USSOCOM Event Designer SME

USSOCOM Decision Support Center (DSC) is seeking a highly skilled and proactive Event Designer SME. This position you will be a full-time member of the J5-DSC Virtual Planning Workspace and will provide expert level knowledge of Decision Support Center capabilities in order to facilitate the integration of the required hosted events planned by the Decision Support Center staff, and guest organizations utilizing the Decision Support Center facilities to maximize the exchange of information and ideas and to facilitate discussion among key decision makers/leaders. This position will serve as the on-site task lead for the DSC program serving as a direct interface between the USSOCOM J5 DSC leadership and Vistra federal team.

Key Responsibilities  

• Conduct strategic, organizational, and programmatic analysis in support of USSOCOM mission to align command performance (functions, tasks, resources) to strategic priorities.
• Develop senior level seminars by leading the communication, presentation and facilitation of working groups during a series of engagements using an analytical process, called design workshops. The Event Designer must be prepared to lead these efforts while dealing with incomplete, ambiguous and sometimes incorrect information.
• Lead the design, development, execution and assessment of executive level seminars that explore complex issues, using visualization software application systems to enhance the material presented. These issues are synthesized using a systemic method that encompasses both creative and critical thinking, and that incorporates an understanding of visual thinking techniques to best illustrate any sample scenarios used (case studies, vignettes, moves/turns, etc.).
• Lead/guide a collaborative network of subject matter experts through an exchange of information, perspectives, and reasoning using structured analytical techniques. These techniques include, but are not limited to, those associated with design thinking, critical, creative, and visual thinking, and other qualitative and quantitative methods as appropriate. These techniques are used to solicit from a working group the true nature of the problem that they want senior strategic decision makers to address.
• Lead, facilitate and develop problem solving methods to properly frame complex issues by challenging the group to question intuitive judgments and past norms.
• Lead working groups comprised of personnel from within the command, and those representing external partners, using design thinking techniques to conceptualize and appreciate a problem from multiple perspectives.
• Advise DSC leadership of common best practices that the command’s problem sets can be applied against within the field of behavioral economics, design thinking, prospect theory and/or other qualitative applications.

• TS clearance eligible for SCI 
• Graduate of in-residence Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine or equivalent Staff College or higher
• 4 years of experience in planning or analysis in military related matters or subjects.
• 5 years of military operations, plans or resourcing experience.
• 6 years of experience with complex military and related problem-solving supporting DOD planning, programming and budgeting system (PPBS), Requirements Development/Joint Capabilities Integration Development System (JCIDS) and/or major defense acquisition programs (MDAPS).
• 3 years of experience leading study teams, operational planning teams, communities of interest, and/or other diverse groups in the examination of complex problems and the development of recommended solutions using illustrative briefings, narratives, and related vignettes and scenarios, that serve to enhance understanding of those problems
• 3 years of experience in leading various working groups to problem frame by thinking deeply/appreciating the problem, describing vividly relevant aspects of the problem, and producing a means of communicating the problem to senior level decision makers.

About Vistra:  Vistra Communications, doing business as Vistra and Vistra Federal Solutions, is a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) headquartered in Tampa, FL with an office in Alexandria, VA providing professional support serviced to Defense, Federal, and Civilian Agencies.  Approximately 25% of our “team member” employees work in the National Capital Region, providing communications, outreach, and organizational transformation services to our public sector customers.  Vistra provides medical, dental, and vision benefits, life and disability insurance, employer matching 401(k) retirement plan, Paid Time Off, Parental and Bereavement Leave, and Professional Development, among other benefits. 

US Citizenship Required: Due to the requirements of the federal contract that this position supports, U.S. citizenship is required. Citizenship will be confirmed via I-9/E-Verify at the start of employment.