Everforth ECS is seeking a Technical SETA Lead - BTO to work in our Arlington, VA (hybrid work schedule) office. Please Note: This position is contingent upon contract award.
ECS seeks a Technical Science, Engineering, and Technical Advisory (SETA) candidate to provide onsite support to DARPA’s Biological Technologies Office (BTO). BTO is a unique technical office that leverages the power of biology as a technology to develop revolutionary capabilities for the Department of Defense. BTO’s mission focuses on ensuring U.S. technological dominance by pioneering breakthroughs in areas such as human performance, out-pacing infectious diseases, synthetic biology, neurotechnology, and the development of resilient biological systems.
The successful candidate will serve as a functional lead for all Technical SETAs under this contract. The candidate will also support a DARPA Program Manager (PM) by participating in or leading all activities in project management, technical and programmatic risk analysis, program-funded test coordination, and coordination with members of the Department of Defense and interagency partners for transition. The candidate will also be responsible for coordinating meetings, assessing performer technical progress, projecting performer outcomes, and ensuring that project management best practices are followed by performers, independent verification and validation (IV&V) entities funded by DARPA, and within DARPA itself. Duties range from developing point papers, slide decks, and other materials that convey the need, status, and importance of a program to researching unique biological and biotechnological problem sets to aid in National Security priorities.
Preferred Qualifications- Ability to obtain and maintain a minimum of a DoD Secret clearance.
- PhD in Biology, Biochemistry, Bioengineering, Neuroscience, Molecular Biology, Synthetic Biology, or a closely related field.
- 3+ years of experience in a research or technical advisory capacity.
- Ability to communicate effectively with excellent oral and written skills.
- Ability to learn new subjects and gain rapid insights into current and next-generation research topics, preferably with hands-on leadership of research programs at the performer level in multidisciplinary fields (e.g., the intersection of biology and materials science or electronics).
Skills Required
- PhD in Biology, Biochemistry, Bioengineering, Neuroscience, Molecular Biology, Synthetic Biology, or a closely related field
- 3+ years of experience in a research or technical advisory capacity
- Ability to communicate effectively with excellent oral and written skills
- Ability to obtain and maintain a minimum of a DoD Secret clearance
ECS Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about ECS and has not been reviewed or approved by ECS.
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Healthcare Strength — ECS advertises multiple national-network medical plan options with HSA eligibility alongside dental and vision coverage. Coverage generally begins quickly and is paired with company-paid short- and long-term disability, adding stability to the health package.
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Retirement Support — A 401(k) with Safe Harbor and immediate vesting on employer contributions is emphasized, with an employer match available. Access to an employee stock purchase plan via the parent company provides an additional savings avenue.
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Parental & Family Support — Paid parental leave up to 30 days, adoption assistance, and other family-oriented leaves are highlighted. Feedback suggests these offerings add meaningful value beyond base pay for many roles.
ECS Insights
What We Do
ECS, a segment of ASGN (NYSE: ASGN), delivers advanced solutions and services in cloud, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), application and IT modernization, and science and engineering. The company solves critical, complex challenges for customers across the U.S. public sector, defense, intelligence and commercial industries. ECS maintains partnerships with leading cloud, cybersecurity, and AI/ML providers and holds specialized certifications in their technologies. Headquartered in Fairfax, Virginia, ECS has more than 3,400 employees throughout the U.S. and has been recognized as a Top Workplace by The Washington Post for the last five years.






