Principal Program Lead- Alexandria, VA

Position Description & Qualifications

If you love engaging with high profile and challenging mission engineering projects supporting the U.S. Department of War, Serco has a great opportunity for you! The Principal Program Lead for Mission Engineering & Strategic Integration is the coordinator of a dynamic team that supports major systems acquisition, research, and engineering on behalf of the Office of the Secretary of War at the Pentagon and Mark Center offices in nearby Alexandria, VA. Bring your expertise and collaborative skills to make a positive impact on the security of our nation!

This position involves supporting the Office of the Undersecretary for War for Research and Engineering Mission Engineering and Integration Activity (MEIA) Division. This senior-level executive contract position establishes, directs, and governs the overarching Mission Engineering & Integration Activity (MEIA) portfolio. We are seeking an elite program director with proven executive management expertise to construct the analytical frameworks, lead high-impact portfolios, and deliver the objective, system-of-systems insights required to defend and justify multi-billion-dollar technology and capability investments within the Planning, Programming, and Budgeting Execution (PPBE) process.

In this role, you will:

• Establish, govern, and manage the portfolio of discrete mission engineering and analysis study tasks. Define the overarching methodology, study design standards, and strategic boundary conditions to address top-level Joint Operational Problems.
• Align the mission engineering pipeline directly with the National Defense/War Strategy and future Joint Warfighting Concepts, ensuring all analytical efforts justify future technology transitions.
• Guide the strategic integration of validated adversary capability trajectories, intelligence products, and threat forecasting into the core architecture of all simulated environments.
• Direct and steer elite, cross-functional teams of program managers, chief systems engineers, senior military operators, intelligence analysts, and data scientists across Joint and Service components.
• Oversee the creation of highly complex mission threads, joint kill webs, and operational architectures utilizing enterprise frameworks (e.g., SysML, UAF) to ensure interoperability across the joint force.
• Provide executive oversight for the implementation, validation, and deployment of advanced Modeling & Simulation (M&S) suites (such as AFSIM or ITASE) to evaluate System-of-Systems (SoS) efficacy.
• Synthesize complex, quantitative simulation outputs with qualitative Subject Matter Expert (SME) findings into high-level, strategic assessments for the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering (USW(R&E)).
• Serve as the principal liaison to the Office of the Secretary of War (OSW), Joint Staff, Combatant Commanders (CCMDs), and Service leadership to validate operational constraints and establish strategic study buy-in.
• Translate exhaustive analytical study results into actionable, high-level investment recommendations, acquisition pathways, and funding strategies within the PPBE process.
• Author authoritative executive reports and deliver decisive briefings directly to Flag/General Officers (FO/GO), Senior Executive Service (SES) members, and senior DoW policy makers.

To be successful in this role, you will have:

• An active DoD Top Secret clearance with SCI Eligibility.
  • U.S. Citizenship.
• Master's degree (or higher) in Systems Engineering, Operations Research, Aerospace Engineering, Data Science, or a related STEM discipline (or appropriate work experience).
• 20+ years in Engineering, with a focus on Systems Engineering and Operational Analysis and time supporting any Department of War organization.
• Proven experience managing large, multi-disciplinary analysis teams
• Experience working with Military Services and Combatant Commands to address operational problems.
• Track record of developing and leading study teams and producing executive-level products resulting in acquisition decisions.
• The ability to travel up to 10%.

Additional desired experience and skills:

• Enterprise Mission-Level Analysis Governance: Proven executive leadership (10+ years) in establishing, managing, and governing portfolios of mission engineering, operations research, or campaign-level analyses within the Department of War. Demonstrated capability in structuring multi-study pipelines that directly inform PPBE investment decisions.
• System-of-Systems (SoS) Strategic Engineering: Master-level command of System-of-Systems (SoS) engineering principles, enterprise-level integration, and modern architectural modeling frameworks (e.g., UAF, SysML). Proven track record of steering complex, multi-domain digital engineering and joint kill-web architecture designs.
• Modeling & Simulation (M&S) Portfolio Direction: Executive oversight experience managing complex MS&A environments. Strong strategic familiarity with the deployment, capabilities, and validation of Department-standard tools (e.g., AFSIM, ITASE) to ensure simulation environments produce defensible, high-integrity data.
• Joint Warfighting Concept Mastery: Comprehensive, strategic understanding of Joint Operational Concepts, Multi-Domain Operations (MDO), Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2), and future force employment strategies. Ability to align study parameters directly with the National Defense/War Strategy.
• PPBE & Adaptive Acquisition Strategy: Advanced acumen in the Department of War acquisition lifecycle, specifically mapping analytical study timelines to the Planning, Programming, and Budgeting Execution (PPBE) cycle and navigating the Adaptive Acquisition Framework (AAF) to transition emerging capabilities.
• Enterprise-Scale Matrix Leadership: Exceptional capability to lead, influence, and drive strategic consensus across highly diverse, cross-organizational joint technical teams (civilian, military, and contractor) and coordinate complex efforts across OSW, Joint Staff, and Combatant Commands without direct supervisory authority.
• Flag-Level Executive Communication: Outstanding, proven record of distilling highly complex, multi-variant technical and simulation data into concise, strategic BLUF briefings and formal decision memos tailored specifically for Flag/General Officers (FO/GO), SES-level executives, and Congressional stakeholders.
• Threat Trajectory Integration: High-level ability to synthesize raw and finished Intelligence Community (IC) products and threat trajectories, translating them into robust, threat-informed operational vignettes to ensure all studies are resilient against future peer adversary capabilities.

