Operations Center Specialist at SMS Data Products Group, Inc. in Arlington, VA

Job description

• SMS is seeking an Operations Center Specialist for the Air Force National Capital Region (AFNCR) IT Services program and requires an active Top Secret / Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) security clearance. This role supports critical IT operations and cyber network defense across highly sensitive environments like Headquarters Air Force (HAF), the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the National Military Command Center (NMCC).

Responsibilities

• The Operations Center Specialist will provide 24/7/365 mission-critical support for the Air Force National Capital Region (AFNCR) IT Services network environment. Operating out of a centralized Command Center or Network Operations Center (NOC), the specialist ensures maximum uptime, performance, and security of enterprise communications systems utilized by high-visibility leadership, including Headquarters Air Force (HAF), the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), and the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
• Key Responsibilities
• Monitor enterprise IT infrastructure including servers, routers, switches, optical networks, and secure unified communications systems across multiple classification levels.
• Serve as the initial point of contact for detecting, triaging, and isolating system performance deviations, cyber alerts, and network outages.
• Execute rapid troubleshooting and basic configurations using Linux-based and Windows tools to restore network capabilities.
• Provide timely situational awareness updates and flash alerts to Senior Leadership, the Joint Staff, and the Program Manager during critical outages or cyber incidents
• Function as an escalation liaison to coordinate tiered support engineering teams, external defense agencies, and vendor representatives for rapid incident resolution.
• Maintain rigorous Master Station Logs, complete thorough end-of-shift pass-down briefings, and mentor junior watch standers.
• Conduct routine health checks of vital command center mission systems (such as specialized emergency communications nodes, backup generators, and HVAC parameters).
• Create, update, and validate Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), network topology mappings, and system performance assessments.

Requirements

• Active Department of Defense Top Secret / SCI clearance is strictly required.
• Must be a U.S. citizen.
• Education: Bachelor's degree with 3–5+ years of relevant IT/Network Operations Center experience, OR an Associate degree / high school diploma with equivalent technical military experience.
• Hands-on experience troubleshooting modern enterprise hardware, routing protocols, and operating systems.
• Must possess or be able to immediately obtain an Information Assurance Technical (IAT) Level II baseline certification (e.g., CompTIA Security+ CE or equivalent).

Skills

Required

• U.S. citizenship
• Network monitoring and incident response
• SOP development and validation