CDAO - War Data Platform - Chief of Mission Execution
Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering · Arlington, Virginia, United States · onsite
USD 139,395 to 197,200 a year
Job Title: Chief of Mission Execution Directorate: War Data Platform (WDP) - Mission ExecutionJOA: CDAO-2026-000116
Pay Scale: $139,395-$197,200
Open Date: 9 October 2026Close Date: 23 October 2026About the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office The Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO) mission is to accelerate the adoption of data, analytics, and artificial intelligence (AI) across the Department of War (DoW). The CDAO works across the Military Departments and Services, Joint Staff, Combatant Commands (CCMDs), Office of the Secretary of War (OSW), and other DoW Components to design, develop, field, and scale technologies, capabilities, strategies, policies, and other guidance related to data, analytics, and AI in support of DoW's warfighting and business functions, including responding to crises and emerging challenges. The CDAO has three broad goals of enabling, speeding, and scaling adoption of AI in the DoW.
The CDAO’s role in facilitating the rapid adoption of frontier AI and autonomy will enable the DoW’s national security objectives by informing future investments into policies, partnerships, and infrastructure, enabling the adoption of AI at scale throughout the department.
As the Chief of Mission Execution for the War Data Platform (WDP), you will serve as the senior executive program authority responsible for translating strategic intent into operational delivery and financial execution. Sitting at the nexus of technology, finance, and defense acquisition, you will lead the Mission Execution Division, directing enterprise-wide acquisition strategies, multi-year budget formulation, contract portfolio optimization, and cross-functional program delivery for critical joint warfighter capabilities. The Chief of Mission Execution will lead efforts to accelerate delivery across WDP’s technical portfolio, including platform infrastructure migrations, audit remediation, and enterprise-scale data integrations. They will oversee a multidisciplinary cadre of program managers, Contracting Officer’s Representatives (CORs), Technical Points of Contact (TPOCs), and acquisition/contracting/other transaction specialists, ensuring that major contract structures and budget execution deliver measurable, operational outcomes, cost efficiencies, and strategic mission impact across the Department of War. This position is covered by the Department of War (DoW) Civilian Acquisition Workforce Personnel Demonstration Project (AcqDemo). The position is located in Washington, DC. The pay plan for this role is NH-0340-IV, which is equivalent to the GS-14/15 grade level. This role will close for submissions at 11:59pm on October 23rd, 2026. - Drive WDP's overarching acquisition strategy, budget formulation, and financial execution, aligning capital and operational expenditures directly with warfighter mission needs and platform milestones.
- Formulate, justify, and defend multi-year program funding requirements through the DoW Program Objective Memorandum (POM) and Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution (PPBE) processes.
- Continuously monitor budget execution, commitments, obligations, and expenditures, overseeing applicable Budget Activity 08 (BA-08 Software and Digital Technology Pilot) reporting to maintainaudit readiness and mitigate financial risks to: DoW stakeholders, Department leadership and Congressional staff as required.
- Develop and implement innovative contracting and pricing, methods, vehicles and incentives, including; milestone-driven and outcome-based Contract Line Item Numbers (CLINs) and deliverables to accelerate capability delivery, enhance accountability, and enable dynamic resource usage.
- Enable delivery of end-to-end execution of high-priority WDP technical initiatives, enterprise platform migrations, cyber compliance programs, and financial audit readiness activities.
- Build and govern integrated master schedules (IMS), program baselines, cross-workstream dependencies, risk mitigation strategies, and performance metrics across the enterprise portfolio.
- Monitor portfolio progress against Objectives and Key Results (OKRs), Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), schedule, and budget allocations; identify variance early and enforce decisive corrective actions.
- Provide executive direction and drive accountability with Contracting Officer Representatives (CORs), Technical Points of Contact (TPOCs), civilian program managers, acquisition and contracting specialists, and contractor support staff.
- Author and review acquisition packages, translating complex technical and mission requirements into high-impact Statements of Objectives (SOOs), Performance Work Statements (PWSs), Statements of Work (SOWs), Quality Assurance Surveillance Plans (QASPs), with meaningful metrics and measurable evaluation criteria.
- Streamline procurement lifecycles by systematically driving down Procurement Administrative Lead Time (PALT) and expediting contract and other transaction actions and modifications.
- Track and hold industry partners accountable for: quality and speed of deliverables, service-level agreements (SLA) objectives, and mission milestones; document performance deficiencies, oversee vendor remediation and enterprise-wide license purchases, and support formal Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) evaluations.
- Manage workforce staffing, establish standard operating procedures (SOPs), mentor emerging leaders, and set organizational delivery standards through subordinate leads and supervisors.
- Collaborate across engineering, data operations, cybersecurity, product management, and other key functional and Military Dept stakeholders and mission owners to resolve complex funding, technical, legal and contracting bottlenecks.
- Represent WDP and CDAO in high-visibility engagements with senior leaders from the Office of the Secretary of War, Military Departments, Combatant Commands, DISA, OGC, industry executives, and external defense partners.
- Prepare and present authoritative decision memoranda, acquisition strategies, congressional responses, and executive briefings for General Officers, Flag Officers, and Senior Executive Service (SES) leadership.
- U.S. Citizenship is required.
- Candidate is encouraged to provide e-portfolio, project samples, Github, etc. to their submission package.
- Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service
- This position is subject to provisions of the WHS/OSW Priority Placement Program (please see details below)
- A three-year trial period may be required if not previously completed a trial or probationary period in the excepted or competitive service
- Must be determined suitable for federal employment.
- Required to participate in the direct deposit program.
- This position is subject to pre-employment and random drug testing.
- We may use this announcement to fill additional vacancies within 90 days of the closing date.
- Recruitment, relocation, or retention incentives may be authorized based on the availability of funds.
- This position requires a Top Secret/ Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) security clearance.
- If you are a veteran claiming veteran's preference, as defined by Section 2108 of Title 5 U.S.C., you must submit documents verifying your eligibility with your application package.
- This position may require work other than normal duty hours, which may include evenings, weekends, and/or holidays and/or mandatory overtime.
- This position may occasionally require travel away from the normal duty station via military or commercial aircraft.
Priority Placement Program Details Military Spouse Preference (MSP) Eligible: Military Spouse Preference applicants, must be selected and placed at the highest grade level for which they have applied and been determined best qualified up to and including the full performance level. You must include a completed copy of the Military Spouse P