Future Operating Environment Specialist

Future Operating Environment Specialist

Employer: Ironclad Defense Works (IDW)
Location: Norfolk, VA (HQ SACT) with limited travel to NATO nations
Contract: VANGARD, IFIB-ACT-SACT-26-01 (base 2026 with option years through 2030).

The mission
Explore and explain the Future Operating Environment—enhancing cooperation, planning, and information sharing with Allies, Partners, and non-NATO actors. Apply strategic foresight and trend analysis across geopolitical, technological, demographic, and environmental drivers; build scenarios and wargames; synthesize intelligence, science, and operational lessons to surface emerging threats, opportunities, and capability gaps, enabling shared situational awareness.

What you’ll do
Lead/assist futures studies and trend analysis; design scenarios and wargames that illuminate plausible futures and force-design implications.

Produce firm-fixed-price deliverables under Task Orders (e.g., Research Papers; Concept Development; Capability Development; Technical Trials) in a Just-in-Time model.

Coordinate with multinational stakeholders (e.g., ACO, NCI Agency) and HQ SACT branches/divisions; deliver executive-ready briefs and documentation supporting transformation decisions.

Who we’re looking for
Hiring Junior, Senior, and Expert performers aligned to Annex E performance levels for deliverables project management.

Minimum qualifications
Citizenship: Must be a citizen of a NATO member nation.

Language: English proficiency at STANAG 6001 SLP 3333(Listening/Speaking/Reading/Writing) or equivalent.

Clearance: Active NATO or National SECRET (or higher)

Passport: Valid NATO-nation passport with no travel restrictions to NATO nations.

Nice to have
Hands-on experience in strategic foresight, trend analytics, scenario design/wargaming, and cross-community (Allied/partner/industry/academia) collaboration for shared situational awareness.

Why IDW
Contribute to NATO’s transformation through high-quality, Just-in-Time deliverables integrated with HQ SACT’s workforce under a firm-fixed-price framework.

Details
Type: Full-time, contingent on award; firm-fixed-price deliverables under Task Orders.

Travel: Occasional to NATO nations.
How to apply: Email your résumé/CV and clearance status to [email protected] with subject “ VANGARD #1 – Future Operating Environment ”.