Operational Planning & Posture Subject Matter Expert (SME) — MARFORPAC G-5 Plans

About the role

Makai LLC is seeking an Operational Planning & Posture Subject Matter Expert (SME) to provide technical and functional leadership for deliberate planning support and posture-related planning integration.

Responsibilities

• Define planning-support standards (templates, quality gates, staffing checklists, traceability expectations, version-control conventions) for branch-wide use
• Advise government leads on complex planning-support approaches (staffing strategy, integration paths, decision points, adjudication methods)
• Perform senior technical review of high-visibility briefs, information papers, and final planning documents to ensure clarity, consistency, and decision-readiness
• Resolve the hardest integration problems (conflicting guidance, misaligned assumptions, incomplete inputs) and recommend defensible tradeoffs and mitigation paths
• Translate policy/guidance into actionable planning inputs and posture initiative implications (as directed by government leads)
• Strengthen Operational Planning Team (OPT)/working group outcomes by shaping narratives, analytical framing, and decision-quality criteria (not meeting administration)
• Coach Senior and junior staff on advanced staff writing, editorial judgment, and staffing discipline through targeted reviews and exemplars
• Audit systemic bottlenecks and recommend repeatable improvements to reduce rework and improve first-pass acceptance (without taking over daily execution)

Requirements

• Master’s degree (or equivalent practical experience) in a relevant field
• Active DoD TS/SCI clearance
• Career level and intermediate level military education (Expeditionary Warfare School, Marine Corps Command and Staff College (other service equivalents))
• 10+ years deep experience supporting joint/service planning and senior-leader decision support, including production and critical review of staff products
• Demonstrated mastery of JPEC planning forums and staffing dynamics (e.g., OPTs, joint planning groups (JPGs))
• Knowledge and application experience in the Marine Corps Planning Process (MCPP) and Joint Planning Process (JPP)
• Expert capability drafting/editing planning products and enforcing consistency, traceability, and formatting discipline
• Ability to comply with government workplace requirements and obtain/maintain any required access/eligibility

Qualifications

• Intermediate or top-level operational planning education (e.g., JAWS/SAMS/MAWS/SAASS/Service and Joint War Colleges or Fellowships)
• Senior PME (e.g., CGSC/ILE, USMC CSC, Naval/War College equivalents)
• Prior experience with USINDOPACOM, MARFORPAC, HQMC, a combatant command, Service component, or MEF HQ
• Doctoral degree in a relevant field

Skills & Competencies

• Deep functional expertise in deliberate planning support and posture planning integration
• Advanced analytic framing and problem-solving under ambiguity
• Expert-level writing/editing and product coherence management
• Influence without authority; credible advisory presence with senior stakeholders
• Standards-setting, coaching, and quality assurance mindset
• Autonomy, Decision Authority & Accountability

Working Conditions

• Sitting at desk
• Phone use and PC or laptop
• Filing required
• May require lifting and carrying boxes of supplies or files up to 25 lbs
• Extended periods of sitting while on PC/laptop or phone
• General office equipment, which includes telephone, fax machine, copier, PC/laptop, and other miscellaneous office equipment
• Regular attendance in accordance with established work schedule is mandatory

Benefits

• 11 Federal Holidays with Pay
• Vacation (Personal/sick leave)
• Medical, Dental, Vision Wellness Participation Weight Loss Reimbursement
• Health Care Flex Spending
• Short Term/Long Term Disability
• Savings Incentive Match Plan (Simple IRA)
• Basic Life Insurance
• Tuition Assistance Program
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Other Paid Absences
• Professional Memberships
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA)