Operations Research Analyst

About the role

SPA delivers high-impact, technical solutions to complex national security issues. The ORCA group is seeking a Space Operations Analyst to provide on-site support in San Diego, CA to the Space Warfighting Analysis Center (SWAC), Space Security & Defense Program (SSDP), and Department of the Air Force Program Acquisition Executive for Command, Control, Communications, and Battle Management (DAF PAE C3BM).

The candidate will leverage simulation systems to support multi-domain military operations and drive the analytical process. Operations Analysts apply Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) principles and analytical tools to identify trends, analyze complex data, and solve real-world challenges. They will also execute technical ownership of modeling and simulation efforts, providing quality assurance to other analysts.

Qualified candidates should be able to effectively communicate analytic results, understand current and future space system capabilities, and apply analytical and engineering methodologies to solve operational problems.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to project teams by building digital models, running simulations, analyzing complex data, and supporting clear communication of results.
• Develop digital models of complex real-world systems using commercial and proprietary tools.
• Design, build, and execute constructive simulations using best practices for design of experiments.
• Analyze and synthesize large data sets using diverse analytic frameworks and statistical methods.
• Prepare presentations, reports, and other deliverables to convey findings and recommendations.
• Balance tasks across multiple projects and maintain regular communication with task leads.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Operations Research, Mathematics, Engineering, Data Science, or a closely related field.
• At least three years of professional experience in operations research, modeling and simulation, or model-based systems engineering.
• Demonstrated proficiency in data analysis and visualization using Excel, Python, R, Tableau, or other tools.
• Proven ability to apply structured, rigorous analytic methodologies to complex problem-solving.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to deliver clear technical presentations.
• An active or recent DoD security clearance.

Desired Qualifications

• Experience supporting DoD organizations, acquisition programs, or capability development activities.
• Familiarity with modeling and simulation tools commonly used in defense analysis (e.g., CAMEO, AFSIM, STK, AnyLogic) or mission-level modeling and simulation.
• Knowledge of design of experiments, statistical modeling, or machine learning methods.

Pay

Salary range: USD $110,000.00/Yr. - USD $165,000.00/Yr. Salaries are commensurate with experience and qualifications, as well as market and business considerations.