Defensive Cyber Operations Planner

Cyber Operations Planner Principal

Advance your career while impacting our national security in cyber as a Cyber Operations Planner Principal at GDIT. Here, technologists have many paths to grow a meaningful career supporting cyber missions and operations across the federal government. The work you'll do at GDIT will be impactful to the mission of U.S. Cyber Command. The Defensive Cyber Operations Planner within U.S. Cyber Command J3 plays a critical role in designing and synchronizing defensive cyberspace strategies to secure the DoDIN and defend the nation. This forward-oriented role ensures future operations planning aligns with Combatant Command priorities, legal frameworks, and emerging technologies to achieve cyber dominance. Planners work across joint forces, interagency partners, multinational allies, and joint forces to deliver precise and impactful cyber campaigns.

Responsibilities

• Future Campaign Planning and Execution: Develop defensive cyber operations plans and strategies aligned with Combatant Command objectives, integrating USCOBERCOM capabilities with network owners capabilities. Leverage planning tools and techniques, including the Joint Planning Process (JPP) and Joint Operational Planning and Execution System (JOPES), to refine future operations.
• Stakeholder Coordination: Collaborate across USCYBERCOM components, interagency partners, multinational allies, and joint forces to synchronize offensive plans, ensuring alignment and deconfliction with broader operational priorities.
• Innovative Strategy Development: Explore and integrate emerging defensive tools, such as AI-based exploit development, autonomous cyberweaponry, and capabilities to counter adversarial quantum computing threats.

What You'll Need to Succeed

• Bachelor's degree in Cybersecurity, Computer Science, Information Systems, Strategic Studies, or related field; advanced degree preferred.
• Completion of Joint Professional Military Education (JPME) Phase I required; JPME Phase II preferred for strategic-level roles.
• Experience: 8+ years of related experience
• Security clearance level: Active TS/SCI clearance. Successful completion of a polygraph required.
• US citizenship required

Explore a career in cyber at GDIT and you'll find endless opportunities to grow alongside colleagues who share your focus on defending and protecting what matters. The likely salary range for this position is $136,000 - $184,000. This is not, however, a guarantee of compensation or salary. Rather, salary will be set based on experience, geographic location and possibly contractual requirements and could fall outside of this range. Scheduled Weekly Hours: 40 Travel Required: Less than 10% Telecommuting Options: Onsite Work Location: USA MD Fort Meade Additional Work Locations: Total Rewards at GDIT: Our benefits package for all US-based employees includes a variety of medical plan options, some with Health Savings Accounts, dental plan options, a vision plan, and a 401(k) plan offering the ability to contribute both pre and post-tax dollars up to the IRS annual limits and receive a company match. To encourage work/life balance, GDIT offers employees full flex work weeks where possible and a variety of paid time off plans, including vacation, sick and personal time, holidays, paid parental, military, bereavement and jury duty leave. To ensure our employees are able to protect their income, other offerings such as short and long-term disability benefits, life, accidental death and dismemberment, personal accident, critical illness and business travel and accident insurance are provided or available. We regularly review our Total Rewards package to ensure our offerings are competitive and reflect what our employees have told us they value most.