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Systems Planning and Analysis

Provides data-driven national security analytics

Commercial Strategy Pipeline Analyst

Full-TimeUpdated on 10/5/2026Deadline 9/1/27
$138k - $168k/yr
Senior
Bachelor's
Arlington County, Arlington, VA, USA
In PersonFully onsite based on client needs; travel up to 10%.

About the job

Requirements
  • A bachelor's degree and at least 5 years of experience.
  • An active Secret clearance.
  • Experience supporting technology commercialization that resulted in products or services being used in Department of War or commercial markets, including direct experience commercializing dual-use technologies.
  • Experience with customer relationship management tools such as Salesforce, HubSpot, or Microsoft Dynamics.
  • Demonstrated experience with project management and market creation activities, including identifying commercialization pathways for new technologies and developing go-to-market strategies.
  • Prior experience with market research, technoeconomic and financial analysis, product development, and/or manufacturing and supply chain management.
  • Ability to transform minimal or initial meeting details into a comprehensive analysis or presentation.
  • Expertise in at least two Department of War critical technology areas.
  • Experience with innovation, research, and development planning.
  • Knowledge of startup culture and early-stage investments.
  • Ability to take initiative in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and work cross-functionally while supporting multiple stakeholders.
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Teams.
  • Ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously with attention to detail.
  • Ability to travel up to 10% of the time.
  • Ability to work fully onsite based on client needs.
Responsibilities
  • Manage more than 50 DARPA performer companies through regular, structured check-ins to monitor their health, key milestones, and overall progress.
  • Coordinate outreach on behalf of the pipeline team to generate new opportunities for the office, including strategic outreach to program managers according to priority areas of interest, scheduling regular meetings, and arranging meeting spaces for hybrid meetings.
  • Engage with performer companies and identify opportunities to facilitate connections across the Department of War or address inquiries during program execution.
  • Prioritize timely correspondence according to urgency and importance to track changes to schedules, contracting, or performer company assistance needs.
  • Maintain detailed and up-to-date pipeline operations information and performer company meeting notes in the customer relationship management tool.
  • Collaborate with the DARPA Commercial Strategy Office team and broader agency to execute day-to-day pipeline operations.
  • Support identification of commercialization pathways for transformational technologies using networks, business development skills, and market and economic assessment capabilities.
  • Collaborate with DARPA technical and business staff to experiment with approaches to advance early-stage transformational technologies, including program structure, funding mechanisms, talent selection, and agency strategy.
  • Support and advise program managers, SETAs, and performers on market analysis and go-to-market strategies, including product-market fit, business planning, product development, and supply chain management.
  • Develop ideas to improve Commercial Strategy team processes and workflows.
  • Prepare and deliver executive-level briefings to government, corporate, and investor audiences.
Desired Qualifications
  • Active Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information clearance.
  • A technical background, such as engineering, technology development, or scientific research.
  • Strong knowledge of Department of War organizational structure and processes.
  • Previous Department of War 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.
  • Direct exposure to Department of War acquisition processes, including OTAs, SBIRS, CSOs, or other non-traditional contracting vehicles.
  • Existing relationships across primes and defense innovation organizations.
  • Prior experience supporting portfolio management for a large organization.

About the company

S

Systems Planning and Analysis

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SPA helps the U.S. government make high-stakes national security decisions by using modeling, simulation, and rigorous analysis. It builds data-driven analyses and forecasts outcomes for programs across the Navy, DoD, Homeland Security, and Energy, including space systems, cyber, and undersea warfare. It differentiates itself through decades of government-focused work, strategic acquisitions (MCR Federal, Intrepid, Group W), and an Office of Innovation that expands capabilities in AI, data science, and digital engineering. Its goal is to deliver accurate analyses and new capabilities quickly to guide defense investments and programs.

Company Size

1,001-5,000

Company Stage

N/A

Total Funding

$20.1M

Headquarters

Alexandria, Virginia

Founded

1972

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Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • The September 30, 2026 $126 million Navy award runs through March 2031.
  • SPA added Raj Badhwar as CIO on January 28, 2026, hardening digital infrastructure.
  • Robert Richards joined SPA’s board in July 2026, bringing BlueHalo scaling discipline.

What critics are saying

  • A 2031 NAVSEA recompete loss would gut SPA’s core Naval Special Warfare franchise.
  • Arlington Capital’s ownership pushes integration speed, margin expansion, and an eventual exit.
  • Secret-cleared labor shortages and subcontractor churn threaten delivery across classified programs.

What makes Systems Planning and Analysis unique

  • SPA’s 14,400-square-foot Alexandria Advanced Analytics Lab centralizes classified mission analysis.
  • SPA appointed fellows in AI, cloud, DevSecOps, and digital wargaming in May 2026.
  • SPA won NAVSEA PMS 340 support, extending a relationship dating to 2012.

