Location: Fort Bragg, North Carolina
Job Type: Full-Time Equivalent (FTE)
Security Clearance: Active SECRET Clearance Required
Position Overview:
Check Defense is a fast-growing federal contractor seeking a qualified Senior Operations Subject Matter Expert (SME) to serve as a key member of the Special Operations Mission Training Center (SOMTC) Mission Command Exercise Branch, supporting the planning, development, coordination, and execution of Mission Readiness Exercises (MRXs) for U.S. Army Special Operations Command (USASOC), 1st Special Forces Command (Airborne), Joint Special Operations Forces, and other Special Operations units. The position directly supports collective training events designed to prepare Special Operations headquarters staffs to operate across the full spectrum of military operations.
The Senior Operations SME provides senior-level operational expertise, scenario development support, exercise planning, and staff augmentation to ensure realistic, doctrinally sound, and mission-focused training for O5 and O6 headquarters.
Duties and responsibilities:
- Support the design, development, scripting, execution, and maintenance of Mission Readiness Exercises (MRXs).
- Research, plan, prepare, coordinate, and execute exercise activities that support Special Operations Forces (SOF) training objectives.
- Develop operationally relevant exercise scenarios aligned with commander guidance, METL/JMETL requirements, and current Army and Joint doctrine.
- Assist in the creation of Master Scenario Event Lists (MSELs), exercise products, operational injects, and training materials.
- Participate in Joint Exercise Life Cycle (JELC) planning events, conferences, working groups, and Internal Progress Reviews (IPRs).
- Coordinate with USASOC, USSOCOM, military staffs, liaison officers, evaluation teams, and supporting organizations throughout exercise planning and execution.
- Replicate and role-play military, governmental, multinational, interagency, civilian, and opposing force elements as required to support exercise objectives.
- Assist in developing realistic operational environments that incorporate intelligence, logistics, fires, civil affairs, information operations, cyber, and special operations components.
- Support distributed and on-site Mission Command Exercises involving Special Forces, Psychological Operations, Civil Affairs, Ranger, Aviation, and Joint Special Operations organizations.
- Provide exercise support that enhances mission command capabilities in contested, denied, and complex operational environments.
- Contribute to after-action reviews (AARs), lessons learned activities, and training assessments.
- Maintain exercise documentation, scenario libraries, archived materials, and planning products on government-approved systems.
- Travel as required to support exercise coordination, planning conferences, liaising activities, and training events.
Required Qualifications
- Must be a U.S. citizen.
- Associate degree required.
- Fifteen (15) years of related military experience may be substituted for the educational requirement.
Required Military Qualifications
- Graduate of the U.S. Army Special Forces Qualification Course:
- Officer (18A), Warrant Officer (180A), or Noncommissioned Officer (18 Series MOS).
- Graduate of one of the following:
- U.S. Military Intermediate Level Education Course, Senior Service College, Special Forces Warrant Officer Advanced Course, First Sergeant Course, or Sergeants Major Course.
Required Experience
- Experience serving in one or more of the following organizations or functional areas:
- Special Forces, Psychological Operations, Civil Affairs, Ranger Regiment, Special Operations Aviation, Special Mission Units, Military Intelligence, Logistics Corps, or Field Artillery.
- Equivalent experience in other U.S. military service branches may be considered.
Preferred Qualifications
- Two (2) years of experience researching, planning, preparing, coordinating, and executing Mission Readiness Exercises (MRXs).
- Experience supporting Special Operations headquarters staffs at operational or tactical levels.
- Knowledge of Army, Joint, and Special Operations doctrine.
- Experience supporting exercise control (EXCON), training evaluations, and operational planning processes.
- Familiarity with Mission Command Systems and collective training environments.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a multidisciplinary training team.
- Experience working in classified and sensitive operational environments.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- Thorough understanding of Special Operations Forces missions, organizations, and command structures.
- Familiarity with Mission Command systems, operational planning processes, and staff functions.
- Ability to analyze operational requirements and translate them into realistic training scenarios.
- Experience coordinating across military staffs and multiple stakeholder organizations.
- Strong organizational skills with demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and collaborative planning tools.
- Ability to operate effectively within dynamic, fast-paced training environments.
Work Environment
- Primarily performed at the Special Operations Mission Training Center (SOMTC), Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
- Periodic CONUS and occasional OCONUS travel may be required in support of exercise planning and execution.
- May require support during extended training events, weekends, or surge operations based on mission requirements.