Watch Operator – Junior

KBR Careers; Chantilly (VA); On-site; USD 102,000 - 124,000; Full time

Job summary

KBR is seeking a Jr. Watch Operator to provide real-time monitoring and operational support for mission-critical systems in a 24/7 environment at a government facility in Virginia. This full-time, on-site role requires strong attention to detail and the ability to work under pressure.

Responsibilities include monitoring systems, logging events, incident triage, and coordinating with engineers to ensure continuous availability and security of enterprise systems. A TS/SCI clearance is required.

Qualifications

• Master's degree with 1 year of relevant experience OR Bachelor's degree with 2 years of relevant experience OR no degree with 4 years of relevant experience.
• Experience with operational monitoring tools, dashboards, or incident management systems.
• Ability to work rotating shifts in a 24/7 operational environment.
• Active TS/SCI clearance with adjudicated polygraph.

Responsibilities

• Monitor operational systems, dashboards, and alerts to ensure continuous availability and performance.
• Detect and escalate anomalies, outages, or security incidents per SOPs.
• Maintain accurate event logs and system status updates.
• Support incident triage and coordinate with technical teams for timely resolution.
• Provide situational awareness updates and briefings to leadership during events.
• Participate in shift handovers to ensure continuity of operations.

Skills

Operational monitoring

Incident management

24/7 shift work

TS/SCI clearance

Education

Master's degree

Bachelor's degree

No degree with 4 years experience

Tools

Monitoring dashboards

Job description

Belong. Connect. Grow. with KBR! KBR's National Security Solutions team provides high-end engineering and advanced technology solutions to our customers in the intelligence and national security communities. In this position, your work will have a profound impact on the country's most critical role - protecting our national security.

Title

Watch Operator - Junior

Belong. Connect. Grow. with KBR! KBR's National Security Solutions team provides high-end engineering and advanced technology solutions to our customers in the intelligence and national security communities. In this position, your work will have a profound impact on the country's most critical role - protecting our national security.

Why Join Us?

• Innovative Projects: KBR's work is at the forefront of engineering, logistics, operations, science, program management, mission IT and cybersecurity solutions.
• Collaborative Environment: Be part of a dynamic team that thrives on collaboration and innovation, fostering a supportive and intellectually stimulating workplace.
• Impactful Work: Your contributions will be pivotal in designing and optimizing defense systems that ensure national security and shape the future of space defense.

This is a contingent position based upon contract award

KBR is seeking a Jr. Watch Operator to provide real-time monitoring and operational support for mission-critical systems in a 24/7 environment. This role ensures continuous situational awareness, identifies anomalies, and escalates incidents according to established protocols. The specialist will maintain accurate event logs, assist in incident response, and coordinate with internal teams to resolve operational issues. Strong attention to detail and the ability to work effectively under pressure are essential for success. This position offers an opportunity to gain hands-on experience in watch operations and contribute to the reliability and security of enterprise systems. This role is performed full-time on site at a government facility and is contingent upon contract award.

Primary Responsibilities

• Monitor operational systems, dashboards, and alerts to ensure continuous availability and performance.
• Detect and escalation anomalies, outages, or security incidents in accordance with standard operating procedures.
• Maintain accurate documentation of events, actions taken, and system status updates.
• Support incident triage & coordinate with technical teams for timely resolution.
• Provide situational awareness updates & briefings to leadership during operational events.
• Participate in shift handovers to ensure continuity of operations across watch teams.
• Assist in refining operational procedures and contributing to process improvements.
• Operate within a 24/7 shift schedule, including nights, weekends, and holidays.

Required Qualifications

• Education & Experience: Master's degree and 1 year of relevant experience with demonstrated expertise; OR Bachelor's degree and 2 years of relevant experience with demonstrated expertise; OR No degree and 4 years of relevant experience with demonstrated expertise.
• Experience with operational monitoring tools, dashboards, or incident management systems.
• Ability to work rotating shifts in a 24/7 operational environment.
• Familiarity with standard incident response and escalation procedures.
• Active Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) clearance with adjudicated polygraph.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in a Network Operations Center (NOC), Security Operations Center (SOC), or similar watch-floor environment.
• Knowledge of IT infrastructure components (servers, networks, cloud services) and their operational dependencies.
• Exposure to cybersecurity principles and practices in an operational setting.

Basic Compensation

$101,700 - $124,300

This range is for the Virginia area only

The offered rate will be based on the selected candidate's knowledge, skills, abilities and/or experience and in consideration of internal parity.

Additional Compensation

• KBR may offer bonuses, commissions, or other forms of compensation to certain job titles or levels, per internal policy or contractual designation.
• Additional compensation may be in the form of sign on bonus, relocation benefits, short-term incentives, long-term incentives, or discretionary payments for exceptional performance.

Belong, Connect and Grow at KBR

At KBR, we are passionate about our people and our Zero Harm culture. These inform all that we do and are at the heart of our commitment to, and ongoing journey toward being a People First company. That commitment is central to our team of team's philosophy and fosters an environment where everyone can Belong, Connect and Grow. We Deliver - Together.

KBR is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, veteran status, genetic information, union status and/or beliefs, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.