USSF OTTI Mission Operations Lead

Join General Dynamics IT and be a part of a team that solve some of the world's most complex technical challenges. We are seeking a Mission Operations Lead to build infrastructure for the USSF Operational Test and Training Infrastructure (OTTI) in Colorado Springs, CO.

NOTE: This is a proposal position and considered a Key Personnel (KP) role on the program. Award is expected in Summer 2026.

Position Summary: 

The Mission Operations Lead will serve as the senior operational representative acting as the primary interface between the customer, mission users, engineering teams, and training/test event execution teams. This individual will ensure program capabilities align with the operational needs of the U.S. Space Force, mission partners, and Guardians conducting high-end operational test and training activities.

The role requires an experienced leader who understands how to bridge mission operations, test and evaluation, training environments, simulation systems, live-virtual-constructive (LVC) architectures, and operational mission user expectations. 

This individual will be the “voice of the customer” and will ensure that all technical development, operational scenarios, exercises, demonstrations, and event execution activities remain tightly aligned to real-world mission needs. 

Key Responsibilities: 

Customer and Mission Advocacy 

• Serve as the primary operational representative and trusted advisor to government mission stakeholders. 
• Act as the “voice of the customer” across engineering, integration, simulation, cyber, and operations teams. 
• Translate operational mission requirements into technical priorities, training objectives, event execution plans, and capability roadmaps. 
• Maintain strong relationships with Space Force operational units, STARCOM, SSC, SpOC, System Delta organizations, and mission partners. 
• Support customer engagement sessions, capability demonstrations, tabletop exercises, operational working groups, and executive briefings. 

Test and Training Event Leadership 

• Lead planning, coordination, execution, and after-action review activities for operational test and training events. 
• Manage large-scale mission rehearsals, distributed exercises, test events, and live-virtual-constructive training activities. 
• Ensure training and test events accurately reflect realistic threat environments, mission constraints, and operational timelines. 
• Coordinate with mission users, aggressor teams, simulation teams, cyber teams, and technical support staff to ensure event readiness. 
• Oversee event schedules, mission threads, scenario development, risk management, and execution timelines. 
• Lead hot washes, lessons learned sessions, and post-event reporting. 

Operational Integration and Mission Design 

• Help define operational concepts, mission threads, and training objectives for OTTI environments. 
• Ensure integration between operational mission systems, synthetic environments, digital twins, simulation tools, and exercise control systems. 
• Work closely with systems engineers and software teams to prioritize mission-relevant functionality. 
• Guide development of realistic threat emulation, contested-space scenarios, mission rehearsal activities, and operational data requirements. 
• Support capability validation and operational acceptance activities. 

Leadership and Program Execution 

• Lead a cross-functional team of operations personnel, event planners, trainers, engineers, and simulation specialists. 
• Provide strategic guidance to program leadership regarding customer priorities, operational risk, and mission impact. 
• Support program reviews, milestone events, technical interchange meetings, and customer decision briefings. 
• Contribute to staffing, subcontractor coordination, resource planning, and operational readiness assessments. 
• Assist capture and growth teams by identifying future customer needs, operational gaps, and follow-on opportunities. 

Required Qualifications:

• Masters/Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations Research, Information Technology, or related field. 
• 15+ years of experience in military operations, operational test, training, exercise planning, mission operations, or related defense programs. 
• Demonstrated experience leading complex operational test events, mission rehearsals, exercises, or training activities. 
• Strong understanding of Space Force, Air Force, Joint, or Intelligence Community operational environments. 
• Experience working with modeling and simulation, LVC environments, digital twins, or training systems. 
• Ability to engage directly with senior government customers and serve as a trusted advisor. 
• Experience translating operational needs into technical requirements and execution plans. 
• Active Top Secret clearance with SCI eligibility required. 

Desired Qualifications: 

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including executive-level briefings. 
• Previous experience supporting U.S. Space Force operational units, STARCOM, SSC, SpOC, or System Delta organizations. 
• Experience with operational test and evaluation, range operations, mission planning systems, or exercise control systems. 
• Background in space operations, missile warning, space domain awareness, satellite communications, electronic warfare, cyber operations, or ISR. 
• Experience supporting large-scale exercises such as Red Flag, Space Flag, Global Sentinel, Schriever Wargame, or similar events. 
• Familiarity with cloud-based synthetic environments, DevSecOps, AI-enabled mission systems, and data-driven training environments. 
• Experience managing geographically distributed teams and coordinating across multiple stakeholders. 
• Prior military service as an operational planner, mission commander, exercise lead, weapons officer, or senior enlisted operations leader highly desired. 

 WHAT CAN GDIT OFFER YOU?

• Excellent customizable health benefits (Medical, Dental and Vision)
• 401K with company match
• Educational Assistance and eLearning
• Flexible work week
• Internal mobility team dedicated to employee advancement
• Rewards and Recognition programs
• Innovative and collaborative environment encouraging of highly motivated critical thinking