Defense Operations Specialist

Position Summary The Defense Operations Specialist is an entry-level position within the Operations department at Blue Ops INC. Working under the direct supervision of a Senior Defense Operations Specialist, this role supports the operation, monitoring, and testing of Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) systems.

The Defense Operations Specialist assists with mission execution, data collection, training support, and safety compliance, building the foundational skills required to advance within the defense unmanned maritime systems field.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities Program & Operational Support Assist senior staff in the execution of product and mission-supporting programs, including research and development activities, testing events, and operational demonstrations.

Support internal teams in tracking program progress, documenting operational observations, and flagging schedule or technical concerns to senior personnel.

Contribute to collaboration and knowledge-sharing activities across operational and engineering teams.

Learn and apply corrective actions and process improvement steps under the guidance of senior operations staff.

Mission Planning & Coordination Assist in coordinating with government customers and mission partners to support communication and facilitate information flow under senior oversight.

Support the development of mission plans for testing, demonstrations, and operational deployments under the direction of senior staff.

Learn to incorporate environmental factors, route planning, and contingency procedures into mission design with guidance from senior operators.

Assist in preparing operational documentation including Concept of Operations (CONOPS) drafts, test plan support materials, and mission briefs.

Participate in pre-mission planning sessions, mission execution observation, and post-mission debriefs.

Unmanned Surface Vessel Operations Assist in the setup, pre-mission checks, and post-mission breakdown of Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) systems under the supervision of senior operators.

Monitor vessel command-and-control interfaces and telemetry displays under supervision during live operations.

Observe and log navigation status, propulsion system performance, payload sensor outputs, and communications link health.

Support maintenance of maritime situational awareness throughout mission execution.

Learn to recognize and escalate anomalies or unexpected system behavior to senior personnel in a timely manner.

Real-Time Monitoring & Incident Response Monitor vehicle status, system behavior, and operating environment during active missions alongside experienced operators.

Assist in responding to alerts, anomalies, or unexpected vessel behavior under the direction of senior operators.

Support execution of contingency procedures to ensure mission continuity and platform safety.

Document and communicate operational issues to senior operations personnel and engineering staff in a clear and timely manner.

Testing Execution & Technical Feedback Assist in the execution of operational test plans in accordance with approved procedures and under direct oversight.

Accurately record operational observations, system performance data, and test results.

Log events, discrepancies, and technical issues to support validation and engineering debugging processes.

Provide structured, factual observations from field activities to support engineering feedback and system refinement.

Organize and maintain test documentation, field logs, and data records for review by senior staff.

Data Analysis & Reporting Assist in collecting and organizing mission data from USV operations and test events.

Support senior analysts in interpreting performance metrics, sensor outputs, and operational outcomes.

Help produce mission reports documenting findings, lessons learned, and recommendations under supervision.

Maintain organized records of operational data sets to support engineering assessments and capability evaluations.

Training and Operational Support Assist senior training staff in preparing and delivering operator and end-user training for government and partner personnel.

Help maintain training material libraries including…