Naval Warfare Analyst Fire Test & Evaluation

Overview

The Operational Evaluation Division (OED) of the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) has an immediate career opening for an Analyst supporting the Department of War's (DoW) assessment of the survivability of Navy ships and submarines, and the lethality of Navy missiles and torpedoes. IDA is a non‑profit corporation that operates three federally funded research and development centers (FFRDCs) to provide objective analyses of national security issues, particularly those requiring scientific and technical expertise.

IDA research staff members conduct multi‑disciplinary analyses in an environment that encourages rigorous, independent research on challenging and complex issues. IDA provides an inclusive work environment and a comprehensive, competitive salary and benefits package.

The Analyst will be part of a team that is required to evaluate aspects of surface ship and submarine survivability, which include detecting and avoiding threats (susceptibility), withstanding hits (vulnerability), controlling damage, reconfiguring systems, and restoring mission capabilities (recoverability), and protecting crew and passengers (force protection). Additionally, the Analyst may participate in the end‑to‑end evaluation of the lethality of missiles and torpedoes.

The Analyst will support test planning, observe live fire testing both at sea and at DoW ranges, review modeling and simulation results, conduct independent analyses, and provide written assessments and recommendations to the Director, Operational Test and Evaluation in the Office of the Secretary of War. The Analyst will work independently and in small teams. The position involves close interaction with mid‑ and senior‑level civilian and military officials responsible for the planning, development, and execution of live fire tests.

Travel is required.

• A bachelor’s degree in Naval Architecture or Marine Engineering with 4+ years of relevant work experience;
  OR
• A master’s degree in Engineering (Naval Architecture, Marine, Mechanical, or Electrical preferred), Material Science, or the Physical Sciences coupled with 2+ years’ relevant work experience;
  OR
• A PhD or equivalent degree in Engineering (Naval Architecture, Marine, Mechanical, or Electrical preferred), Material Science, or the Physical Sciences coupled with relevant work experience (via government, industry, fellowships, or internships).
• Candidates must demonstrate the ability to speak and write clearly about technical concepts and have strong computational and quantitative analysis skills.
• Candidates selected will be subject to a security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information as required.
• Candidates must successfully pass a background check.

• Experience in testing, design, or construction of combatant ships and ship systems and naval ordnance.
• Prior military or DoD acquisition experience in the areas of naval systems evaluation, combatant ship operations, live fire testing, ship safety, ship survivability modeling and simulation, or weapon system lethality.
• Experience with data visualization and analysis using a programming language such as MATLAB, R, or Python.
• Interpersonal skills that facilitate working with people from varied backgrounds.

• Comprehensive benefits including diverse health insurance options, generous 10% contribution to retirement, maternity/paternity leave, 20 days paid time off, and relocation reimbursement;
• Mission‑oriented work at a non‑profit that supports and protects our warfighters; as a non‑profit, IDA employees are eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSFL);
• Professional development including tuition reimbursement, internal and external trainings, and funding for researcher‑pitched projects and publications;
• A strong employee and corporate culture of work‑life balance, including commitment to average 40‑hour work weeks through flex time, partial telework options, and expectation of communication only during core business hours;
• Organization‑wide commitment to diversity in the workplace and providing a working environment free from…