Operational Planning & Posture Subject Matter Expert (SME) - MAR

Position Location: Camp Smith, HI (Company Headquarters is in Massachusetts)

Makai LLC is seeking a skilled Operational Planning & Posture SME that will be 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.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• 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 and exemplars
• Assess systemic bottlenecks and recommend repeatable improvements to reduce rework and improve first-pass acceptance (without taking over daily execution)

Degree/Education and Experience Requirements

• Master's degree (or equivalent practical experience) in a relevant field

Clearance Requirements

• Active DoD TS/SCI clearance.

Required Skills

• 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

Preferred Qualifications (Desired)

• 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

Skills & Competencies

• 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

Autonomy, Decision Authority & Accountability

• Owns technical/functional standards and review thresholds for planning-support quality (government leads retain final approval authority)
• Decides when to elevate quality risks and require additional review cycles for high-visibility products
• Accountable for reducing defects, preventing misalignment with guidance, and improving first-pass acceptance of key deliverables

Working Conditions

• Sitting at desk. Phone use and PC or laptop. Filing required. May require lifting and carrying boxes of supplies or files up to 25 lbs. Extended periods of sitting while on PC/laptop or phone.
• General office equipment, which includes telephone, fax machine, copier, PC/laptop, and other miscellaneous office equipment.
• Regular attendance in accordance with established work schedule is mandatory.
• You may be asked to continue performance during inclement weather or other conditions when others are not permitted to work
• Travel 10+%
• Candidates must exhibit professional behavior that promotes teamwork, fosters cooperation, and enhances productivity in the workplace. Must be well organized with the ability to coordinate, prioritize and execute multiple tasks simultaneously in a high-pressure environment. Ability to communicate verbally and in writing to work effectively with a variety of government, military and contractor personnel at all levels.
• Candidates must be able to interface effectively with individuals at all levels of the organization.
• Grooming and dress is usually business casual, but dependent on client's standards. Must not pose a safety hazard to employees working in the same general area.

Estimated Compensation

• $115,000 - $121,000

Individual salaries are determined by a variety of factors including but not limited to employee's experience, skills, education, industry, location, company size, and overall market demand.

General Description of Benefits and Other Compensation to be Offered:

• 11 Federal Holidays with Pay
• Vacation (Personal/sick leave)
• Medical, Dental, Vision
• Wellness Participation
• Weight Loss Reimbursement
• Health Care Flex Spending
• Short Term/Long Term Disability
• Simple IRA (Savings Incentive Match Plan)
• Basic Life Insurance
• Tuition Assistance Program
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Other Paid Absences
• Professional Memberships
• Overtime Pay
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA)

As an EOE/AA employer, Makai, LLC will not discriminate in its employment practices due to an applicant's race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, and veteran or disability status.