Strategic Operations Advisor

Company Overview

By Light Professional IT Services LLC readies warfighters and federal agencies with technology and systems engineered to connect, protect, and prepare individuals and teams for whatever comes next. Headquartered in McLean, VA, By Light supports defense, civilian, and commercial IT customers worldwide.

Position Overview

We are seeking a highly experienced Strategic Operations Advisor to work on complex operational, cyber, and enterprise-level challenges.

 

This individual will serve as a trusted advisor, translating strategic priorities into practical plans, repeatable processes, and measurable organizational improvements. The ideal candidate is a credible senior leader who can engage confidently with executives while also working directly with planners, analysts, cyber professionals, and cross-functional teams in a “hands-on” capacity.

 

The successful candidate will bring strong executive presence, sound judgment, intellectual curiosity, and the ability to quickly assess existing operations, identify process gaps, and move an organization from discussion to disciplined execution.

While this individual does not need to arrive as a certified expert in every process-improvement or knowledge-management methodology, they must understand the underlying concepts, recognize how these disciplines support organizational performance, and be prepared to quickly apply additional training.

Responsibilities

· Advise leadership on strategic planning, organizational priorities, operational alignment, and execution.

· Evaluate complex operational challenges and develop practical, actionable recommendations.

· Support the development, refinement, and execution of plans using established joint planning methodologies.

· Translate senior-leader guidance into clearly defined objectives, processes, decision points, and executable initiatives.

· Facilitate collaboration among operational, technical, cyber, planning, and leadership stakeholders.

· Assess existing organizational processes to identify inefficiencies, duplication, gaps, and opportunities for improvement.

· Support process mapping, analysis, redesign, and implementation efforts across critical business and operational functions.

· Help establish performance measures, governance structures, and repeatable workflows that improve accountability and organizational effectiveness.

· Advise on the integration of cyber considerations into strategic and operational planning.

· Support knowledge-management practices that improve information sharing, collaboration, continuity, and decision-making.

· Assist with documenting processes, lessons learned, decision frameworks, and organizational knowledge.

· Develop and present executive-level briefings, recommendations, decision-support materials, and written assessments.

· Mentor and guide personnel involved in planning, process improvement, knowledge management, and organizational transformation efforts.

· Conduct and teach Battle Rhythm Management principles.

Required Experience/Qualifications

Senior executive leadership experience at the Colonel/O-6 level or equivalent.

· Demonstrated experience advising senior leaders and executive decision-makers.

· Strong understanding of the Joint Planning Process, operational planning, and complex organizational decision-making.

· Completion of Joint Professional Military Education Phase II.

· Experience supporting cyber operations, cybersecurity initiatives, cyber mission activities, or the integration of cyber capabilities into operational planning.

· Demonstrated ability to analyze complex organizational challenges and translate findings into actionable recommendations.

· Working knowledge of process-improvement concepts, including process mapping, root-cause analysis, workflow assessment, performance measurement, and process redesign.

· Foundational understanding of knowledge-management principles, including information sharing, knowledge capture, collaboration, continuity, and organizational learning.

· Ability to lead discussions and facilitate collaboration across diverse functional and technical teams.

· Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including experience preparing and delivering executive-level briefings.

· Ability to operate effectively in a complex, fast-paced, and mission-focused environment with limited supervision.

· Ability to take on and lead projects to resolution in a timely manner.

Preferred Experience/Qualifications

· Formal training or certification in Lean Six Sigma, Information Technology Infrastructure Library, business process improvement, organizational change management, or a related methodology.

· Experience mapping, analyzing, and re-engineering complex enterprise or operational processes.

· Experience supporting organizational transformation, governance development, strategic initiatives, or enterprise-wide improvement programs.

· Formal knowledge-management experience implementing knowledge-management practices within a large, complex organization.

Special Requirements/Security Clearance

• Currently possess an active DoD TS/SCI clearance 

Salary Range

Based on the roles, responsibilities, and requirements, the projected pay range for this position is $155,000 - $185,000.

 

The annual base salary provided is a guideline for this position and is not a guarantee of compensation or salary. When extending an offer, By Light also considers other variables such as (but not limited to) work experience, education, training, skill set, internal peer equity, clearance level, and market conditions. In addition, By Light provides an extensive selection of benefits and offerings to our employees.