If you are interested in supporting and working with our military and a passionate Serco team- then submit your application now for immediate consideration. It only takes a few minutes and could change your career!

Company Overview

Serco Inc. (Serco) is the Americas division of Serco Group, plc. In North America, Serco's 9,000+ employees strive to make an impact every day across 100+ sites in the areas of Defense, Citizen Services, and Transportation. We help our clients deliver vital services more efficiently while increasing the satisfaction of their end customers. Serco serves every branch of the U.S. military, numerous U.S. Federal civilian agencies, the Intelligence Community, the Canadian government, state, provincial and local governments, and commercial clients. While your place may look a little different depending on your role, we know you will find yours here. Wherever you work and whatever you do, we invite you to discover your place in our world. Serco is a place you can count on and where you can make an impact because every contribution matters.

To review Serco benefits please visit: https://careers.serco-na.com/us/en/what-we-offer . If you require an accommodation with the application process please email: careers@serco-na.com or call the HR Service Desk at 800-628-6458, option 1. Please note, due to EEOC/OFCCP compliance, Serco is unable to accept resumes by email.

Candidates may be asked to present proof of identity during the selection process. If requested, this will require presentation of a government-issued I.D. (with photo) with name and address that match the information entered on the application. Serco will not take possession of or retain/store the information provided as proof of identity. For more information on how Serco uses your information, please see our Applicant Privacy Policy and Notice.

Serco does not accept unsolicited resumes through or from search firms or staffing agencies without being a contracted approved vendor. All unsolicited resumes will be considered the property of Serco and will not be obligated to pay a placement or contract fee. If you are interested in becoming an approved vendor at Serco, please email Agencies@serco-na.com .

Serco is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, and other legally protected characteristics.

Pay Transparency

Our Total Rewards package includes competitive pay, performance-based incentives, and benefits that promote well-being and work-life balance-so you can thrive both professionally and personally. Eligible employees also gain access to a wide range of benefits from comprehensive health coverage and health savings accounts to retirement plans, life and disability insurance, and time-off programs that support work-life balance. Program availability may vary based on factors such as contract type, location, hire date, and applicable collective bargaining agreements.

Salary range: The range for this position can be found at the top of this posting. This range is provided as a general guideline and represents a good faith estimate across all experience levels. Actual base salary will be determined by a variety of factors, including but not limited to, the scope of the role, relevant experience, job-related knowledge, education and training, key skills, and geographic market considerations. For roles available in multiple states, the range may vary to reflect differences in local labor markets. In addition to base salary, eligible positions may include other forms of compensation such as annual bonuses or long-term incentive opportunities. Benefits - Comprehensible benefits for full-time employees (part-time employees receive a limited package tailored to their role):

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Robust vacation and sick leave benefits, and flexible work arrangements where permitted by role or contract
• 401(k) plan that includes employer matching funds
• Tuition reimbursement program
• Life insurance and disability coverage
• Optional coverages that can be purchased, including pet insurance, home and auto insurance, additional life and accident insurance, critical illness insurance, group legal, ID theft protection
• Birth, adoption, parental leave benefits
• Employee Assistance Plan

To review all Serco benefits please visit: https://careers.serco-na.com/us/en/about-us .

Serco complies with all applicable state and local leave laws, including providing time off under the Colorado Healthy Families and Workplaces Act for eligible Colorado residents, in alignment with our policies and benefit plans. The application window for this position is for no more than 60 days. We encourage candidates to apply promptly after the posting date, as the position may close earlier if filled or if the application volume exceeds expectations. Please submit applications exclusively through Serco's external (or internal) career site. If an applicant has any concerns with job posting compliance, please send an email to: careers@serco-na.com .