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Benefits

Health Insurance

Health Savings Account/Flexible Spending Account

Life Insurance

Disability Insurance

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

↑ 27%

1 year growth

↑ 27%

2 year growth

↑ 27%
The Zebra
Sep 30th, 2026
Alexandria's SPA announces $126 million Navy contract.

Alexandria's SPA announces $126 million Navy contract. Press play to listen to this content West End company will support Naval Special Warfare programs; local hiring impact remains unconfirmed. ALEXANDRIA, VA - Systems Planning & Analysis, the national security company headquartered in Alexandria, announced September 30 that it has won a $126 million contract supporting the Navy's Naval Special Warfare Program Office. According to SPA's announcement, the company will serve as prime contractor, providing engineering, technical, administrative and acquisition-management support for the Naval Sea Systems Command office and related programs. The competitively awarded agreement includes a one-year base period and four option years, with performance extending through March 2031. SPA says the award expands a relationship with the office that began in 2012. For Alexandria, a key question is what the work will mean for local employees and job seekers. The Alexandria Economic Development Partnership previously outlined SPA's headquarters expansion plans, including nearly 500 planned jobs and commitments to local hiring and vendors. That earlier expansion is separate from today's contract announcement; a connection between those hiring plans and this award has not been established. This is a developing story. The contract's exact award date, identifying number, initially obligated funding, work locations and impact on Alexandria hiring remain unconfirmed by The Zebra Press. The company's announcement does not establish that $126 million has already been funded or that new local jobs will result. Additional verified information will be added as it becomes available.

Associated Press
May 20th, 2026
SPA appoints four fellows to advance software, cloud, AI and digital wargaming capabilities

Systems Planning & Analysis, an independent provider of analytical insights for national security programmes, has appointed four new Fellows to advance its technical capabilities across key domains. The appointments expand SPA's expertise in software engineering, DevSecOps and cloud, applied artificial intelligence, and digital wargaming. The newly appointed Fellows are Ian Harding (Software Engineering), Steven Hernandez (DevSecOps and Cloud), Amy Soller (Applied Artificial Intelligence), and Phillip Pournelle (Digital Wargaming). These senior subject matter experts will lead the development and integration of advanced capabilities across complex, multi-domain environments for national security clients. The appointments reinforce SPA's focus on accelerating mission-ready solutions, from scalable software systems and secure cloud architectures to AI applications and analytical wargaming tools that inform critical defence and intelligence decisions.

Intelligence Community News
Jan 29th, 2026
SPA taps Raj Badhwar as CIO

SPA taps Raj Badhwar as CIO. On January 28, Systems Planning & Analysis (SPA) announced that Raj Badhwar has joined the company as chief information officer (CIO). Badhwar serves on SPA's executive leadership team and reports to Chief Executive Officer Rich Sawchak. As CIO, Badhwar leads SPA's enterprise information technology (IT) organization, including digital strategy, architecture, engineering, operations, data management, and business intelligence. He focuses on delivering secure, resilient, scalable technology, and cybersecurity platforms in close partnership with SPA's business and mission teams. "Raj brings deep expertise in cybersecurity, cloud, and enterprise IT that will be critical as SPA continues to grow and support increasingly complex national security missions. His leadership will help ensure our technology remains secure, modern, and aligned with both our customers' needs and our long-term strategy," Sawchak said. Badhwar's priorities include strengthening technology capabilities that support SPA's national security customers, increasing efficiency and scalability across the IT organization, and ensuring that technology investments align with mission delivery, business growth, and acquisition activities. "My work at SPA will center on ensuring technology directly supports mission outcomes for our national security customers. That means strengthening security and resilience, simplifying operations as we scale, and advancing our cloud, data, and cybersecurity capabilities in a disciplined and trusted way," noted Badhwar. Badhwar brings more than 30 years of experience leading secure technology and cybersecurity organizations across engineering, defense, financial services, and cloud platforms. Start 2026 ahead of the competition with a paid subscription to IC News. You'll get full access to its searchable archive of 15,000+ articles, plus new articles each weekday.

WashingtonExec
Oct 10th, 2025
SPA Buys Group W

Systems Planning & Analysis has acquired Group W, a data science and defense analytics company that focuses on modeling, simulation and wargaming capabilities to the Defense Department.

EIN Presswire
Oct 9th, 2025
SPA Acquires Group W for Expansion

SPA has acquired Group W, enhancing its capabilities in mission-critical modeling and simulation for defense. This acquisition unites SPA's analytical insights with Group W's expertise in data science and wargaming for the DoD. The merger aims to create a leading defense modeling and simulation company. Legal counsel for SPA was provided by Sheppard Mullin and Morrison Foerster, while Stout and Holland & Knight advised Group W. SPA is backed by Arlington Capital Partners.