Targeting SME

Spear AI

$110K — $130K *
Aerospace & Defense
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Active TS/SCI clearance required; must obtain and maintain a CI Polygraph.
  • Operational experience supporting the Joint Targeting Cycle at a combatant command.
  • Expertise in intelligence support to targeting and object-based intelligence.
  • Experience in COCOM targeting support roles (CCMD J2T/J2C/J23 or similar).
  • Advanced target development and system analysis skills.
  • Ability to transition between operational contexts and technical development teams.
  • Must be a US Citizen.

Responsibilities

  • Leverage targeting expertise to enhance the Joint Targeting Cycle.
  • Identify operational integration opportunities with AI capabilities.
  • Conduct advanced target system analysis to inform capability direction.
  • Translate targeting processes into developer-friendly workflows and requirements.
  • Communicate tradeoffs and technical risks to diverse audiences.
  • Coordinate effectively between operational and technical teams.
  • Stay updated on theater-level targeting collaborations across entities.

Benefits

  • Unlimited PTO for maintaining work-life balance.
  • Dedicated Sick Time to prioritize health and well-being.
  • Comprehensive health coverage including medical, dental, and vision.
  • 11 paid holidays for personal time off throughout the year.
  • Professional development opportunities to enhance skills.
  • Collaborative work environment with direct engagement with leadership.
  • Mission-driven projects that contribute to national security.
  • Flexible work arrangements including onsite, remote, and hybrid options.
Full Job Description
What you'll do

We're a small team wearing many hats, and you'd have a wide variety of responsibilities that include:
• Bring combatant command targeting expertise to bear across the Joint Targeting Cycle
• Identify integration opportunities between operational workflows, data sources, and AI-enabled capabilities
• Apply advanced, systems-level target development (target system analysis) to shape capability direction
• Translate operational targeting processes into developer-consumable workflows, requirements, and user stories
• Communicate architectural tradeoffs, technical risks, integration constraints, and recommendations clearly to technical and non-technical audiences
• Coordinate across operational users, platform owners, and technical development teams
• Maintain awareness of theater-level targeting coordination across joint and service organizations
• Work with joint targeting tools, intelligence platforms, and data environments, and their governance and ownership structures

Important Skills
• Active TS/SCI required; must be able to obtain and maintain a Counterintelligence (CI) Polygraph.
• Demonstrated operational experience supporting the Joint Targeting Cycle at a combatant command (required).
• Deep understanding of intelligence support to targeting, including object-based intelligence and target development.
• Experience in COCOM targeting support roles such as CCMD J2T/J2C/J23 or equivalent.
• Advanced target development and target system analysis experience.
• Ability to move fluidly between the operations floor and the development team and turn a targeting problem into something engineers can build.
• US Citizenship required.
• Ability to support periodic travel (approximately every 30 days) to CCMDs, service components, operational units, and industry/vendor locations.
• Ability to operate in fast-paced, multi-vendor, government-led development environments with evolving priorities.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills across technical developers, operational users, senior leaders, and external vendors.

Nice to have
• CENTCOM targeting experience (ideal).
• Advanced target development or target system analysis experience at DIA or a CCMD J2 (highly preferred).
• Familiarity with weaponeering workflows and target-to-effects integration.
• Existing relationships with operational platform or data owners (highly desired).
• Experience supporting DoD software, AI/ML, or operational capability development programs.
• Experience in classified operational environments and cross-domain data constraints.
• Familiarity with Agile development practices, rapid capability delivery, and iterative user-feedback cycles.
• Military Intelligence or Intelligence Community experience.

What we offer
• Unlimited PTO - Take the time you need to recharge and maintain work-life balance.
• Dedicated Sick Time - Your health and well-being come first.
• Comprehensive Health & Benefits - Medical, dental, and vision coverage to keep you and your family protected.
• 11 Paid Holidays - Enjoy time off throughout the year to celebrate and spend time with loved ones.
• Professional Development - Educational opportunities and resources to help you grow your skills and advance your career.
• Collaborative Environment - Work directly with leadership in our flat organizational structure, where your ideas and contributions matter.
• Mission-Driven Work - Contribute to projects that directly support national security and make a real-world impact.
• Growth Opportunities - Join us during an exciting expansion phase where you can help shape our future.

Additional benefit opportunities when you choose Spear AI
• 401(k) with company match.
• Onsite / Remote / Flexible work arrangements or hybrid options (position dependent).
• Relocation assistance (position dependent).
• Referral bonuses.
• Performance bonuses.
• Life insurance and disability coverage.
• Technology home office setup stipend.
• Professional certification reimbursement (position dependent).

Compensation

We offer competitive compensation tailored to your experience, location, and the impact you'll make. We're committed to equitable pay and will share a range aligned to your level and geography during the hiring process. In accordance with state law, candidates in jurisdictions such as CA, CO, WA, NY, and others, where applicable, will be provided a good-faith salary range upon request and throughout the hiring process. This is a full-time, exempt position under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and is not eligible for overtime pay.

Compensation for this position is provided on a salaried basis and is not subject to reduction based on hours worked. At Spear AI, you'll find more than just a job; you'll join a mission-driven team where your work directly contributes to national security. Our flat organizational structure means your voice matters, your ideas reach leadership, and your impact is visible. As we grow, we're committed to building robust processes and infrastructure that support both our mission and our people. We value collaboration, continuous improvement, and the expertise each team member brings to the table. If you're looking for a place to grow professionally while working on projects that truly matter, we'd love to hear from you.

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