Job Title: Program Protection Plan (PPP) Advisor / Coordinator
Location(s): Fort Meade, MD
Hours: Regular Full-Time
Salary Range: $94k/yr - $130k/yr
Clearance Requirements:This position requires a current and active TS/SCI at the time of application.
Position Overview:The Program Protection Plan (PPP) Advisor/Coordinator serves as the lead subject matter expert (SME) and technical advisor responsible for safeguarding advanced military technologies, systems, and information throughout the acquisition lifecycle. Emphasizing the principles of systems security engineering (SSE) as established in the Defense Acquisition University (DAU) course ACQ 160 / ACQ 1600 (Program Protection Planning Awareness), the advisor leads efforts to prevent, detect, and respond to program protection challenges.
The advisor collaborates across the Integrated Product Team (IPT) to ensure that Critical Program Information (CPI) and Mission Critical Functions (MCF) are systematically identified, assessed, and protected against exploitation, reverse engineering, and unauthorized replication. This role is vital for ensuring compliance with Department of Defense (DoD) directives while engineering inherently secure and resilient defense systems.
What you will be doing:- Lead the development, coordination, implementation, and recurring review of the comprehensive Program Protection Plan (PPP) and its associated annexes throughout the system development lifecycle (SDLC).
- Ensure program protection tenets are seamlessly integrated into the program's Systems Engineering Plan (SEP), Life Cycle Sustainment Plan (LCSP), and cybersecurity strategies.
- Draft, coordinate, and maintain time-phased, event-driven Security Classification Guides (SCGs), Operations Security (OPSEC) plans, and program security directives.
- Coordinate DD Form 254 (DoD Contract Security Classification Specification) requirements and integrate program protection mandates into contractual commitments with prime defense contractors.
Technology & Critical Program Information (CPI) Protection
- Lead vulnerability and criticality analyses to identify organic and inherited Critical Program Information (CPI) and identify vulnerable nodes in weapon systems architectures.
- Utilize the Acquisition Security Database (ASDB) to maintain, track, and report on the program's CPI inventory to enable horizontal protection across acquisition pathways.
- Interface with specialized systems security engineering teams to evaluate and recommend anti-tamper (AT) technologies, cryptographic controls, and secure boot architectures to protect CPI from exploitation.
Supply Chain Risk Management (SCRM) & Mission Assurance
- Conduct complex threat-informed assessments and supply chain mapping to evaluate vulnerabilities in hardware, software, and firmware.
- Analyze supply chain threat intelligence to identify risks posed by foreign intelligence and malicious actors, articulating the potential mission impact to leadership.
- Collaborate with cybersecurity teams to align program protection measures with the Risk Management Framework (RMF) and DoD cybersecurity policies (e.g., DoDI 5200.44).
- Working Groups & Stakeholder Integration
- Direct Program Protection Working Groups (PPWGs) and System Security Engineering (SSE) teams to foster collaborative, cross-functional risk management.
- Serve as the primary liaison between the government program office, defense contractor security representatives, military intelligence, and technology security directorates.
- Support milestone decision reviews (e.g., Preliminary Design Review, Critical Design Review) to ensure program protection controls are validated and implemented in system designs.
Training, Evaluation, & Policy Compliance
- Conduct internal self-inspections, facilitate government security audits, and evaluate prime contractor Program Protection Implementation Plans (PPIPs) for policy compliance.
- Develop and present comprehensive briefings to program leadership, translating complex technical threat assessments into actionable risk management decisions.
- Conduct indoctrination training and organizational awareness briefings on program protection policies, OPSEC, and emerging threat trends.
Position Requirements:Experience:
- Minimum of 5-10 years of experience in DoD system acquisition, systems security engineering (SSE), cybersecurity, or technology protection.
Education:
- Bachelor's degree in Systems Engineering, Computer Science, Security Studies, or a related technical discipline (equivalent experience may be considered).
Certifications/Training:
- Foundational Coursework: Mandatory completion of DAU course ACQ 160 / ACQ 1600 (Program Protection Planning Awareness) within 60 days of hire.
- Practitioner Coursework: Completion of DAU course ENG 260 (Program Protection for Practitioners).
- Anti-Tamper Training: Completion of DAU course CLE 022 (Program Manager Introduction to Anti-Tamper).
Preferred Certifications:
- DoD Security Professional Education Development (SPeD) Certification
- Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) or Information Systems Security Engineering Professional (ISSEP).
- Relevant DAWIA certifications in Engineering & Technical Management (ETM) or Program Management.
Key Competencies:
- Regulatory Knowledge: Deep understanding of DoD acquisition security directives, including DoDI 5200.39 (CPI Identification and Protection), DoDI 5200.44 (Trusted Systems and Networks), and DoDD 5200.47E (Anti-Tamper).
- Security Architecture Integration: Familiarity with NIST SP 800-160 (Systems Security Engineering) standards and advanced secure design concepts.
- Executive Communication: Demonstrated ability to write decision-ready briefs, white papers, and risk mitigation strategies that bridge the gap between engineering complexities and executive decision-making.
- Critical Thinking: Skill in analyzing diverse threat vectors (cyber, supply chain, intelligence) to prioritize program resources and coordinate defense measures effectively.
Physical RequirementsThis is largely a sedentary role; however, some filing is required. The ability to move files, open filing cabinets, and bend or stand as necessary would be required.
