Exercise Planner - Future Operations

BLUF

Tactical Analyst II provides mid-level operational or technical expertise in support of experimentation, analysis, field events, and technology evaluations. This role blends hands-on execution with insightful analysis, contributing meaningfully to project planning, scenario development, and data-driven assessments.

Company Overview

Covan Group is a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) based in the National Capital Region. Our team consists of high-performing, experienced, and adaptive veterans and civilians who bring a multi-tiered perspective and deep expertise to our clients. Covan Group combines military and civilian experience across key areas, including MAGTF Planning, MEU and Special Operations, Military Instruction, Fires, Networking, Data Analytics, and Multimedia Production. Our capabilities are rooted in experience at all levels, from squad leaders to division leaders. With a strong foundation of recently separated service members—many still serving in the reserve component—Covan Group provides clients with firsthand military insight into research, development, and operational innovation.

Key Outcomes (First 90–180 Days)

• Learns and understands the Experiment Division planning cycle and how Future Operations and Future Plans support event development and execution.
• Develops working knowledge of existing planning products, event architectures, timelines, and cross-functional dependencies.
• Demonstrates ability to translate customer objectives into feasible, synchronized planning approaches and clear decision-support products.
• Identifies planning risks, resource constraints, and practical improvements to reusable planning tools, templates, and procedures.

Core Responsibilities

Operational SME Track

• Participate in scenario development, structured test design, and event reporting.
• Provide operational insights into emerging technologies, integration, and employment.
• Lead portions of field execution and ensure accurate data capture.

Project Responsibilities

The Exercise Planner supports Future Operations and Future Plans within the Experiment Division Plans Section. The employee translates customer objectives into coordinated concepts, schedules, requirements, and execution products for experiments and operational events. The role produces feasible plans, synchronized support, and clear decisions from initial planning through transition and after-action review.

• Translate customer objectives into event concepts, tasks, milestones, and planning requirements.
• Develop CONOPs, schedules, synchronization matrices, execution checklists, and briefs.
• Maintain future event planning horizons and coordinate transitions into execution.
• Develop scenarios, injects, tactical problems, and event architectures supporting evaluation.
• Coordinate evaluation criteria, measures, scorecards, and collection needs with Data Collection.
• Facilitate planning conferences, working groups, reviews, rehearsals, and synchronization meetings.
• Integrate personnel, facilities, communications, logistics, safety, and technical dependencies.
• Identify planning conflicts, risks, and resource constraints and recommend mitigation options.
• Prepare planning updates and record decisions, actions, owners, and suspense dates.
• Capture lessons learned and improve reusable planning products, templates, and SOPs.

Required Qualifications

• Ability to obtain and maintain a DoD security clearance.
• Military experience at the SNCO or O3/O4 level, OR equivalent mid-level operational or planning experience within a federal or state organization.
• Demonstrated capability in mid-level operational or technical roles.
• Education requirement may be satisfied with appropriate experience.
• Mid-level operational, exercise, experimentation, test, or related planning experience.
• Ability to develop integrated plans and professional briefs while coordinating cross-functional requirements and timelines.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting DoD test events, experimentation, or operational analysis.
• Familiarity with integration of sensors, networked systems, or prototype technologies.
• Ability to mentor junior team members.
• JPP, MDMP, MCPP, Joint Event Life Cycle, or comparable planning methods; relevant degree or equivalent experience; experience with scenarios, scorecards, operational orders, or test plans.

Specialized Tools / Systems / Capabilities

• Microsoft 365; schedules, synchronization matrices, CONOPs, execution checklists, and planning briefs.
• Microsoft Project, Visio, TAK, ArcGIS, or comparable tools where required.

Clearance Requirements

Secret eligibility required; Secret preferred. Higher access only as required by the assigned contract or program. Must comply with all applicable security procedures and reporting requirements.

Work Environment & Travel

Remote-first role with approximately 50–80% annual travel to customer, laboratory, and event locations. Event execution may require extended days, shift work, early mornings, evenings, weekends, and schedule changes. Travel governed by Covan Group's Travel Policy.

Compensation

2026 Pay Band: $88,000 – $126,000

EEOC & Accommodation Statement

Covan Group provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants. Reasonable accommodations are available upon request.