Job Information
Applied Research Associates, Inc. Senior Director - Strategic Operations and Development in Alexandria, Virginia
Description
The Strategic Operations, Analysis, and Research (SOAR) Sector of Applied Research Associates, Inc. (ARA) is seeking a Senior Director for Strategic Operations and Development to work within a team reporting directly to the Sector Vice President. Responsibilities will include providing strategic guidance to a set of emerging programs supporting readiness, science and technology, and industrial security. In this position, the successful candidate will also build earnest relationships to seek out business development opportunities and promote strategic initiatives with Congressional equities.
This individual will have a proven track record of engaging senior decision-makers and subject matter experts across the national security focused organizations of the U.S. government to identify issues and deliver novel solutions. Candidates should also possess an attitude of detail-oriented follow through and be comfortable performing other duties as assigned.
Primary Responsibilities:
Project Oversight
On behalf of the SOAR Sector Manager (SM), this position will oversee and performance for ARA’s work performed in West Virginia or with West Virginia partners or customers.
The incumbent will familiarize themself with the programs, the ARA employee-owners engaged in preparation for or execution of the programs, and current and future customers. Duties will include mapping current, ongoing tasks and future goals necessary for program success, and executing these tasks or, where necessary, assigning execution to other employee-owners to ensure operational and financial success of the programs and a high degree of customer satisfaction with the programs, now and in the future.
The incumbent will also lead and manage all aspects of senior leader visits to and engagements with these projects, including customer and government official inspections, meetings and updates, and site visits.
Relationship management
This position will serve as the primary point of contact for relationship development and management for ARA’s West Virginia partners and customers, including academic and commercial partners, all West Virginia state and local partners, including the Governor’s office and administration, the West Virginia National Guard, the West Virginia Department of Economic Development, and others.
The incumbent will familiarize themself with these partners, ARA’s relationships to these partners, and will deliver a high degree of mutual satisfaction between ARA and these partners to ensure strong, long-lasting, and durable relationships leading to increased business opportunities and revenues through partnerships. A successful incumbent will grow and expand these existing partnerships and will further identify new West Virginia partnerships that will lead to new lines of profitable business opportunity.
New and current customer engagement
This position will establish new community customers for existing ARA technologies. The incumbent will also help manage and positively impact ARA relationships with existing customers.
Solving SOAR Sector problems and challenges
The incumbent in this position will serve as an operational problem solver and point of contract for project-based challenges and issue resolution for the SOAR Sector Manager on an ad hoc, as-directed basis.
Government relations engagement
The incumbent in this position will also support the ARA Government Relations team and the Senior Vice President, Government Relations (SVP GR), with lobbying support amounting to roughly 10 percent of workload.
The incumbent will map current working relationships and friendships for the SVP GR and develop a periodic rhythm for engagement with these offices. The incumbent will serve as ARA’s primary liaison to these offices, including for ARAPAC activities. The incumbent will pursue and successfully achieve project-based goals through engagements with these offices as directed by and under the supervision of the SVP GR.
Required Qualifications:
BS with 8-12 years of relevant experience
DoD Top Secret clearance with SCI eligibility
Demonstrated experience with Congressional and Administration budgetary and policy processes
Demonstrated experience transitioning national security concepts into programs of record
Demonstrated experience leading teams with diverse backgrounds
COMPANY INFORMATION:
Applied Research Associates, Inc. is an employee-owned international research and engineering company recognized for providing technically superior solutions to complex and challenging problems in the physical sciences. The company, founded in Albuquerque, NM, in 1979, currently employs over 2000 professionals. ARA offices throughout the United States and Canada provide a broad range of technical expertise in defense technologies, civil technologies, computer software and simulation, systems analysis, environmental technologies, and testing and measurement. The corporation also provides sophisticated technical products for environmental site characterization, pavement analysis, and robotics.
At ARA, employees are our greatest assets. The corporation realizes that employee ownership fosters greater creativity and initiative along with higher performance and customer satisfaction levels. ARA gives its employees the tools, training, and opportunities to take more active roles as owners. The culture is challenging; innovation and experimentation are the norm. Employees are eligible for contributions which not only add to the company’s success, but also their own through the Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). The motto, “Engineering and Science for Fun and Profit” sums up the ARA experience. For additional information and an opportunity to join this unique workplace, please visit our website at www.ara.com .
Please apply at www.careers.ara.com for the Senior Director for Strategic Operations and Development position.
Qualifications
Education
Required
- Bachelors or better
Experience
Required
- 8-12 years: Relevant work experience
Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)