Operational Planning & Posture SME

We are seeking an Operational Planning & Posture SME. The Operational Planning & Posture SME is the branch’s technical/functional authority for deliberate planning support and posture-related planning integration. The role defines and sustains planning‑support rigor—standards, quality gates, and expert advisory—so high‑visibility products remain coherent, defensible, and aligned with guidance across the Joint Planning and Execution Community (JPEC). Unlike the Senior role, the SME does not own daily suspense tracking/battle rhythm execution;

the SME intervenes where complexity, risk, or ambiguity threatens outcomes.

• Define planning-support standards (templates, quality gates, staffing checklists, traceability expectations, version-control conventions) for branch-wide use
• Advise government leads on complex planning-support approaches (staffing strategy, integration paths, decision points, adjudication methods)
• Perform senior technical review of high-visibility briefs, information papers, and final planning documents to ensure clarity, consistency, and decision-readiness
• Resolve the hardest integration problems (conflicting guidance, misaligned assumptions, incomplete inputs) and recommend defensible tradeoffs and mitigation paths
• Translate policy/guidance into actionable planning inputs and posture initiative implications (as directed by government leads)
• Strengthen Operational Planning Team (OPT)/working group outcomes by shaping narratives, analytical framing, and decision-quality criteria (not meeting administration)
• Coach Senior and junior staff on advanced staff writing, editorial judgment, and staffing discipline through targeted reviews
• Assess systemic bottlenecks and recommend repeatable improvements to reduce rework and improve first-pass acceptance (without taking over daily execution)

• Masters degree (or equivalent practical experience) in a relevant field
• Career level and intermediate level military education (Expeditionary Warfare School, Marine Corps Command and Staff College (other service equivalents))
• 10+ years deep experience supporting joint/service planning and senior-leader decision support, including production and critical review of staff products
• Demonstrated mastery of JPEC planning forums and staffing dynamics (e.g., OPTs, joint planning groups (JPGs))
• Knowledge and application experience in the Marine Corps Planning Process (MCPP) and Joint Planning Process (JPP)
• Expert capability drafting/editing planning products and enforcing consistency, traceability, and formatting discipline
• Ability to comply with government workplace requirements and obtain/maintain any required access/eligibility

• Intermediate or top-level operational planning education (e.g., JAWS/SAMS/MAWS/SAASS/Service and Joint War Colleges or Fellowships)
• Senior PME (e.g., CGSC/ILE, USMC CSC, Naval/War College equivalents)
• Prior experience with USINDOPACOM, MARFORPAC, HQMC, a combatant command, Service component, or MEF HQ
• Doctoral degree in a relevant field

• Deep functional expertise in deliberate planning support and posture planning integration
• Advanced analytic framing and problem-solving under ambiguity
• Expert-level writing/editing and product coherence management
• Influence without authority; credible advisory presence with senior stakeholders
• Standards-setting, coaching, and quality assurance mindset