Principal Data Operations Lead / CASPIAN JCRS-D Subject Matter Expert (SME)

About The Role

Peraton seeks a Principal Data Operations Lead / CASPIAN JCRS-D Subject Matter Expert (SME) to support Department of War Cyber Defense Command (DCDC) with Defensive Cyberspace Operations (DCO) and AI Cyber Security Support.  

Location: Fort Meade, MD. 

In this role, you will perform advanced statistical analysis, develop ML models, and conduct operational research to support cyber defense decision-making and threat characterization.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Perform as technical authority for Data Acquisition, Standards, and Governance, ensuring all incoming data streams comply with DCDC/ARCYBER standards
  • Design complex engineering pipelines 
  • Oversee compliance with metadata tagging requirements and standards
• Innovate and implement JCRS-D Optimization & Innovation workflows
• Conduct Performance Optimization (Output and Speed), addressing latency/throughput, compute and storage optimization, and troubleshooting/bottleneck resolution
• Conduct quantitative and qualitative analyses to identify operational trends
• Collaborate with mission partners to translate requirements into analytic solutions
• Document analytic workflows and methodologies for knowledge transfer
• Mentor junior data scientists and provide technical guidance

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• Minimum of 12 years with BS/BA; Minimum of 10 years with MS/MA; Minimum of 7 years with Ph.D.
• Must have minimum of 5+ years of demonstrated experience leading cross-functional Data Operations teams (comprising data engineers, analysts, and system administrators) in high-tempo, mission-critical environments.
• Proven experience serving as the primary technical decision-maker for a large-scale data enterprise, with specific authority over data architecture, infrastructure scaling, and operational data pipelines.
• Authoritative CASPIAN Knowledge: Must possess verifiable, authoritative-level expertise in the CASPIAN architecture, including its underlying data schemas, integration nodes, and security compliance constraints.
• JCRS-D Optimization & Innovation: Deep, hands-on technical proficiency in JCRS-D data technologies. The candidate must demonstrate prior success in innovating and implementing custom JCRS-D analytical workflows, rather than just operating existing ones.
• System Integration: Proven ability to engineer and deploy custom API integrations and data bridges specifically tailored to JCRS-D platforms and upstream/downstream DoD analytics systems.
• Data Acquisition, Standards, and Governance:
  • Technical authority to define, enforce, and iterate data acquisition standards, ensuring all incoming data streams comply with DCDC/ARCYBER governance, data tagging, and metadata tagging requirements.
  • Expert-level proficiency in designing complex ETL/ELT pipelines using industry-standard enterprise tools (e.g., Apache NiFi, Kafka, Spark) to automate data ingestion from disparate, disconnected tactical and strategic sources.
  • Demonstrated capability to implement automated data quality checks, anomaly detection, and schema validation before data enters the CASPIAN/JCRS-D environment.
• Performance Optimization (Output and Speed):
  • Must have direct experience engineering low-latency, high-throughput data processing architectures capable of handling massive volumes of structured and unstructured DoD data.
  • Advanced proficiency in technical decision-making regarding distributed compute resource allocation, query optimization, and storage tiering to maximize analytical output speed.
  • Proven track record of identifying and remediating critical data flow bottlenecks within complex, classified or secure unclassified network enclaves.
• Must have DoD 8570.01-M / 8140 certification compliance (e.g., IAT Level III or IASAE Level II/III).
• Active TS with ability to obta in SCI.
• US Citizenship Required.

Preferred

• M inimum of 10+ years of advanced experience in data engineering, data architecture, and data operations within secure DoD or Intelligence Community (IC) environments.

Details

Target Salary Range: $146,000 - $234,000. This represents the typical salary range for this position. Salary is determined by various factors, including but not limited to, the scope and responsibilities of the position, the individual’s experience, education, knowledge, skills, and competencies, as well as geographic location and business and contract considerations. Depending on the position, employees may be eligible for overtime, shift differential, and a discretionary bonus in addition to base pay.

Benefits Statement: Peraton offers eligible employees a variety of benefits including medical, dental, vision, life, health savings account, short/long term disability, EAP, parental leave, 401(k), paid time off (PTO) for vacation, and company paid holidays. A full listing of available benefits can be viewed at 

Application Statements: The application period for the job is estimated to be 30 days from the job posting date. However, this timeline may be shortened or extended depending on business needs and the availability of qualified candidates. By applying to this job, you are expressing interest in the role and the Company. During the review of your application, you may be required to participate in an on-camera interview, as well as participate in a process to verify your identity.

EEO: Equal opportunity employer, including disability and protected veterans, or other characteristics protected by law.