Chief Analyst, Force Design Planning and Programming

The United States Space Force (USSF) Headquarters Space Force Command (HQSF) Space Enterprise and Assured Access (S9) at The Pentagon is searching for a Chief Analyst, Force Design Planning and Programming (NH-0343-04, GS 14/15 equivalent).

Description:
Help shape the future United States Space Force as the Chief Analyst for Force Design Planning and Programming. In this high-impact role, you will turn objective-force concepts, mission needs, and emerging technologies into practical, affordable investment recommendations. You will lead the integration of planning, programming, and cost information across Force Design field elements; represent shared priorities during Planning and POM activities; and ensure recommendations are analytically sound, well-documented, and aligned to enterprise needs. This is an ideal opportunity for a resource professional who enjoys solving complex problems, connecting strategic vision to executable programs, and influencing the decisions that modernize space capabilities.

Each day, you will research and analyze data, assess investment options and transition plans, develop cost-informed recommendations within constrained resources, and help resolve funding issues across the Future Years Defense Program. You will prepare POM inputs, budget forecasts, unfunded requirement justifications, narratives, offsets, disconnects, reclamas, issue papers, briefings, and senior-leader decision packages. Success requires strong Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution experience; sound analytical judgment; comfort working independently in an evolving environment; and the ability to collaborate with headquarters staff, technical experts, acquisition organizations, and other stakeholders. Candidates who can communicate complex resource and force-design issues clearly, build consensus across competing priorities, and deliver timely, decision-ready products will thrive in this position.

Ideal Candidate:
The ideal candidate is an agile and highly experienced space operations leader who holds a bachelor's degree, with a master's degree preferred, and possesses extensive operational experience leading strategic initiatives to integrate cutting-edge Space Domain Awareness (SDA) systems and concepts into global space operations. They are intimately familiar with SDA governance and bring a proven track record of collaborating on SDA matters with international and commercial partners, backed by an extensive, technical knowledge of the Space Surveillance Network and other multi-mission sensors that contribute to domain security. As an expert communicator capable of articulating complex, highly technical concepts to diverse stakeholders, the candidate commands a comprehensive understanding of Department of War structures, missions, programs, policies, and organizational relationships, with desired but not required experience in influence planning, Military Information Support Operations, or Operations Security.

Key Skills and Abilities:
1.Knowledge of the Department of Defense Planning, Programming, Budgeting and Execution System (PPBE) and Requirements processes. Understanding of procedures and schedules for developing Program Objective Memorandum (POM) inputs as well as methods for developing budget forecasts, unfunded requirements justifications, POM narratives, offsets and disconnects, reclamas, and issue papers.
2. Knowledge of military service program goals and objectives, the sequence and timing of key operational events and milestones, and methods of evaluating the effectiveness of planning actions as related to actual events.
3. Knowledge of the relationship of the various military entities involved in overall planning and execution of military operations and evaluations and the methods in which the PPBE process supports them.
4. Knowledge of a wide range of qualitative and/or quantitative methods for the assessment and improvement of Space Force systems such as: Space Domain Awareness; Offensive and Defensive Space Operations; Positioning, Navigations, and Timing; Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance; Satellite Communications; Environmental Monitoring; Missile Warning; Space Operations; and Spacelift; and associated mission operations, test & training, or acquisition.
5. Ability to gather, assemble, and analyze facts, draw conclusions, conduct analysis, devise recommended solutions, and package the entire process in briefings, papers, or reports suitable for senior leader review and decision-making.
6. Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing, negotiate complex issues, and maintain good working relations.

Conditions of employment

• U.S. Citizenship Required
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top-Secret Critical Sensitive/SCI security clearance.
• Employee is in a designated position that requires consent and thereafter be subject to and successfully complete, an initial, periodic and random counterintelligence (CI)-scope polygraph examination as a condition of employment.
• This is a designated drug testing position. The incumbent is subject to pre-employment drug testing as a condition of employment, and participation in random drug testing.
• Eligible for situational telework only, including Emergency and OPM prescribed “Unscheduled Telework”.
• This PRD has been classified based on projected duties or new mission requirements. The duties within this PRD may be reviewed for accuracy after 12 months of Full Operational Capability of organization identified within this PRD.
• May be required to travel by military or commercial aircraft in the performance of TDY assignments.
• Subject to Temporary Duty Assignment (TDY). Approximately 20 days per year.
• PCS is not authorized.
• This position will close after 5 business days or 75 applications (whichever comes first).

Qualifications

The 0343 series does not have an individual occupational requirement that must be met. You can view the experience level requirements here. Please scroll down to the 3rd section titled Administrative and Management Positions.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies as related to the series and grade of the position being filled. Final qualifications determinations will be assessed based on OPM's General Schedule Qualifications Standards found here:

Interviews: You will be contacted by e-mail and/or telephone if your application is identified as qualifying for a position being filled. An interview may be conducted. If interviewed, you will be asked to address the same knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies used to initially qualify your application for the position.

Resume:You must submit a resume that may NOT exceed two pages, and the font size should not be smaller than 10 pts. You will not be considered for this vacancy if your resume exceeds two pages or is illegible/unreadable. Do NOT include photographs, inappropriate material, inappropriate content, nor personal information such as age, gender, religion, social security number, etc., on your resume. If the resume you submit contains such information you will not be considered for this vacancy. Your resume must provide:

1. Personal information - your full name, email and mailing addresses, phone number
2. Education information - the name of the school and the dates you attended
3. Work experience - paid and unpaid work with the following information:
   • Job title
   • Detailed duties and accomplishments
   • Employer's name and address
   • Supervisor's name and phone number
   • Starting and ending dates (If actual dates are not known, provide your best-estimated timeframes.)
   • Hours per week
   • Salary, if applicable
4. Other qualifications - skills, certifications/licenses, honors, awards, special accomplishments, and job-related training courses

College Transcripts (if applicable): Please see the Education section of this announcement for detailed information about transcripts.

Next steps