Engagement Coordinator, U.S. Defense Plans & Strategies

Description

The Engagement Coordinator plans, coordinates, and executes the administrative and logistical requirements for strategic-level senior leader engagements supporting Department of Defense (DoD) stakeholders across the National Capital Region (NCR) and Combatant Commands (CCMDs). This role serves as the central "air-traffic controller" for executive interactions-managing schedules, access coordination, briefing materials, and day-of execution-to ensure engagements are secure, professional, and mission-aligned. The position also provides administrative support to the Washington Operations Team supporting DoD or Department of War (DoW) engagements, requiring precision, discretion, and responsiveness in high-visibility environments.

Primary Responsibilities

• Coordinate end-to-end logistics for strategic-level meetings, briefings, and engagements across the NCR and with CCMD staffs (in-person and virtual), including Pentagon engagements and off-site government or commercial facilities as required.
• Manage engagement workflows, including request intake, scheduling, confirmations, attendee lists, agendas, read-aheads, and after-action follow-ups.
• Coordinate effectively with Pentagon front offices, CCMD executive staff, action officers, protocol/administrative teams, and supporting organizations to ensure engagements are properly staffed and executed.
• Support senior leader engagement planning by aligning run-of-show, attendee sequencing, and engagement objectives with stakeholder expectations and operational constraints.
• Coordinate visitor access requirements and badging/entry processes in accordance with site procedures; ensure visitors receive clear instructions and timely updates.
• Prepare, package, and distribute meeting materials (agendas, slide decks, bios, talking points, read-ahead books), ensuring quality control, version control, and appropriate dissemination.
• Serve as a liaison between internal stakeholders (executives, program teams, security, administrative staff) and external counterparts (government staff, CCMD personnel, partner organizations) to align timelines, deliverables, and engagement outcomes.
• Arrange meeting spaces and services (A/V, secure communications requirements as applicable, seating layouts, signage/wayfinding, and catering where permitted).
• Track action items, decisions, and deliverables; maintain engagement calendars, distribution lists, contact rosters, and engagement records.
• Coordinate local and regional travel logistics as needed (parking, driver coordination, route timing, and contingency planning for traffic/weather).
• Support rehearsals and day-of onsite coordination, including escorting visitors when required; troubleshoot changes in real time while maintaining executive-level professionalism.
• Provide administrative support to the Washington Operations Team supporting DoD or Department of War (DoW) engagements, including managing taskers/requests, maintaining contact lists and engagement trackers, coordinating staffing and internal suspense dates, preparing correspondence and meeting notes, coordinating sponsorship/membership agreements (intake, routing, signatures, renewal tracking, and records management), and supporting engagement reporting/after-action documentation.
• Support the U.S. Defense Plans & Strategies Team by coordinating travel and other engagement logistics-within the NCR and beyond-including itineraries, meeting schedules, access/entry guidance, materials preparation, and day-of adjustments as needed.
• Maintain discretion while handling sensitive schedules, senior leader priorities, and engagement details.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and 4+ years of experience in executive coordination, strategic engagement support, event/meeting planning, government support, or administrative operations. Additional years of experience will be considered in lieu of degree requirements.
• Working knowledge of the DoD/DoW environment and senior leader engagement practices, including familiarity with Pentagon front-office coordination and/or CCMD staff engagement processes.
• US citizenship with ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance and/or favorable background determination, as required by the program/contract.
• Demonstrated experience coordinating complex calendars and multi-stakeholder engagements with shifting priorities and short timelines.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; ability to craft clear instructions, confirmations, and concise engagement summaries.
• High attention to detail, strong judgment, and consistent follow-through in high-visibility environments.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Outlook, Teams, Word, PowerPoint, Excel) and document collaboration/version control practices.
• Ability to work on-site across the NCR as needed; flexibility for early mornings/late afternoons tied to senior engagements and stakeholder availability.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience supporting engagements at the Pentagon and/or with CCMD headquarters staffs, including coordination with executive assistants, protocol offices, front offices, and action officers.
• Familiarity with DoD organizational structures (OSD, Joint Staff, Military Departments, Defense Agencies, CCMDs) and how those structures affect staffing, coordination, and communication pathways.
• Experience building executive read-ahead packages/briefing books and conducting quality control of briefing materials.
• Experience supporting a Washington Operations or executive operations office (task management, trackers, suspense management, correspondence, reporting).

Core Competencies

• Executive presence, discretion, and mission-focus
• Stakeholder management and customer-service mindset
• Rapid prioritization and calm execution under pressure
• Logistics planning and contingency thinking
• Document quality control and schedule discipline
• Understanding of DoD/DoW culture and senior leader engagement norms across the NCR and CCMD environments

Work Environment / Conditions

• Primarily on-site work in office settings; may support engagements involving CCMD stakeholders (virtual coordination and/or travel as required by program needs).
• Occasional walking between facilities and transporting light materials (e.g., briefing books, name tents, small equipment).
• Must maintain a professional appearance suitable for senior government environments.
• Employment may be contingent upon the ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance and successful completion of applicable background investigation and adjudication requirements, as required.

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.

For U.S. Positions: While subject to change based on business needs, Leidos reasonably anticipates that this job requisition will remain open for at least 3 days with an anticipated close date of no earlier than 3 days after the original posting date as listed above.

The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline onlyand 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.

About Leidos

Leidos is an industry and technology leader serving government and commercial customers with smarter, more efficient digital and mission innovations. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, with 47,000 global employees, Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $16.7 billion for the fiscal year ended January 3, 2025. For more information, visit www.Leidos.com.

Pay and Benefits

Pay and benefits are fundamental to any career decision. That's why we craft compensation packages that reflect the importance of the work we do for our customers. Employment benefits include competitive compensation, Health and Wellness programs, Income Protection, Paid Leave and Retirement. More details are available at www.leidos.com/careers/pay-benefits.

Securing Your Data

Beware of fake employment opportunities using Leidos' name. Leidos will never ask you to provide payment-related information during any part of the employment application process (i.e., ask you for money), nor will Leidos ever advance money as part of the hiring process (i.e., send you a check or money order before doing any work). Further, Leidos will only communicate with you through emails that are generated by the Leidos.com automated system - never from free commercial services (e.g., Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail) or via WhatsApp, Telegram, etc. If you received an email purporting to be from Leidos that asks for payment-related information or any other personal information (e.g., about you or your previous employer), and you are concerned about its legitimacy, please make us aware immediately by emailing us at LeidosCareersFraud@leidos.com.

If you believe you are the victim of a scam, contact your local law enforcement and report the incident to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.

Commitment to Non-Discrimination

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, race, ethnicity, age, national origin, citizenship, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, pregnancy, family structure, marital status, ancestry, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran or military status, or any other basis prohibited by law. Leidos will also consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with relevant laws.