Functional Area Expert SME

Eager to join a team where your skills are valued, your growth is nurtured, and your impact is profound? Look no further than Markon, a premier consulting firm deeply dedicated to advancing our nation's most critical missions.

 

At Markon, we don't just offer jobs – we offer opportunities for personal and professional transformation. Empowering our employees to lead, innovate, and excel, we foster an environment where new ideas are not just welcomed but celebrated. As a perennial Washington Post Top Workplace, we prioritize the well-being and success of our team members, ensuring they can bring their best selves to work.

 

Headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, Markon has garnered national recognition for our unwavering dedication to excellence in serving the intelligence community, as well as federal civilian and defense agencies. Our growing reach extends across 17 states, 116 countries, and 5 continents, where our team of dynamic professionals collaborates to deliver unparalleled program and project management services.

 

Markon values people and the tremendous impact each individual can make – which is why we’re consistently recognized as one of the best places to work in federal government consulting. Here, you can help solve the nation’s most important challenges, surrounded by colleagues who help you grow, advance, and succeed. We are deeply dedicated to what matters – bringing out the best in each other to advance our clients’ missions.

Join us and make a meaningful impact.

 

Markon is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, age, protected veteran status, or disability status. This job posting will remain open until the position is filled.

 

Benefits Offered: Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, Short-Term Disability, Long-Term Disability, 401(k) match, Flexible Spending Accounts, EAP, Training and Tuition Assistance, Paid Time Off, and Holidays.

Markon is seeking a Functional Area Expert (FAE) SME  to provide high-level strategic, analytical, and operational support to senior DoD leadership. The SME/FAE will serve as a trusted advisor and thought leader, bringing deep institutional knowledge of DoD organizations, processes, and decision-making frameworks.

• Serve as a senior advisor to DoD leadership, providing expert analysis, strategic insight, and guidance on enterprise-wide policies, programs, and initiatives.
• Demonstrate comprehensive knowledge of DoD organizational responsibilities, functions, and interrelationships, ensuring effective collaboration across OSD, Joint Staff, Military Departments, and DFAAs.
• Develop, evaluate, and advise on strategic plans, policies, and initiatives related to DoD resource formulation, execution, and management.
• Conduct high-level analyses integrating political, fiscal, organizational, and operational considerations to inform senior decision-making.
• Lead or contribute to major studies, reviews, and assessments addressing complex DoD management challenges; propose pragmatic, actionable solutions.
• Draft, review, and refine senior-level decision documents, executive briefings, and correspondence reflecting DoD policy and strategic positions.
• Coordinate and represent DoD policy perspectives to senior government officials, interagency partners, and other stakeholders.
• Support multiple, concurrent high-visibility projects by defining objectives, aligning resources, and ensuring delivery of mission-critical outcomes.
• Analyze and recommend improvements to organizational processes and administrative functions, including HR, budget development and execution, logistics, facilities, security, and contract management.
• Provide expert input on the planning and coordination of enterprise activities, ensuring that leadership objectives and priorities are met.
• Anticipate the implications of proposed actions or policy changes on DoD interests and communicate them clearly to leadership.

• Education: Master’s degree or higher in Public Policy, National Security Studies, Business Administration, or a related discipline.
• Certification: Advanced DoD, acquisition, or program management certifications preferred.
• Clearance: Active Secret clearance required

Experience:

• Minimum 20 years of progressive experience supporting the DoD, OSD, or WHS in senior policy, program, or management capacities.
• Proven expertise conducting strategic and functional analyses across a wide spectrum of DoD missions, programs, and organizations.
• Demonstrated ability to integrate and assess highly complex issues and present informed, strategic recommendations to senior executives.
• Extensive knowledge of DoD resource management, planning, programming, budgeting, and execution (PPBE) processes.
• Strong familiarity with DoD policy formulation, interagency coordination, and defense enterprise governance.
• Superior communication skills, with the ability to articulate DoD policy and strategy positions to senior audiences in both written and verbal form.
• Proven track record leading or contributing to multi-disciplinary, high-impact projects with competing priorities and enterprise visibility.
• Ability to assess organizational performance, identify process improvements, and drive actionable recommendations for leadership.
• Demonstrated understanding of how decisions and actions at the enterprise level impact DoD interests and mission execution.

USD $140,000.00 - USD $190,000.00 /Yr.

The Markon pay range for this position is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.