As the Deputy Director for Plans and Policy (DJ5) at USSTRATCOM, you serve as the senior civilian executive leading global strategic deterrence during a complex shift to a multi-polar nuclear landscape. Working with the J5 Director, you oversee day-to-day operations and a diverse workforce. Your mission is dual-track: sustaining legacy systems while rapidly modernizing capabilities across cyber and space, acting as a key diplomat to OSW/OSD and the NSC.
The Deputy Director for Plans and Policy (DJ5) at USSTRATCOM is the senior civilian executive responsible for ensuring that all strategic operational plans and nuclear employment concepts strictly align with Title 10 and Title 50 of the U.S. Code, international law, and arms control treaties.
To maintain democratic oversight and safeguard public trust, the Deputy Director establishes transparent communication channels with congressional committees, the White House, and defense oversight bodies, translating highly classified capabilities into clear briefings.
As the primary champion for human-in-the-loop systems integrity, the incumbent systematically audits artificial intelligence and machine learning integrations within warning systems to protect presidential decision-making authority. Operational efficiency is driven through calculated risk management, balancing the fail-safe sustainment of legacy platforms with the rapid scaling of modernized kinetic and non-kinetic capabilities.
The Deputy Director exercises direct executive control over an operational budget of up to $9.2 million-including key portfolios like Deterrence Assurance Planning Support ($1.6M-$1.8M) and Tri-lab funding ($2.7M-$3.1M)-by streamlining contract integration and holding contractors to performance-based benchmarks.
Efficiency is further enhanced by adopting advanced software, big data analytics, and cloud tools to automate routine administrative workflows, freeing human intelligence for high-priority strategic analysis. This role demands elite cognitive agility to transition between zero-defect nuclear operations and the agile thinking required to navigate space, cyber, and electromagnetic spectrum domains.
Serving as the chief futurist, the Deputy Director leads long-range intelligence-fusion efforts to anticipate adversary technological breakthroughs, such as hypersonics and quantum communications, and preemptively adjusts USSTRATCOM's strategic posture. Applying authoritative technical expertise in Joint doctrine and nuclear command and control, the incumbent designs unified plans integrating conventional, nuclear, and non-kinetic options.
Leading a highly specialized joint workforce of approximately 190 active military, 205 federal civilians, and 37 contractor personnel, the Deputy Director builds a collaborative culture of innovation and psychological safety where personnel can challenge outdated processes without reprisal.
This leadership actively supports physical, mental, and professional resilience while cultivating future national security leaders through dedicated mentorship and succession planning for the Senior Executive Service and flag-officer ranks.
To achieve critical results, the Deputy Director acts as USSTRATCOM's primary senior diplomat in Washington, D.C., negotiating policy and resource allocations with 4-star generals, the Secretary of War/Defense, the Joint Staff, and the National Security Council. The incumbent dismantles institutional silos between Combatant Commands by leading cross-functional working groups to synchronize global deterrence postures.
By leveraging a mature, pre-existing network across the Joint Staff, OSW/OSD, the Department of Energy, the Department of State, and the Intelligence Community, the Deputy Director rapidly resolves coordination deadlocks during fast-breaking crises.
Ultimately, these efforts deliver highly integrated, timely, and credible strategic options to the President, combining kinetic and non-kinetic capabilities to preserve vital presidential decision space during national security emergencies.
A bachelor's or master's degree from an accredited institution is highly desired.
SAF.MRL.CSEApplicantInquiry@us.af.mil
This position is with Department of the Air Force Headquarters, Department of the Air Force.
The posted pay range is $151662 – $219000/yr.
This position is eligible for telework.
This position requires a Sensitive Compartmented Information security clearance.
Applications close on 2026-11-20.
This position is open under the 'Ses' hiring path.
Source: USAJOBS.gov — U.S. Federal Government · Retrieved 2026-11-06 · Not affiliated with or endorsed by OPM or USAJOBS.gov
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