Authorities and Coordination Project Coordinator

ARA performs unique assessments from an adversarial perspective (Red). The DoD Red Team (NE-MAR) is one of the assessment programs within the Defense Threat Reduction Agency’s (DTRA)-Operational Nuclear Enterprise Support Directorate, Mission Assurance Department (NE-MA). The DTRA Red Team emulates the full spectrum of identified adversarial capabilities from a foreign intelligence entity and/or a terrorist organization by applying both critical and creative thinking to demonstrate exploitation of vulnerabilities of selected national command and control architectures. The DoD Red Team is organized into several branches, one of which is the Authorities and Coordination Branch.

The Authorities and Coordination Coordinator (ACC) are assigned projects which include administrative as well as operational restrictions, safety, and security aspects. The ACC Coordinator performs all administrative tasks in preparation for an assessment to include drafting Warning, Fragmentary and Operation Orders, briefings, and resource requirements.  The ACC Coordinator will also assist with drafting program plans and continuous review of the Ground Rules of Engagement to ensure compliance with statutory requirements and other directives.  The ACC Coordinator assists the ACC Project Lead in developing procedures consistent with the policies of the DoD Red Team in regard to services required for project accomplishment. This includes developing program plans, project objectives, policies and ground rules, identifying constraints, and coordinating activities.

Authorities and Coordination Coordinator Responsibilities/Tasks:

• Perform all tasks of the AC Project Lead in their absence


• Schedule all briefings, meetings and calendar requirements for the fiscal year cycle, and each project assessment with all customers, clients and partners


• Ensure all assessment objectives, metrics, and documentation are met for each assessment


• Coordinate with Host Nation, Federal, State, and local authorities to ensure a safety net for assessment operations is in place prior to commencement


• Review all team activities individually to ensure compliance with the Ground Rules of Engagement, legal and safety considerations are met


• Liaise with Partner Integrators to obtain necessary documentation of all personnel participating in field operations to include travel documentation, physical descriptions, assessment equipment, contact information and other necessary data to support activities


• Prepare, review, and edit activity reports including SITREPs, status reports, out briefs, Senior Leader briefs, Interim progress reports and briefs, white papers, After Action Reviews, Final Reports, and other documents necessary to convey assessment findings to customers, partners, and other stakeholders


• Research, develop, revise, and maintain Program Plans, expansion proposals, assessment focus documents, program policies, ground rules, partner agreements, orders, and other documents required for performing DoD Red Team assessment operations for assigned Program


• Research, develop, revise, and maintain procedures and processes consistent with the policies of NE-MAR for performing required services on the assigned program


• Assist the ACC Project Lead to ensure coverage of team activities throughout an assessment

Authorities and Coordination Coordinator Required Skills/Qualifications:

• An active TS/SCI clearance


• A minimum of 13 years of operational military experience and/or law enforcement experience and/or counter-intelligence experience


• Level of education can be considered on a case-by-case basis


• Experience with annual budgets and government systems of travel to forecast requirements


• Experience in a supervisory role commensurate with the position description and responsibilities


• Proficiency in team management, interpersonal relationship building and coaching skills


• Proficiency in understanding, analyzing, and summarizing comprehensive and complex technical and research information/data


• Excellent analytical, communications-both oral and written, and project management


• Travel is required up to 25%

Anticipated salary range: $100,435-$167,391. Offer may vary depending on experience and skill set.

Who is ARA?

Applied Research Associates, Inc. (aka ARA) is an employee-owned international research and engineering company. We have been providing technically superior solutions to complex and challenging problems in the physical sciences since 1979. ARA has over 2,240 employee owners and continues to grow rapidly. Together, our offices throughout the U.S. and Canada provide a broad range of technical expertise in defense, civil, and health technologies, computer software and simulation, systems analysis, environmental technologies, and testing and measurement.

ARA also prides itself, on having a challenging culture where innovation & experimentation are the norm. The motto, “Engineering and Science for Fun and Profit” sums up the ARA experience. Employee ownership ensures you have a voice with what happens in the company. 

To find out more about what the Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance Division has to offer, visit our website at: https://www.ara.com/benefits/