About the Role:We are seeking a Senior Defense Technology Acquisition Advisor to provide strategic acquisition, technology evaluation, programmatic, and industry-engagement expertise supporting the assessment and transition of emerging defense and national-security technologies.
The ideal candidate brings 15+ years of experience in defense acquisition, program management, technology transition, commercial technology, or related national-security fields. This individual will evaluate technologies and companies from both a mission and business perspective, assessing operational relevance, acquisition readiness, affordability, scalability, risk, and potential pathways to adoption.
The successful candidate will be a trusted advisor who can translate complex technical, commercial, financial, and acquisition information into clear recommendations for senior leaders.
Location: On-Site, Fort Belvoir, VA (No relocation assistance provided)
Clearance Requirements:- Required: Active TS/SCI
- Applicants selected may be subject to a government security investigation.
- USA Citizenship (required)
Responsibilities:- Evaluate emerging defense, dual-use, and commercial technologies for mission relevance, maturity, acquisition readiness, affordability, and transition potential.
- Assess technology companies and vendors, including business viability, funding, intellectual property, data rights, supply-chain resilience, and ability to scale.
- Develop acquisition and technology-transition strategies from prototype through adoption and sustained operations.
- Conduct market research and competitive assessments of technology providers and industry trends.
- Engage with defense contractors, startups, commercial technology companies, investors, academic institutions, and other technology providers.
- Assess acquisition, contracting, funding, cost, schedule, performance, and programmatic considerations.
- Identify transition sponsors, resource requirements, organizational dependencies, and barriers to adoption.
- Develop technology pipelines, portfolio assessments, business cases, affordability analyses, and risk assessments.
- Prepare executive briefings, decision memoranda, read-aheads, issue papers, and recommendations for senior leaders.
- Translate complex technical, commercial, financial, and operational information into concise, actionable recommendations.
- Provide objective advisory support while maintaining appropriate separation from formal acquisition decision-making.
Minimum Qualifications:- Bachelor's degree in business, acquisition management, public administration, national security, economics, engineering management, program management, or related field; equivalent experience may be considered.
- 15+ years of progressively responsible experience in defense acquisition, federal program management, technology transition, commercial technology, industry engagement, or related national-security work.
- Experience supporting defense or federal acquisition, including market research, acquisition planning, requirements, program management, or technology transition.
- Strong understanding of acquisition, cost, schedule, performance, affordability, resourcing, and program risk.
- Experience evaluating commercial companies, defense contractors, emerging technologies, or technology-enabled capabilities.
- Working knowledge of intellectual property, software licensing, data rights, supply-chain risk, and vendor viability.
- Demonstrated ability to synthesize complex information into clear recommendations and brief senior leaders.
- Excellent written, verbal, analytical, and presentation skills.
- Ability to obtain and maintain a TS/SCI clearance.
Preferred Qualifications:- Advanced degree in business, public policy, acquisition management, national security, engineering management, economics, or related field.
- Experience supporting Army, Joint Force, Intelligence Community, or other federal national-security organizations.
- Experience as a program, product, acquisition, portfolio, or technology-transition manager; business-development executive; or senior defense-industry leader.
- Experience with nontraditional acquisition, rapid prototyping, experimentation, commercial technology adoption, or defense innovation.
- Experience working with startups, venture-backed companies, small businesses, or dual-use technology companies.
- Familiarity with Army intelligence, modernization, data, or enterprise technology environments.
- Experience with business-case development, affordability analysis, investment strategy, or portfolio management.
- DAWIA, PMP, Agile, or comparable professional certification.
