Director Of Research Operations Jobs in District of Columbia

Date: Jul 2, 2026

Location: Washington, DC, District of Columbia, United States

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Company: HII's Mission Technologies division

Requisition Number: 29231

Required Travel: 11 - 25%

Employment Type: Full Time/Salaried/Exempt

Anticipated Salary Range: $115,199.00 - $155,000.00

Security Clearance: Top Secret

Level of Experience: Mid HI

This opportunity resides with All-Domain Operations (ADO), a business group within HII’s Mission Technologies division. All-Domain Operations comprises multi-domain operations, platforms and logistics, and intelligence operations.

HII designs, develops, integrates and manages the sensors, systems and other assets necessary to support integrated ISR operations and accelerated decision-making. With data fusion and mission management capabilities for the Department of Defense, the combatant commands and the intelligence community, HII advances the mission around the globe.

Leadership Mindset at HII – Mission Technologies

Leadership at HII is a mindset, not a title. Through our Leadership Capability Framework, we define how every employee grows, leads, and contributes—regardless of role. It sets the standard for how you can develop yourself and what you can expect from leaders across our organization. We look for candidates who want to grow in alignment with these capabilities:

Know & Grow Your People – Commit to learning and supporting team success.
Build Relationships – Communicate openly, collaborate well, and build trust.
Take Ownership – Deliver on commitments and take pride in your work.
Customer First – Focus on the mission and those we serve.
Shape the Future – Bring ideas, curiosity, and continuous improvement.
Act with Urgency – Take initiative and follow through with purpose.

These capabilities guide how all employees contribute to our shared success across Mission Technologies.

Who We Are

HII – Mission Technologies is seeking a Tech Advisor. The Tech Advisor provides specialized engineering expertise and technical support to mission partners and capability‑development teams. This role serves as a critical liaison between technical developers and mission‑partner personnel, ensuring solutions are aligned with operational needs, methodology requirements, and mission priorities. The advisor gathers customer input, helps refine requirements, instructs users on capability utilization, and collaborates with developers to tailor and optimize technical tools, features, and workflows. The Tech Advisor leverages deep knowledge of mission‑partner areas of responsibility (AORs), tactics, techniques, procedures (TTPs), and operational priorities to ensure that developed capabilities are effectively integrated and provide meaningful mission enhancement. The role also strengthens the broader user community by facilitating cross‑site sharing of best practices, methodologies, and analytic use cases.

STINGRAI: Advancing Mission Success Through Intelligence, Innovation, and Operational Excellence

Every day, HII helps U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) and its mission partners stay ahead of evolving threats by delivering the intelligence, technology, and operational expertise needed to protect U.S. interests across the Western Hemisphere. Join our team on STINGRAI and support mission-critical operations through advanced intelligence, surveillance, cyber, engineering, and all-domain capabilities that strengthen regional security, enable informed decision-making, and help defend our nation today while preparing for tomorrow's challenges.

What You Will Do
Provide engineering and technical expertise to mission partners and capability‑development teams in support of system enhancements and operational integration.
Serve as the primary liaison between capability developers and mission‑partner personnel to ensure effective communication and alignment of requirements.
Gather inputs, feedback, and technical requirements to support methodology development, tool improvements, and capability customization.
Deliver assistance, instruction, and on‑site education to mission‑partner personnel to enable effective use and adoption of developed capabilities.
Collaborate closely with developers to refine and tailor capability features and functionality based on mission‑partner needs.
Apply knowledge of mission‑partner AORs, TTPs, operations, and mission priorities to guide technical solutions and ensure they provide operational value.
Facilitate a robust user community by enabling the sharing of analysis methods, workflows, and use cases across partner sites.
Support troubleshooting, workflow optimization, and continuous improvement of mission‑partner technical capabilities.
Promote consistent capability adoption and standardization across multiple mission‑partner locations.
What We Are Looking For
9 years relevant experience with Bachelors in related field; 7 years relevant experience with Masters in related field; 4 years relevant experience with PhD or Juris Doctorate in related field; or High School Diploma or equivalent and 13 years relevant experience.
Professional experience providing technical, engineering, or systems‑integration support to mission‑focused or operational teams.
Ability to gather, interpret, and translate user requirements into actionable technical tasks.
Experience serving as a liaison between technical developers and end‑users, preferably in a defense, intelligence, or mission‑partner environment.
Strong understanding of mission‑partner operations, AORs, TTPs, and operational priorities.
Ability to provide clear instruction, training, and support to technical and non‑technical personnel.
Excellent problem‑solving skills and the ability to troubleshoot system or workflow issues.
Strong communication skills, with the ability to facilitate information sharing across multi‑functional teams and geographically dispersed users.
Experience supporting capability customization, tool modification, or feature enhancement based on operational needs.
Ability to work independently, manage priorities, and support multiple mission‑partner sites or stakeholder groups.
Clearance: Must possess and maintain a Top-Secret clearance.
Physical Requirements
May require working in an office, industrial, shipboard, or laboratory environment. Capable of climbing ladders and tolerating confined spaces and extreme temperature variances.

The listed salary range for this role is intended as a good faith estimate based on the role's location, expectations, and responsibilities. When extending an offer, HII's Mission Technologies division takes a variety of factors into consideration which include, but are not limited to, the role's function and a candidate's education or training, work experience, and key skills.

Meet HII’s Mission Technologies Division
Our team of more than 7,000 professionals worldwide delivers all-domain expertise and advanced technologies in service of mission partners across the globe. Mission Technologies is leading the next evolution of national defense – the data evolution - by accelerating a breadth of national security solutions for government and commercial customers. Our capabilities range from C5ISR, AI and Big Data, cyber operations and synthetic training environments to fleet sustainment, environmental remediation and the largest family of unmanned underwater vehicles in every class. Find the role that’s right for you. Apply today. We look forward to meeting you.

To learn more about Mission Technologies, click here for a short video: https://vimeo.com/732533072

HII is more than a job - it’s an opportunity to build a new future. We offer competitive benefits such as best-in-class medical, dental and vision plan choices; wellness resources; employee assistance programs; Savings Plan Options (401(k)); financial planning tools, life insurance; employee discounts; paid holidays and paid time off; tuition reimbursement; as well as early childhood and post-secondary education scholarships. Bonus/other non-recurrent compensation is occasionally offered for qualified positions, and if applicable to this role will be addressed by the recruiter at the screening phase of application.

Why HII
We build the world’s most powerful, survivable naval ships and defense technology solutions that safeguard our seas, sky, land, space and cyber. Our workforce includes skilled tradespeople; artificial intelligence, machine learning (AI/ML) experts; engineers; technologists; scientists; logistics experts; and business administration professionals.

Recognized as one of America’s top large company employers, we are a values and ethics driven organization that puts people’s safety and well-being first. Regardless of your role or where you serve, at HII, you’ll find a supportive and welcoming environment, competitive benefits, and valuable educational and training programs for continual career growth at every stage of your career.

Together we are working to ensure a future where everyone can be free and thrive.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, physical or mental disability, age, or veteran status or any other basis protected by federal, state, or local law.

Do You Need Assistance?
If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please send an e-mail to buildyourcareer@hii-co.com and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information. Reasonable accommodations are considered on a case-by-case basis. Please note that only those inquiries concerning a request for reasonable accommodation will be responded to from this email address. Additionally, you may also call 1-844-849-8463 for assistance. Press #3 for HII Mission Technologies.