Strategic Planner, Principal

Company: Lockheed Martin
Location: Smyrna
Posted on: April 1, 2026

Job Description:

Strategic Planner, Principal What You Will Be Doing As a Strategic Planner, Principal within Aeronautics Strategic Planning’s Strategic Studies Group (SSG), you will play a critical role in shaping the future of global airpower. You will be the SSG’s USAF or USN lead charged with understanding our domestic and international customers' most stressing challenges and translating those insights into actionable studies, strategies, and recommendations. Your work will directly support Aeronautics’ strategic priorities, influence major program decisions, and help guide force structure and capability planning across the U.S. services, partners, and allies. Key Responsibilities - Lead the development, execution, and communication of strategic studies addressing customer needs, market opportunities, threat environments, and future force structures. - Build, maintain, and deepen relationships with key domestic and international customers aligned to Aeronautics’ strategic priorities. - Interpret, shape, and translate customer requirements into meaningful analyses and recommendations. - Distill complex, technical, or large-scale bodies of work into clear, strategic messages tailored to senior audiences. - Drive growth opportunities across Aeronautics markets by identifying trends, gaps, and strategic pathways for capability development. - Collaborate with cross-functional teams across multiple sites to support force mix assessments, threat evaluations, and long-range planning efforts. - Provide strategic planning support across any Aeronautics program or platform as needed within the Strategic Studies Group. What’s In It For You From onsite to remote, we offer flexible work schedules to comprehensive benefits investing in your future and security, Learn more about Lockheed Martin’s comprehensive benefits package here. Who You Are You excel at turning broad strategic challenges into structured studies, actionable insights, and compelling executive-level recommendations. Known for your ability to distill complex technical and operational concepts into clear, persuasive messaging, you confidently engage senior leaders across government and industry. You are collaborative and relationship-driven, building trusted partnerships with domestic and international stakeholders while aligning teams around shared strategic objectives. Above all, you are motivated by shaping the future of global airpower and influencing decisions that matter at the highest levels of defense planning. Basic Qualifications - Greater than 10 years of combined defense industry, US military, and DoD strategy/acquisition experience - Bachelor's degree or higher in a technical field (e.g. engineering, mathematics, physics, computer science) or a Bachelor's degree or higher with extensive operational experience/military strategy development. - Experience with current and future Air Force or Navy systems, including Lockheed Martin’s products and services - Experience working with USAF or USN organizations critical to force design, force development, and force employment - Experience with analytical thinking and problem-solving skills, as well as experience working in a multi-disciplinary team environments - Current Secret security clearance with ability to obtain and maintain Top Secret with special access programs - Experience with Microsoft Office suite Desired skills - Previous experience in a strategy organization - Experience analyzing customer requirements and future warfighting needs - Knowledge of military systems, weapon systems, and the operation of threat air, space & ground systems - Ability to formulate structured approaches for analyzing complex problems involving multiple domains and articulate problems/possible solutions. - Strong interpersonal and customer relationship skills with demonstrated ability to lead and work in cross-functional teams, across business units and corporate organizations. - Excellent verbal and written communication skills necessary to clearly articulate strategies at multiple levels of business and government. - Experience organizing and presenting data to senior/executive management. Lockheed Martin is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified candidates will be considered without regard to legally protected characteristics. The application window will close in 90 days; applicants are encouraged to apply within 5 - 30 days of the requisition posting date in order to receive optimal consideration. * At Lockheed Martin, we use our passion for purposeful innovation to help keep people safe and solve the world's most complex challenges. Our people are some of the greatest minds in the industry and truly make Lockheed Martin a great place to work. With our employees as our priority, we provide diverse career opportunities designed to propel, develop, and boost agility. Our flexible schedules, competitive pay, and comprehensive benefits enable our employees to live a healthy, fulfilling life at and outside of work. We place an emphasis on empowering our employees by fostering an inclusive environment built upon integrity and corporate responsibility. If this sounds like a culture you connect with, you’re invited to apply for this role. Or, if you are unsure whether your experience aligns with the requirements of this position, we encourage you to search on Lockheed Martin Jobs , and apply for roles that align with your qualifications. Other Important Information By applying to this job, you are expressing interest in this position and could be considered for other career opportunities where similar skills and requirements have been identified as a match. Should this match be identified you may be contacted for this and future openings. Ability to work remotely Part-time Remote Telework: The employee selected for this position will work part of their work schedule remotely and part of their work schedule at a designated Lockheed Martin facility. The specific weekly schedule will be discussed during the hiring process. Work Schedule Information Lockheed Martin supports a variety of alternate work schedules that provide additional flexibility to our employees. Schedules range from standard 40 hours over a five day work week while others may be condensed. These condensed schedules provide employees with additional time away from the office and are in addition to our Paid Time off benefits. Security Clearance Information This position requires a government security clearance, you must be a US Citizen for consideration. Pay Rate: The annual base salary range for this position in California, Massachusetts, and New York (excluding most major metropolitan areas), Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, Vermont, Washington or Washington DC is $144,600 - $255,070. For states not referenced above, the salary range for this position will reflect the candidate’s final work location. Please note that the salary information is a general guideline only. Lockheed Martin considers factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate's work experience, education/ training, key skills as well as market and business considerations when extending an offer. Benefits offered: Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, Short-Term Disability, Long-Term Disability, 401(k) match, Flexible Spending Accounts, EAP, Education Assistance, Parental Leave, Paid time off, and Holidays. (Washington state applicants only) Non-represented full-time employees: accrue at least 10 hours per month of Paid Time Off (PTO) to be used for incidental absences and other reasons; receive at least 90 hours for holidays. Represented full time employees accrue 6.67 hours of Vacation per month; accrue up to 52 hours of sick leave annually; receive at least 96 hours for holidays. PTO, Vacation, sick leave, and holiday hours are prorated based on start date during the calendar year. This position is incentive plan eligible. Pay Rate: The annual base salary range for this position in most major metropolitan areas in California, Massachusetts, and New York is $166,400 - $288,305. For states not referenced above, the salary range for this position will reflect the candidate’s final work location. Please note that the salary information is a general guideline only. Lockheed Martin considers factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate's work experience, education/ training, key skills as well as market and business considerations when extending an offer. Benefits offered: Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, Short-Term Disability, Long-Term Disability, 401(k) match, Flexible Spending Accounts, EAP, Education Assistance, Parental Leave, Paid time off, and Holidays. This position is incentive plan eligible.

Keywords: Lockheed Martin, Atlanta , Strategic Planner, Principal, Engineering , Smyrna, Georgia