About This Role CARD's aerospace cost team produces the independent cost estimates and schedule-risk analyses that shape billion-dollar acquisition decisions across the U.S. Space Force, U.S. Air Force, the Test Resource Management Center and the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering. Our work is briefed directly to Service Acquisition Executives, OSW CAPE and congressional staff.
We are hiring a senior analyst to lead studies of major aerospace programs, build and defend the underlying models, mentor a growing team and shape the division's technical bench. Our senior staff choose which tasks they lead, engage with senior-level sponsors and are trusted to solve the most challenging problems facing our nation.
Why IDA?
*Independence: As an FFRDC, our findings arise directly from the results of technically exacting and data-driven analyses. By holding ourselves to this high standard, our sponsors can trust the accurate, in-depth and objective information we deliver to them.
*Access: CARD analysts brief 3 and 4-star customers directly, with the expectation that the analysis speaks for itself.
*Portfolio breadth: In a single year, a senior analyst may touch space launch, on-orbit systems, hypersonic weapons and T&E infrastructure - work that is fragmented across multiple organizations elsewhere in the community.
*Publication: Sole and lead-authored IDA documents carry weight in the cost community and travel with you through your career.
What You'll Do
*Lead independent technical studies: Scope, build, and defend parametric and engineering build-up cost models for major aerospace acquisition programs informing resource allocation across the Department.
*Assess schedule and technical risk: Produce integrated cost, schedule and technical feasibility assessments that inform program-office CARDs, service cost positions and OSD CAPE reviews.
*Serve as project leader: Own 1 - 3 sponsored tasks annually end-to-end: sponsor scoping, team composition, deliverables, briefings and quality. Senior analysts are expected to bring in and shape new work.
*Brief senior decision-makers: Present findings to government sponsors ranging from action officers to Service Acquisition Executives.
*Shape the division's technical bench: Contribute to method development, tool selection and the hiring pipeline. Published work and conference engagement are encouraged and supported.
*Mentor and develop junior staff: Review models, coach sponsor engagement and help 2 - 4 early and mid-career analysts progress toward independent project leadership.
Required Qualifications
*Education: Ph.D. in Operations Research, Economics, Statistics, Industrial Engineering, Systems Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Applied Mathematics, Physics, or a related quantitative field; OR Master's degree with 8+ years of directly relevant experience.
*Substantive experience leading resource allocation for aerospace acquisition programs: space, air, hypersonics, or adjacent domains.
*Demonstrated fluency with parametric cost estimation.
*Track record leading research or analytic projects end-to-end, including sponsor scoping, team management and defending findings to senior stakeholders.
*Excellent interpersonal as well as written and oral communication skills, including the ability to condense a complex cost model into a five-slide briefing a four-star will understand in ten minutes.
*Travel may be required.
*U.S. citizenship. Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government security clearance.
Preferred Qualifications
*Working knowledge of DOW acquisition processes and the organizations named above (USSF, USAF, TRMC, USW(R&E)), including familiarity with DoDI 5000.02, JCIDS and the PPBE process.
*Experience with risk and uncertainty analysis tools (@RISK, Crystal Ball, ACEIT/RI$K, or equivalent Monte Carlo methods).
*Proficiency in Python, R, or equivalent for cost analytics, data wrangling and model automation.
*Prior experience at an FFRDC, OSW CAPE, a service cost agency (AFCAA, NCCA, ACEIT/CEAC), a cost-analysis consultancy or a program-office cost shop.
*Professional certification (ICEAA CCEA, DAWIA Business - Cost Estimating Level III, or equivalent).
*Publication or conference presentation history in the cost-analysis community (ICEAA, MORS, DoDCAS).
*Active TS or TS/SCI clearance.
About IDA and CARD
The Institute for Defense Analyses is a congressionally chartered, not-for-profit Federally Funded Research and Development Center. IDA's mission is to provide objective analyses of national security issues, particularly those requiring extraordinary scientific and technical expertise. IDA takes great pride in the high caliber and timeliness of its analyses, which are produced in an atmosphere that encourages collaboration and independent thinking.
The Cost Analysis and Research Division (CARD) supports resource-allocation decisions across the Department of War and other federal agencies. Our work spans cost estimation, schedule-risk analysis, technical feasibility assessment, acquisition policy, and program evaluation. Senior staff in CARD are expected to lead the analytic agenda in their technical domains.
Compensation We support transparency, equity, and fairness in our compensation program and provide a reasonable estimate of the salary range based on data-driven market analysis for each position. While it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range, a reasonable estimate of the salary range for this role is $113,353 - $277,494. Individual salary within this range will be commensurate with the incumbent's experience, unique skills and qualifications, and other relevant factors.
Institute for Defense Analyses
Apr 23, 2026