Senior Operations Support Specialist (Operations Coordinator)

About Our Organization

The Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Defense Exports and Cooperation (DASA DE&C) manages the Army's Security Assistance and Armaments Cooperation programs that engage allies and partners across the full spectrum of Army acquisition to achieve force dominance. We lead the U.S. Army Security Assistance Enterprise (ASAE), providing leadership, resource management and policy oversight. We build the capabilities of allies and partners, strengthen relationships with our foreign partners, and strengthen the U.S. industrial base.

Position Overview

As a Senior Operations Support Specialist, you will serve as the operational linchpin for the directorate, providing strategic administrative and operational support directly to senior leadership. This role is responsible for orchestrating the directorate's operational battle rhythm, managing complex scheduling and tasking requirements, and governing the flow of executive correspondence and information. The successful candidate will be a seasoned professional capable of operating with significant autonomy, anticipating the needs of leadership, and independently resolving complex logistical and administrative challenges to ensure the directorate achieves its strategic objectives.

Core Duties and Responsibilities

1. Strategic & Executive Operations Support

• Orchestrate and manage the directorates operational battle rhythm, including internal sessions, interagency engagements, and meetings with international partners, ensuring strategic alignment of leadership's time with organizational priorities.
• Lead all logistical and coordination aspects for executive-level meetings, independently managing conference room preparation and the operation of complex VTC and classified/unclassified AV systems.
• Synthesize and disseminate key discussion points, decisions, and action items from high-level engagements, ensuring clarity and accountability.
• Proactively manage and deconflict organizational calendars across DASA DE&C and with external stakeholders, anticipating and resolving potential scheduling conflicts to protect senior leader availability for critical engagements.
• Serve as a key integration point for the directorate, expertly managing senior-level correspondence and coordinating high-level visitor access and support.

2. Task & Knowledge Management

• Manage the end-to-end lifecycle of all directorate taskers using the Army Enterprise Task Management Software Solution (ETMS2), analyzing trends in tasker performance to recommend process improvements.
• Synthesize inputs from across the directorate to produce executive-level reports, such as Weekly Activity Reports (WARs), providing nuanced status updates to leadership.
• Oversee the directorate's knowledge management program, governing information repositories (e.g., SharePoint, shared drives) to ensure compliance with information management policies and intuitive accessibility for the team.

3. Executive Administrative & Logistical Management

• Manage all aspects of executive travel using the Defense Travel System (DTS), independently handling complex authorizations and vouchers.
• Develop and produce comprehensive trip books and executive read-ahead materials for senior leader travel and key engagements.
• Lead the personnel integration process for the directorate, autonomously managing onboarding and offboarding workflows for accounts, equipment, and access.
• Ensure the continuous operational readiness of the directorate's physical and virtual workspace, proactively coordinating IT, facilities, and logistical support

Essential Requirements

Security Clearance: Must possess and maintain an active SECRET security clearance.

Education & Experience:

• Applicants must meet one of the following combinations:
  • An advanced degree (e.g., Master's) in a relevant field and a minimum of seven (7) years of professional experience in an operational support, executive assistant, or administrative management role.
  • A Bachelors degree from an accredited university and a minimum of ten (10) years of professional experience in an operational support, executive assistant, or administrative management role.
  • A High School Diploma and a minimum of fourteen (14) years of professional experience in an operational support, executive assistant, or administrative management role.
  • Note: All experience levels must include demonstrated experience providing primary, direct support to senior-level military (O-6 and above) or civilian (GS-15 and above) leaders in a fast-paced DoD headquarters environment.
• Expert-level proficiency with the Defense Travel System (DTS) and the Army Enterprise Task Management Software Solution (ETMS2) or similar formal tasking systems.
• Expert knowledge of Army correspondence protocols, including AR 25-50, is required.
• Expert-level proficiency with the Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams) and Adobe Acrobat.
• Superior ability to manage complex, competing priorities and execute tasks with a high degree of precision under pressure.
• Must be a forward-thinking and proactive problem-solver, capable of anticipating leadership needs and operating with a high degree of autonomy and limited direct guidance.
• Polished written and verbal communication skills, with the poise and confidence to interact professionally with senior leaders, U.S. interagency partners, and foreign officials.

Work Environment

Location: Arlington, VA

Travel: Less than 5% travel may be required.

Schedule/Location: This is a full-time, on-site position. No remote work is offered.

Collaboration: The candidate will be expected to work closely with all members of the directorate and serve as a key integration point for administrative and operational matters. Regardless of physical location, all team members are required to maintain a full virtual presence and actively participate in team meetings, discussions, and collaborative efforts via MS Teams, or other collaborative applications as directed during core business hours.