Future Operations Planner

Overview

The Nakupuna Companies are a Native Hawaiian Organization (NHO)-owned family of companies comprising large and 8(a) small businesses. Our mission is to create and implement elegant solutions to the government’s most challenging problems while increasing economic opportunities for the Native Hawaiian community.  Over the past 10 years, Nakupuna has become a leader among NHOs and through our successes, the Nakupuna Foundation has given over $11MM to the Native Hawaiian community.   

Nakupuna Consulting is seeking a The Senior Future Operations Planner provides advanced strategic and operational planning support to U.S. Marine Forces Pacific (MARFORPAC) within the INDOPACOM AOR. The role involves developing campaign strategies, planning orders, and posture recommendations that support U.S. strategic objectives in key partner nations (e.g., Taiwan, Philippines, Australia). This position requires deep regional expertise, strong familiarity with C2 systems, and experience with future operations planning at the component and joint level. 

Responsibilities

The following reflects management’s definition of key functions for this job and reserves the right to assign additional duties as necessary to meet operational requirements:

• Lead the development, refinement, and execution of MARFORPAC’s Theater Campaign Plan, Campaign Orders, CONPLANs, and Fragmentary Orders (FRAGOs), ensuring alignment with national strategic guidance and GCC intent. 
• Serve as the principal Future Operations (FOPS) planner for high-priority regional partners (Taiwan, Philippines, Australia), and support bilateral/multilateral planning efforts for Joint/Combined operations. 
• Provide subject matter expertise in C2IE, Onebrief, and other planning and visualization tools. Lead digital transformation efforts, including the transition to collaborative digital planning environments. 
• Design and manage the MARFORPAC Training Exercise and Employment Plan (TEEP), coordinating across functional sections to align exercises with campaign objectives. 
• Develop COAs, posture plans, contingency responses, and Force Design implementation strategies that enhance the survivability, agility, and combat effectiveness of forward-deployed U.S. forces. 
• Represent MARFORPAC in Theater-level and Joint planning forums, including exercises, wargames, and crisis response planning cells. 
• Support senior leader decision-making by producing high-impact briefings and written products that clearly convey strategic implications and operational recommendations. 
• Analyze adversary (e.g., PRC) Theater Campaign Plans and assess implications for U.S. and Allied posture, informing options for deterrence and response. 
• Facilitate and lead operational working groups, Integrated Planning Teams (IPTs), and Joint Planning Groups (JPGs) across multiple planning horizons. 
• Provide continuity and subject matter expertise during command post exercises, experimentation, and real-world contingency operations.

Qualifications

Skills/Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree in Strategic Studies, Security Policy, or a related field. Master's degree preferred. 
• Minimum of 7 years of relevant experience in operational or strategic planning; direct experience at MARFORPAC or another COCOM highly desirable. 
• Demonstrated experience in campaign planning, joint force integration, and regional planning within INDOPACOM. 
• Functional expertise with C2IE, Onebrief, SharePoint, and DoD planning systems and tools; experience leading tool adoption and training efforts. 
• Strong understanding of U.S. security cooperation programs, posture planning, Agile Combat Employment, and Force Design 2030 concepts. 
• Superior written and verbal communication skills; able to synthesize complex strategic guidance into actionable operational plans. 

Work Location: Work is performed in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Clearance:  Active TS/SCI security clearance required. Must be a U.S. citizen. 

Physical Requirements: The ideal candidate must at a minimum, be able to meet the following physical requirements of the job with or without a reasonable accommodation: 

• Ability to perform repetitive motions with the hands, wrists, and fingers.
• Ability to engage in and follow audible communications in emergencies.
• Ability to sit for prolonged periods at a desk and work on a computer.