Tech-To-Market Specialist

Systems Planning and Analysis, Inc. (SPA) delivers high-impact, technical solutions to complex national security issues. With over 50 years of business expertise and consistent growth, we are known for continuous innovation for our government customers, in both the US and abroad. Our exceptionally talented team is highly collaborative in spirit and practice, producing Results that Matter. Come work with the best! We offer opportunity, unique challenges, and clear-sighted commitment to the mission. SPA: Objective. Responsive. Trusted.  

The Joint, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Interagency Division provides expert support services to a range of customers spanning across the Department of Defense, Federal Civilian, and international markets. JOID provides a diverse portfolio of analytical and programmatic capabilities to help our customers make informed decisions on their most challenging issues.

The Acquisition and Technology Analysis Group within JOID specializes in the application of multi-disciplinary analytic skills to support multiple clients within the Department of Defense (DoD). These clients include the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD(R&E)), Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment (OUSD(A&S)), DARPA, the Joint Staff, and USINDOPACOM.  SPA provides critical decision support to enabling and executing a strategy of technological superiority and enabling the delivery and sustainment of secure, resilient, and preeminent capabilities to the warfighter quickly and cost effectively. Our team of experienced military, technical, and operations research analysts is skilled in evaluating military problems, identifying the driving factors, devising innovative approaches, collecting applicable data, developing necessary software tools, and performing thorough and timely assessments to inform technology and acquisition governance decisions to ensure U.S. military forces retain military superiority in the future.

SPA has an immediate need for a Tech-to-Market Specialist to support DARPA's Commercial Strategy team onsite in Arlington, VA. 

DARPA’s Commercial Strategy Team applies an end-to-end approach to commercializing some of DARPA’s most impactful technologies. Working with top performers and researchers, and bringing in top entrepreneurs, venture and private investors, and other DoD and commercial experts and teams, we accelerate DARPA technologies to drive new products, services, and capabilities for the DoD and commercial markets for both economic and national security. DARPA has a 65-year history of bringing some of the top technical innovations to the world including the Internet, GPS, LEDs, self-driving cars, and more. In your role, you will be part of an elite team working with some of DARPA’s most brilliant PMs and performers, as well as world class commercial advisors, corporate leaders, private investors, the DoD, and other US Government Agencies on behalf of the Director’s Office (DIRO). Our mission is to accelerate the commercialization of some of our nation’s most critical technologies to advance DARPA’s mission: to pose and prevent strategic technological surprise. This role will work as part of an exciting team to provide expert business, technology advancement, and commercialization support in a demanding and fast-paced professional services environment.

Your primary objectives are to support the commercialization of DARPA-funded technologies for DoD and commercial market adoption, and successfully serve DARPA’s mission. Will serve as an action-oriented technology development expert with a critical blend of the technical, business, and entrepreneurial experience needed to align project teams and their technologies with the needs of commercial customers and DoD transition partners. Apply a deep commitment to advancing national and economic security. Work closely with Commercial Strategy’s leadership and DARPA’s technical offices to support project teams in developing and executing effective commercialization strategies that achieve Commercial Strategy objectives. Leveraging management, communication, and market analysis skills alongside expertise in commercialization and business strategy, the T2M SETA helps performers commercialize their high-impact technologies into products and services by mentoring in areas such as business development, technical marketing, product development, financial analysis, and supply chain management. T2M SETAs collaborate with the nation’s top technical, business, and financial talent to guide the trajectory of DARPA projects towards commercial, economic, and national security impact.

Responsibilities include:

• Supporting the identification of commercialization pathways for transformational technologies using your network, business development skills, and market and economic assessment capabilities.
• Actively managing project teams in the development and execution of commercialization strategies including team development, product viability, scale-up pathways, and economic competitiveness.
• Advising PMs, SETAs, and performers on market analysis and go-to-market strategies including product-market fit, business planning, product development, and supply chain management.
• Brokering connections to strategic non-adversarial capital and developing business models that provide countermeasures to the targeting of DARPA-funded technologies building communities by engaging performers, academia, technical offices, industry stakeholders, DARPA Commercial Accelerators, and the private capital ecosystem.
• Collaborating with DARPA’s top technical and business talent to experiment with new approaches (program structure, funding mechanisms, talent selection, agency strategy, etc.) for advancing early-stage transformational technologies.
• Preparing and delivering executive-level briefings to a wide range of government, corporate, and investor audiences.
• Assisting in integrating workstreams, coordinating priorities, and facilitating meetings.
• Tracking and reporting Commercial Strategy activities, processes, and progress.

Required:

• Active Secret clearance
• Master’s degree with at least 5 years of experience
• Experience supporting technology commercialization that resulted in products or services being used in DoD or commercial markets; direct experience commercializing dual-use technologies
• Demonstrated experience with project management and market creation activities including identification of commercialization pathways for new technologies and development of go-to-market strategies
• Prior experience with market research, technoeconomic and financial analysis, product development, and/or manufacturing and supply chain management
• Expertise in at least one of the 14 DoD critical technology areas
• Knowledge of deal, business, and capital investment (venture, private equity, etc.) structures and financial transactions that impact markets, pricing, and supply chains
• Understanding of government contracting mechanisms as well as adversarial business and financial structures and investment strategies impacting DARPA-funded technologies
• Ability to present business strategies, scientific concepts, and technical program plans to senior corporate and government executives
• Excellent leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills; ability to take initiative in a fast-paced, dynamic environment
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office including Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Teams
• Ability to travel up to 20% of the time

Desired: 

• Active TS/SCI clearance
• Technical backgrounds (i.e. engineering, technology development, or scientific research)
• Strong knowledge of DoD organizational structure and processes
• Previous DoD transition experience or dual-use commercialization experience at a venture, private equity, or early-stage technology company
• Prior experience analyzing dual-use technologies across global markets
• Project Management Professional (PMP) or similar certification