Space Operations & Resilience Subject Matter Expert (SME)
Location:
Norfolk, VA (Hybrid with Occasional International Travel)
Clearance Required:
Active U.S. Secret clearance
Employment Type:
Full-Time, Contingent Upon Contract Award
Company Overview:
Ironclad Defense Works delivers forward-leaning, technically rigorous solutions to NATO and allied defense organizations. From cyber integration to space deterrence, we specialize in operationalizing innovation and driving multi-domain mission success. We are seeking a Space Operations & Resilience SME to support NATO’s strategic efforts to assess space-based threats, strengthen commercial space resilience, and operationalize threat response planning across the Alliance.
Role Overview:
As a Space Operations & Resilience SME, you will serve as a technical lead in NATO’s Space Threat Operational Response (THOR) initiative and contribute directly to building policy, planning, and operational tools that address kinetic, cyber, electromagnetic, and hybrid threats to NATO-relevant space assets. You will also support the development of resilience toolkits, red teaming exercises, and risk mitigation frameworks for commercial space providers aligned with NATO operations.This role blends deep technical insight with strategic policy awareness and requires familiarity with both national and commercial space sector dynamics.
Key Responsibilities:
- Contribute to the creation of the Initial Space Threat Assessment Report and Scenario Prioritization Framework
- Analyze existing and emerging threat vectors including kinetic ASAT, jamming, spoofing, cyber intrusions, and proximity operations
- Collaborate with NATO stakeholders and Allied intelligence communities to validate threat models and categorize risk
- Develop the Commercial Resilience Toolkit, including financial and policy mechanisms to enhance survivability of space services
- Support design and delivery of tabletop exercises, red team simulations, and joint threat workshops
- Contribute to recommendations for integrating commercial capabilities into threat response playbooks and NATO planning constructs
- Help define metrics and resilience standards for evaluating commercial SATCOM, ISR, and PNT providers
Required Qualifications:
- Active U.S. Secret clearance
- Citizenship of a NATO member nation
- Minimum 8 years of experience in space operations, threat analysis, or space resilience planning
- Proven experience assessing and/or mitigating threats to space-based capabilities (civil, military, or commercial)
- Familiarity with NATO or national space policies, defensive counterspace measures, or contingency communications planning
- Strong technical writing and analysis skills with the ability to produce NATO-grade deliverables
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience supporting space threat modeling for USSF, NRO, NATO, or Allied Space Commands
- Background in red teaming, risk management, or cyber-physical threat simulations
- Knowledge of commercial SATCOM and ISR architecture and risk-sharing mechanisms (e.g., insurance, co-investment, contingency clauses)
- Graduate degree in space policy, engineering, national security, or a related technical field
- Participation in NATO exercises such as CWIX, Steadfast Jupiter, or similar
Why Join Ironclad?
- Join a team that has delivered consistent results at HQ SACT since 2019
- Influence strategic space policy at the intersection of defense and commercial innovation
- Work in a fast-moving, mission-first environment with real-world impact
- Competitive compensation, clearance retention support, and global mission scope
To Apply:
Send your resume and a brief cover letter to [email protected] with subject line: Space Operations & Resilience SME – IFIB 25-45
