checks, bench testing, and routine maintenance on specialized hardware, firmware, and software arrays.
• Deliver daily tactical sitreps (SITREPs), equipment status logs, and post-exercise hot-wash technical debriefs to military leadership.