F35 Sustainment Operations SME

Key Responsibilities

• Lead readiness and operations improvement projects in support of enterprise fleet readiness priorities, aligning operational requirements with sustainment execution across the F-35 ecosystem.
• Develop and staff senior leader products including readiness briefs, decision memoranda, issue papers, read-aheads, and staffing packages for government leadership.
• Drive cross-functional coordination across JPO, Services, MAJCOMs/Fleet commands, operational units, depots, OEMs, and sustainment partners to improve readiness performance and execution timelines.
• Analyze readiness drivers and degraders impacting availability and mission capability and translate findings into prioritized actions and decision support.
• Support fleet readiness governance forums by developing agendas, capturing outcomes, tracking actions, and ensuring follow-through execution across stakeholders.
• Identify, assess, and communicate enterprise constraints (supply, maintenance, engineering, training, manpower) that impact fleet readiness outcomes.
• Support development of integrated readiness recovery strategies and coordinated mitigation approaches for high-impact readiness degraders.
• Career development and professional growth opportunities provided by Paradigm Max Q.

Required Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree (required) Master's degree (preferred)
• Experience: 12+ years supporting DoD aviation operations, readiness, sustainment, or enterprise integration roles
• Direct F-35 operational experience (pilot, maintainer, squadron operations, operational staff, or comparable experience)
• Experience with Joint Program Office Sustainment Activities (Ops Center, HPSI, DFRS, etc.)
• Demonstrated experience within a Command Action Operations Center (CAOC)
• Demonstrated experience supporting senior staff-level execution (Pentagon, Service Headquarters, Joint Staff, OSD, MAJCOM, or equivalent)
• Proven ability to lead readiness integration across complex organizations and influence outcomes through coordination and execution
• Proven ability to translate operational readiness priorities into actionable sustainment initiatives across supply, maintenance, and engineering communities
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)
• Familiarity with readiness reporting systems, dashboards, and enterprise action tracking tools

Soft Skills & Competencies

• Strong executive communication skills, including briefing and writing for senior leaders
• High credibility operating with operational units and headquarters organizations
• Strong stakeholder engagement and relationship management across government and industry
• Self-starter with disciplined execution, suspense management, and attention to detail
• Able to operate effectively in high-tempo, high-visibility environments
• Collaborative, solutions-oriented approach to driving enterprise readiness outcomes

Benefits Statement

Paradigm Max Q provides eligible employees with a comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental, and vision insurance; life insurance; short-term and long-term disability coverage; a 401(k)-retirement plan; paid time off (PTO) for vacation; and company paid holidays. The benefits package also includes reimbursement for a Planet Fitness Black Card membership.