Offer summary

Qualifications:

15+ years of experience advising senior U.S. Department of Defense leaders., 5+ years of experience as a civil servant in OSD(P) developing and implementing defense policy., Experience in joint strategic planning, contingency plans, and interagency coordination., U.S. Secret Security Clearance is required..

Key responsibilities:

Provide subject matter expertise in defense policy and strategic guidance.

Support the design and implementation of defense planning and strategy programs.

Assist in developing assessment, monitoring, and evaluation criteria for defense capacities.

Contribute to policy planning, force transformation, and stakeholder coordination.

Job description

Opportunity (Part-Time): Senior Defense Policy Subject Matter Expert (SME)

Bottom Line Up Front: Hoplite Group is seeking an experienced Senior Defense Policy SME to support an institutional capacity building (ICB) program focused on planning and implementation of strategic initiatives tied to two major U.S. Government security cooperation efforts in INDOPACOM. The advisor will provide subject matter expertise in defense policy, strategic guidance, contingency planning, and change management, with support aligned to both defense ministry-level stakeholders and military organizations.

Location: Remote support (CONUS) and forward engagements (OCONUS) as part of a U.S. Government contract.

Level of Effort:

Pre-Engagement: Approximately 30 hours/month.
Engagement: First in-person engagement scheduled for 22–26 September 2025 (~100 hours/month during engagement months).
Post-Engagement: Support as needed.

Availability: Immediate

Objective: To support institutional capacity building efforts connected to U.S. Government initiatives. The SME will assist in the design and implementation of programs focused on defense planning and strategy, as well as support the development of assessment, monitoring, and evaluation (AM&E) requirements to measure progress toward defined objectives. Work will include contributions to policy planning, force transformation concepts, interagency coordination, and support to stakeholders across civil and military institutions.

SME Qualifications/Skillsets:

15+ years of experience providing policy advice to senior leaders of the U.S. Department of Defense, Office of the Secretary of Defense (Policy), and conducting research and analysis on defense issues
5+ years of experience as a civil servant in OSD(P) developing and implementing policy, writing strategic guidance, reviewing contingency plans, and working with interagency partners for joint strategic planning for peacetime and contingencies . INDOPACOM experience is desirable.
Experience developing curriculum and planning scenarios for partner militaries on topics such as strategy development; scenario-based planning; force planning; and cyber strategies, organizations, and workforces.
Demonstrated experience using human centered design to develop and facilitate activities and workshops for foreign military students on a range of topics including, strategy, policy, planning, and cyber.
Experience developing assessment, monitoring, and evaluation criteria and change processes for new capacities across a defense organization
U.S. Secret Security Clearance required.