Operational Planning & Posture SME

Positio Title: Operational Planning & Posture SME

Location: Camp Smith/Oahu, HI

About the Organization Date:
Hui Huliau is a nonprofit Native Hawaiian Organization (NHO) and community service organization whose business activities principally benefit Native Hawaiians. As an NHO we operate under U. S. Small Business Administration (SBA) regulations and own small businesses that participate in the SBA 8(a) Business Development Program for minority owned companies. Our small businesses provide a variety of contracted services to the U. S. Military, U. S. Civilian agencies, and commercial customers at locations worldwide.

Profits from Hui Huliau's for-profit subsidiaries help sustain important education, social, economic, and cultural preservation programs that serve Native Hawaiians in the Waianae community. The Waianae Coast on the western side of the island of Oahu has the highest per capita percentage of Native Hawaiians in the world and the highest poverty and unemployment rate in the State of Hawaii.

Our mission to strengthen our communities, make a positive impact on the lives we touch, and provide a brighter future for the Native Hawaiian people through education, economic opportunities, and the preservation of the Hawaiian language and culture. Hui Huliau employees help us achieve this mission by providing outstanding service to our customers.


Shift:

First

Description:

Cedar International LLC is currently seeking an Operational Planning & Posture SME. The Operational Planning & Posture SME is the branch’s technical/functional authority for deliberate planning support and posture-related planning integration. The role defines and sustains planning-support rigor—standards, quality gates, and expert advisory—so high-visibility products remain coherent, defensible, and aligned with guidance across the Joint Planning and Execution Community (JPEC). Unlike the Senior role, the SME does not own daily suspense tracking/battle rhythm execution; the SME intervenes where complexity, risk, or ambiguity threatens outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

• Define planning-support standards (templates, quality gates, staffing checklists, traceability expectations, version-control conventions) for branch-wide use
• Advise government leads on complex planning-support approaches (staffing strategy, integration paths, decision points, adjudication methods)
• Perform senior technical review of high-visibility briefs, information papers, and final planning documents to ensure clarity, consistency, and decision-readiness
• Resolve the hardest integration problems (conflicting guidance, misaligned assumptions, incomplete inputs) and recommend defensible tradeoffs and mitigation paths
• Translate policy/guidance into actionable planning inputs and posture initiative implications (as directed by government leads)
• Strengthen Operational Planning Team (OPT)/working group outcomes by shaping narratives, analytical framing, and decision-quality criteria (not meeting administration)
• Coach Senior and junior staff on advanced staff writing, editorial judgment, and staffing discipline through targeted reviews
• Assess systemic bottlenecks and recommend repeatable improvements to reduce rework and improve first-pass acceptance (without taking over daily execution)

Experience and Skills

• Masters degree (or equivalent practical experience) in a relevant field
• Career level and intermediate level military education (Expeditionary Warfare School, Marine Corps Command and Staff College (other service equivalents))
• 10+ years deep experience supporting joint/service planning and senior-leader decision support, including production and critical review of staff products
• Demonstrated mastery of JPEC planning forums and staffing dynamics (e.g., OPTs, joint planning groups (JPGs))
• Knowledge and application experience in the Marine Corps Planning Process (MCPP) and Joint Planning Process (JPP)
• Expert capability drafting/editing planning products and enforcing consistency, traceability, and formatting discipline
• Ability to comply with government workplace requirements and obtain/maintain any required access/eligibility

Strongly Preferred

• Intermediate or top-level operational planning education (e.g., JAWS/SAMS/MAWS/SAASS/Service and Joint War Colleges or Fellowships
• Senior PME (e.g., CGSC/ILE, USMC CSC, Naval/War College equivalents)
• Prior experience with USINDOPACOM, MARFORPAC, HQMC, a combatant command, Service component, or MEF HQ
• Doctoral degree in a relevant field

Skills & Competencies

• Deep functional expertise in deliberate planning support and posture planning integration
• Advanced analytic framing and problem-solving under ambiguity
• Expert-level writing/editing and product coherence management
• Influence without authority; credible advisory presence with senior stakeholders
• Standards-setting, coaching, and quality assurance mindset

Physical Requirements

• Willingness and ability to travel via locally provided aircraft, vehicles, and boats to remote locations.
• Ability to work in challenging environments, including high-threat areas and adverse weather conditions. Travel: Medium 25%Ability to work in secure, fast-paced operational environments.
• Must meet physical and medical standards for access to military facilities.
• Able to travel as required within PACAF/USINDOPACOM AOR.

What We Offer

• Comprehensive Benefits Package
• 401k option
• Professional online learning opportunities and development
• Collaborative and supportive work environment
• Paid Time off (PTO)
• 11 Company Paid Holidays

Hui Huliau and its subsidiaries are participants of E-Verify.

Hui Huliau and its subsidiaries are drug free workplaces.

Full Time/Part Time:

Full-Time

Position Type:

Operational Planning & Posture SME

Position Requirements: Please see the above job description

EOE Statement:

We are an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.

Salary:

$150k - $180k

Direct Contract:

Division: Cedar International Services, LLC

Close Date:

Number of Openings:

1

Number Filled:

0

Exempt/Non-Exempt:

Non-Exempt

Hiring Manager:

Judge Ashmore

Open_Date:

4/6/2026

PI283652497