Strategic Operations Analyst

Thompson Gray, Inc.

$90K — $120K *
Education, Government & Non-Profit
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Active Secret Security Clearance; TS/SCI preferred.
  • Bachelor's degree in Strategic Studies, National Security, Public Policy, Business, or related field; Master's degree strongly preferred.
  • 10+ years of experience in strategy development, senior advisory, or analytical roles within the DoD or federal government.
  • Proven ability to advise and influence senior military or civilian leadership, such as flag officers or SES.
  • Deep understanding of Army and DoD acquisition ecosystem, including policies and funding mechanisms.
  • Exceptional analytical skills to translate complex problems into strategic recommendations.
  • Outstanding communication skills for producing executive-level documents under tight deadlines.
  • Willingness to travel 50-60% of the time.

Responsibilities

  • Serve as the principal strategic advisor to the G-TEAD Director, providing informed counsel on direction and priorities.
  • Analyze complex problems, pressure-testing assumptions, and offering independent strategic insight.
  • Prepare high-quality decision support products and executive briefings for senior leadership.
  • Lead development of G-TEAD's strategic framework aligned with Army and DoD modernization goals.
  • Assess Army acquisition landscape to identify strategic opportunities and risks.
  • Maintain a coherent strategic narrative for G-TEAD that articulates its mission and value.
  • Engage with key policy and congressional stakeholders to inform G-TEAD's strategic approach.

Benefits

  • Full-time onsite role with opportunities for high-level engagement across DoD.
  • Direct impact on Army modernization policies and acquisition strategies.
  • Significant travel for professional exposure and relationship-building.
  • Engagement with senior leadership and stakeholders in a strategic advisory capacity.
Full Job Description
Job Description:

We are seeking a highly experienced and strategically minded Strategic Operations Analyst to support our G-TEAD (Global Tactical Edge Acquisition Directorate) effort in Huntsville, AL. This is a senior advisory role serving as the principal strategic advisor and trusted counsel to the Director of G-TEAD. The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in strategy development, organizational positioning, and high-level stakeholder engagement, and can translate complex operating environments into clear strategic direction. The Strategic Operations Analyst will shape how G-TEAD prioritizes its efforts, communicates its value, and positions itself across the broader Army and DoD acquisition enterprise. This is not a staff coordination role - it is a thinking partner role, requiring someone who can operate at the intersection of strategy, policy, and capability development with minimal direction. This position requires significant travel (50-60%) to Army installations, partner commands, and senior leader engagements.

Full-Time/Part-Time: Full-Time Onsite

Worksite Details: Onsite (MUST BE ONSITE, NO OPTION FOR REMOTE SUPPORT)

Location: Huntsville, AL

Travel Requirement: 50-60% travel required to Army installations, G-TEAD field locations, and senior leader engagements.

Duties will include:

Strategic Advising & Director Counsel:
  • Serve as the Director's principal strategic advisor, providing candid, informed counsel on organizational direction, priorities, and key decisions across all G-TEAD mission areas.
  • Help the Director think through complex, ambiguous problems - pressure-testing assumptions, identifying second-order effects, and offering independent strategic perspective.
  • Prepare and deliver high-quality decision support products, strategic assessments, and executive briefings that distill complex information into clear recommendations for senior leadership.
  • Represent the Director's strategic intent in engagements with Army leadership, partner organizations, and industry when delegated.

Strategy Development & Organizational Positioning:
  • Lead the development and refinement of G-TEAD's strategic framework, including long-range plans, organizational priorities, and campaign objectives aligned with Army and DoD modernization goals.
  • Assess the evolving Army acquisition and technology landscape to identify strategic opportunities, risks, and inflection points relevant to G-TEAD's mission.
  • Develop and maintain a coherent strategic narrative for G-TEAD that articulates the organization's mission, value proposition, and vision to internal and external audiences.
  • Translate strategic priorities into actionable guidance and recommendations that can be executed across G-TEAD's distributed enterprise.

Policy & Environmental Analysis:
  • Monitor and analyze policy, legislative, and budgetary developments across the DoD and Army enterprise that could affect G-TEAD's authorities, resources, or mission scope.
  • Provide the Director with timely, objective analysis of how shifts in Army strategy, acquisition policy, or operational requirements should inform G-TEAD's approach.
  • Engage with Congressional staff, OSD policy offices, and Army staff elements to shape and inform policy outcomes relevant to G-TEAD.
  • Identify and assess emerging technology trends and their implications for G-TEAD's acquisition and transition strategy.

Senior Stakeholder Engagement & Strategic Communications:
  • Develop and advance G-TEAD's engagement strategy with senior Army and DoD leadership, industry partners, and the operational community.
  • Craft strategic communications, white papers, and position documents that articulate G-TEAD's priorities and influence enterprise-level decisions.
  • Build and sustain trusted relationships with key stakeholders across the acquisition, requirements, and operational communities to advance G-TEAD's strategic interests.
  • Support the Director in preparing for and executing high-visibility engagements including senior leader forums, industry days, and Congressional interactions.

Position Requirements:
  • Must possess an active Secret Security Clearance; TS/SCI preferred.
  • Bachelor's degree in Strategic Studies, National Security, Public Policy, Business, or a related field; Master's degree strongly preferred.
  • Minimum of 10 years of experience in strategy development, senior advisory, or high-level analytical roles within the DoD or federal government.
  • Demonstrated ability to advise and influence senior military or civilian leadership (flag officer, SES, or equivalent level).
  • Deep understanding of the Army and DoD acquisition ecosystem, including policy frameworks, funding mechanisms, and institutional equities.
  • Exceptional analytical and critical thinking skills with a track record of translating ambiguous, complex problems into clear strategic recommendations.
  • Outstanding written and verbal communication skills; must be able to produce polished executive-level products independently and under tight timelines.
  • Comfortable operating with significant autonomy in dynamic, high-visibility environments.
  • Ability and willingness to travel 50-60% of the time.
  • Proficiency in the Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).

Preferred Experience:
  • Experience in a dedicated strategy, policy, or advisory role at the Army enterprise or joint level (e.g., HQDA, OSD, combatant command, or equivalent).
  • Background in defense acquisition policy, technology transition strategy, or capability development at the program or enterprise level.
  • Familiarity with Army modernization priorities and the capability development pipeline (JCIDS, DAS, PPBE).
  • Experience engaging with Congressional staff, OSD, or interagency partners on acquisition and technology policy matters.
  • Knowledge of emerging technology domains relevant to Army modernization (e.g., C5ISR, autonomous systems, directed energy, space).
  • Graduate-level education in strategy, national security, or public policy.

Similar Jobs

More Jobs at Thompson Gray, Inc.

  • Strategic Operations Analyst
    $90K — $120K *
    Huntsville, AL 35810 (Madison County)
    Education, Government & Non-Profit
    In-Person
  • Systems Engineer
    $160K — $180K *
    Warren, MI 48089 (Macomb County)
    Aerospace & Defense
    In-Person
  • Systems Engineer
    $180K — $200K *
    Aberdeen, MD 21001 (Harford County)
    Aerospace & Defense
    In-Person
  • Senior Acquisition Analyst
    $75K — $95K *
    Shaw Afb, SC 29152 (Sumter County)
    Aerospace & Defense
    In-Person
  • Systems Engineer
    $90K — $120K *
    Shaw Afb, SC 29152 (Sumter County)
    Aerospace & Defense
    In-Person

More Education, Government & Non-Profit Jobs

Find similar Strategic Operations Analyst jobs: