Senior Cyber Operations Lead

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At Leidos, we deliver innovative solutions through the efforts of our diverse and talented people who are dedicated to our customers’ success. We empower our teams, contribute to our communities, and operate sustainably. Everything we do is built on a commitment to do the right thing for our customers, our people, and our community.

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The Leidos National Security Sector combines technology-enabled services and mission software capabilities in the areas of cyber, logistics, security operations, and decision analytics to support our defense and intel customers’ mission to defend against evolving threats around the world.

Your greatest work is ahead!

The National Security Sector (NSS) is hiring for a Cyber Operations Lead to provide expert guidance and direction to planning activities that underpin United States Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM) Cyberspace Operational Support Services (COSS) program. You will provide Subject Matter Expertise on Cyber Operations to support Leidos on-site contract support to range of services provided to USCYBERCOM J3 (Operations), Cyber National Mission Force (CNMF), and Joint Task Force-Ares (JTF-ARES), that include Cyber Operational Planning, Strategy & Doctrine Development, conduct of Campaign Assessments, and ensuring secure IT Communications efforts focused on improving relationships with key partner nations.

This opportunity is in anticipation of a potential future contract award.

What you’ll be doing:

• Provide Subject Matter Expertise to USCYBERCOM J3/CNMF/JTF-ARES leadership on range of Cyber Operations (CO), to include strategic to tactical level guidance and planning support for offensive and defensive cyber operations. 
• Develop cyber strategy and associated documentation, identifying and offering solutions to gaps in capabilities.
• Lead and mentor elements engaged in CO, with focus on ensuring successful operational outcomes that meet Agency objectives. 
• Support continual skill development within all elements supporting CO through emphasis on coordination with training and exercise support staff to develop structured and ad hoc training. 
• Manage staff function to ensure operational demands are met.  
• Support targeting selection, validation, synchronization, and enable integration during the execution of activities within Cyber Warfare domain.
• Support Operational Plans (OPLANS), Operational Orders (OPORDs), and Fragmentary Orders (FRAGOs) development and implementation. 
• Incorporate outcomes of Joint Operational Planning Groups and Teams (OPG/OPT) into operational planning and execution.  
• Provide leadership and situational awareness across range of projects, Crisis Action Teams, and current operations activities supporting OPTs.
• Develop and review specific CO plans and guidance for integration into broader planning activities and to ensure that execution and resource allocation decisions align with organization objectives.
• Demonstrate knowledge of cyber threats and attack methods and techniques emanating from state and non-state adversaries. 
• Review, approve, prioritize, and submit operational requirements for research, development, and/or acquisition of cyber capabilities.
• Analyze and assess internal and external partner CO capabilities and tools.
• Support transition of operational planning efforts to current operations.
• Navigate organizational structure as it pertains to full spectrum CO, including the functions, responsibilities, and interrelationships among distinct internal elements.
• Integrate and synchronize intelligence planning activities with operational planning timelines.
• Conduct long-range, strategic planning efforts with internal and external partners in cyber activities.
• Interpret and apply laws, regulations, policies, and guidance relevant to organization cyber objectives.
• Support continual operational improvement through development, implementation, and coordination of continual feedback loop, ensuring assessments of operational outcomes are provided to executing entities and Agency J3/CNMF/JTF-ARES leadership. 
• Communicate complex information, concepts, or ideas in a confident and well-organized manner through verbal, written, and/or visual means.

What does Leidos need from me?

• Active Top Secret clearance with SCI eligibility and Polygraph required.
• BA/BS degree within STEM field, National Security Studies, or field of study supporting operational art and science with 10 to 15 years related experience or Masters’ degree with 8 to 10 years of experience. 
• Ten years’ or greater experience managing teams in support of CO within DoD or IC.
• Active Project Management Professional (PMP) certification or equivalent (i.e., Prince 2 certification, DAWIA Level III, etc.); OR additional four years recent (since 2013) experience in offensive cyberspace capabilities development, OR four years recent (since 2013) work experience as an Interactive On-Net Operator (ION).   
• Intimate familiarity with military operations including phases of planning, approval, and execution.
• Intimate familiarity with applicable Joint Publications, to include: JP 1-0 Joint Warfighting; JP 3-0 Joint Campaigns and Operations; JP 3-12 Joint Cyberspace Operations; and JP 5-0 Joint Planning, as well as applicable Strategic-level guidance pertinent to CO.  
• Four years’ experience as OCO planner; can waive two years of experience requirement for every year spent on a Combat Mission Team (CMT) in any work role; can waive two years work experience requirement for every year spent in an OCO planner role within a Joint Force Headquarters – Cyber (JFHQ-C) command; OR four years’ work experience in offensive cyberspace capabilities development; can waive two years of experience requirement for every year spent on a CMT in any work role.
• Broad knowledge of Blue-space Cyber capabilities and demonstrate understanding of available Cyber infrastructure or platforms to conduct OCO.
• Understanding underlying intelligence support needs, topics, and focus areas across range of CO. 
• Knowledge of computer networking fundamentals as well as concepts, terminology, and operations of a wide range of communications media (computer and telephone networks, satellite, fiber, wireless).
• Ability to support timely, accurate, relevant analytical production, to include documents, summaries, issue papers, talking points, and briefings.
• Demonstrated proficiency working in a fast-paced collaborative environment, ability to proactively multi-task and meet short deadlines.
• Strong interpersonal, critical thinking, and communication skills, including the ability to clearly convey complex and technical data to nontechnical consumers.
• Able to work across Department of Defense and Intelligence Community agencies to support organizational goals.

Favorable if you have:

• Masters’ Degree within STEM field, National Security Studies, or field of study supporting operational art and science.  
• Intimate familiarity with Agency organizational structure and mission. 
• Prior experience supporting Joint operations across multiple warfighting domains. 
• Demonstrated experience incorporating Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning into operations at any level to increase efficiency and effectiveness of operational outcomes.
• Experience with Space-enabled CO. 
• Joint Professional Military Education, Phase II (JPME II) graduate, or civilian equivalency.  
• Formal training within field of Cyber Warfare and Joint Operations.
• Familiar with art of Data Science and applicability to CO.
• Familiar with Microsoft Power BI data visualization software.  
• Formal training within field of Cyber Warfare and Joint Operations.
• Desired Certifications: DoD 8570 IAT Level II (CCNA Security, COMPTIA CySA+, COMPTIA Security + CE, GICSP, GSEC, SSCP).

COSS

If you're looking for comfort, keep scrolling. At Leidos, we outthink, outbuild, and outpace the status quo — because the mission demands it. We're not hiring followers. We're recruiting the ones who disrupt, provoke, and refuse to fail. Step 10 is ancient history. We're already at step 30 — and moving faster than anyone else dares.

The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.