Senior Operations Specialist – TS/SCI – MacDill AFB, Tampa, FL

Leidos – Defense Sector is seeking a highly experienced Senior Operations Specialist to support a customer mission at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, FL.

This role serves as a senior practitioner providing expert-level planning, execution, and assessment of a diverse portfolio of sensitive activities across the full spectrum of special operations.

The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in both traditional and non-traditional tradecraft, with a strong background in irregular warfare support, and the integration of HUMINT platforms. This position requires independent judgment in high‑risk, time‑sensitive environments and strict adherence to all legal authorities, Executive Orders, and organizational policies.

Primary Responsibilities

• Plan, coordinate, and execute sensitive activities in support of National Defense Strategy (NDS) objectives, including missions requiring elevated legal review and senior‑level approval.
• Conduct lethal and non‑lethal sensitive activities within defined legal authorities; coordinate closely with legal counsel, oversight entities, and interagency partners.
• Apply non‑traditional clandestine tradecraft to manage human capabilities across the full operational cycle.
• Provide operational support to highly compartmented programs while maintaining strict need‑to‑know protocols and safeguarding sensitive information.
• Conduct Sensitive Site Exploitation (SSE), including collection of documents, media, biometrics, and materiel of intelligence value; manage chain of custody and coordinate exploitation with national‑level partners.

Irregular, Unconventional & Hybrid Warfare

• Support Irregular Warfare (IW) campaigns—including UW, COIN, and stabilization efforts—in alignment with Geographic Combatant Command (GCC) requirements.
• Identify, assess, and develop indigenous partner capabilities; provide mentorship and capacity‑building support across the USSOCOM enterprise.
• Apply Counter‑Threat Finance (CTF) methodologies to disrupt adversary logistics, facilitation networks, and resource streams.

Basic Qualifications

• 15+ years of progressive experience in clandestine operations, sensitive activities, or military liaison element (MLE) roles, including 5+ years OCONUS in denied or semi‑permissive environments.
• BA/BS degree and/or 15+ years of relevant experience (additional related experience may substitute for degree).
• Graduate of a CAT‑I course: ASOT Level III, FTC, OTC, DATC, ASOC, AMSOC, or SOC.
• Active TS/SCI clearance required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior service within the Special Operations community (e.g., Special Forces, MARSOC, SEAL) with operational deployment experience.
• Experience in at least two of the following mission areas: Irregular Warfare, Counterterrorism, Counter‑Proliferation, Foreign Internal Defense.

If you're looking for comfort, keep scrolling. At Leidos, we outthink, outbuild, and outpace the status quo — because the mission demands it. We're not hiring followers. We're recruiting the ones who disrupt, provoke, and refuse to fail. Step 10 is ancient history. We're already at step 30 — and moving faster than anyone else dares.

Original Posting:

March 6, 2026

Pay Range:

Pay Range $92,300.00 - $166,850.00

The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.