Mission Analyst (Operations Research / M&S) – Recon Works

Location: Washington, DC (Hybrid on-site)
Travel: <25%
Clearance: U.S. Citizenship and ability to obtain a security clearance required

About NODA

NODA is a veteran-owned, venture-backed defense technology company building the orchestration layer for autonomous unmanned systems. Our platform coordinates fleets of heterogeneous vehicles across air, sea, and land for defense and intelligence customers. We expect every hire to be mission-driven with strong agency.

NODA Recon Works imagines the future of autonomous warfare, then builds it. We are a small team of multidisciplinary technical experts that scouts, analyzes, prototypes, and delivers de-risked technologies to integrate into our products or become new ones altogether.

Engineers wanted for challenging journey. Fast pace, uncertain requirements, imaginative leaps expected, path to production sometimes doubtful. Defense of the free world in case of success.

The Role

As Mission Analyst - Recon Works, you are providing the quantitative rigor in analyzing problems, opportunities, and solutions. You default to trying to understand things objectively and use analysis to back claims. Even ordinary claims require ordinary evidence. Recon Works will use your analysis to understand problems and identify how to start solving them.

Key Responsibilities

Provide quantitative analysis to support all aspects of Recon Works operations: problem modeling, IRAD decisions, prototyping success metrics, etc.
Support buy/build/partner assessments of technology through detailed analysis
Conduct trade space analysis to help identify which technologies are the best fit for missions or CONOPS of interest
Conduct analysis and generate reports on specific technical values or performance parameters of an integrated product
Develop and execute models and simulations to represent emerging technologies, CONOPS, and mission scenarios
Support the mission engineering process in applying product to customer use cases

Required Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in a STEM field
3+ years of quantitative analysis in a complex technical field
Strong modeling and simulation or optimization background
Demonstrated experience with structured, repeatable problem-solving
U.S. citizenship; ability to obtain and maintain a Secret clearance.
Experience with design of experiments, simulation methods, statistical analysis, and sensitivity analyses
Experience defining measures of effectiveness and performance (MOEs/MOPs) that connect technology parameters to mission outcomes
Familiarity with model verification, validation, and accreditation (VV&A) techniques
Proficiency in Python or a comparable language for model development and data analysis

Preferred Qualifications

Graduate degree in a STEM field
Experience with common M&S tools such as MATLAB, AFSIM, STK, etc.
Portfolio and business case analysis skills
Existing TS/SCI clearance
Experience implementing MBSE using SysML

Skills & Attributes

Imagination and creativity: you treat analysis as a creative act: framing the right question and inventing the right model matters as much as running it
Comfort with ambiguity: where there are no clear measures of performance or effectiveness, you suggest and create them
High agency: you identify the questions that need answering, not just the ones you’re assigned
Technical credibility: you know the strengths and limits of the major M&S tools and can pick the right one for the question
Communication: you use data and analysis to influence people and decisions

Benefits & Perks

Our culture fosters collaboration, respect, and trust, empowering passionate people to do their best work. We offer a competitive salary, comprehensive benefits, and opportunities for career growth. In addition to an opportunity to take part in an innovative, collaborative and fast-growing business with a highly motivated and skilled team, we also take pride in taking care of our employees. Here are just a few ways that we show our appreciation:

We offer comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans
401(k) Retirement Savings Plan to invest in your long-term retirement goals + Company match
Equity grants for new hires
Unlimited PTO
11 Paid holidays
Extremely generous company holiday calendar, including a holiday hiatus in November & December.
Generous Parental Leave
Military Leave for annual training or service requirements
FSA
DCFSA
HSA
Professional Development Opportunities
Access to One Medical
Mental Health Resources: We provide free mental health resources 24/7 including therapy and more. Additional work-life services, such as free legal and financial support, are available to you as well.

Growth Path

Export Control Compliance

To conform to U.S. government export control regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and Export Administration Regulations (EAR), you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or otherwise eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State or U.S. Department of Commerce.

Equal Opportunity Statement

NODA AI is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and respectful workplace and to maintaining equitable employment and hiring practices. We provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees and make all employment decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

As a federal contractor, NODA AI complies with all applicable equal employment opportunity and affirmative action requirements, including Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, and the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 (VEVRAA), as amended. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants and employees with disabilities throughout the recruiting, hiring, and employment process.

Consistent with applicable federal, state, and local laws, qualified applicants with criminal histories will be considered for employment in a manner consistent with applicable fair chance and ban-the-box laws, including the Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance where applicable. We actively encourage qualified individuals of all backgrounds, including women, minorities, protected veterans, and individuals with disabilities, to apply.

NODA AI is committed to fostering an inclusive, supportive, and accessible work environment for all applicants and employees. If you require accommodations or assistance during the application process, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at careers@NodaIntelligence.ai or contact your recruiter so we can provide the support you need.

Mission Analyst (Operations Research / M&S) – Recon Works