Military Partnerships Analyst

Overview

Overview Systems Planning and Analysis, Inc. (SPA) delivers high‑impact, technical solutions to complex national security issues. With over 50 years of business expertise and consistent growth, SPA is known for continuous innovation for government customers in the US and abroad. The Joint, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Interagency Division (JOID) provides expert support services across the Department of Defense, Federal Civilian, and international markets. SPA’s NATO Allied Command Transformation Group within JOID offers capability development, portfolio management, program management, quality management, cost estimation analysis, standardization, reporting, software solutions, information management, and capability management support. The group also improves capability requirements capture, documentation, and traceability throughout the lifecycle from definition to realization and usage. SPA has a near‑term need for a Military Partnerships Analyst to provide onsite support out of Norfolk, VA.

Responsibilities

• Support the Partnerships Branch in advancing NATO’s partnership objectives and coordinate partnership work strands, activities, Programs of Work, exercises, experiments, training, education, and engagement opportunities.
• Develop briefings, point papers, speaking notes, reports, decision‑support products, and Key Leader Engagement materials.
• Contribute to NATO military partnership policies, directives, concepts, processes, and procedures.
• Manage corporate memory, knowledge, and information, ensuring document traceability and quality assurance while complying with NATO security, releasability, and information‑management requirements.
• Advise internal stakeholders on the strategic value, scope, risks, and opportunities of NATO military partnerships and identify engagement opportunities across ACT work strands.
• Develop policies, concepts, studies, reports, and military advice on the long‑term evolution of NATO military partnerships and their relationship to NATO defence policies, cooperative programs, and transformation priorities.
• Lead or support partnership‑related concept development, including strategic engagement and “out‑partnering” concepts, and contribute to relevant experimentation activities.
• Integrate partner perspectives into long‑term military transformation, strategic foresight, future force design, red teaming, wargaming, and Long‑Term Military Strategic Shaping activities where appropriate.
• Conduct geopolitical, regional, and strategic analysis of Partner Nations and partnership frameworks to inform ACT planning, engagement activities, and senior‑leader decision‑making.
• Identify ACT programs, experiments, exercises, studies, training events, and other activities that offer opportunities for Partner participation and assess which Partner Nations may contribute to or benefit from those activities.
• Capture best practices, lessons learned, engagement outcomes, key decisions, recurring requirements, and continuity information to strengthen branch efficiency and institutional knowledge.
• Represent SPA at meetings, conferences, workshops, exercises, and other engagements within and outside NATO boundaries, with anticipated travel of up to 30 days per year.

Required Qualifications

• Master’s degree or higher in international relations, international security, international development, military studies (including military technology or operations research), foreign policy, public affairs, political science, or a related discipline; or attendance at a NATO or national military staff college (OF‑3 level or higher).
• 5+ years of experience in foreign/international security, international cooperation, defense, or military affairs.
• Experience working within the NATO Enterprise (preferred) or another International Organization in a defense or security‑related position, or within a national mission, delegation, or embassy to an IO.
• Working knowledge of NATO Partnerships, security sector reform/defense and security capacity building, defense planning, or military capability development/military applications of operations research.
• Experience drafting for and/or briefing senior leaders/decision makers (FOGOs or civilian equivalent), ideally at the strategic level or above.
• Active NATO or National Secret security clearance.
• Valid NATO Nation passport with no travel restrictions to NATO nations.
• Ability to work fully onsite based on client needs.

Benefits

SPA offers a robust total compensation package that includes competitive base pay, variable compensation opportunities, health insurance, flexible spending accounts, health savings accounts, retirement savings plans, life and disability insurance programs, and both paid and unpaid time away from work. Specific programs and options may vary based on eligibility factors such as geographic location and date of hire.

Pay Range

Virginia – Salary range: USD $125,000.00 per year – USD $165,000.00 per year.