Senior Advisor

Valiant is looking for a Senior Advisor to join our team!  In this role, you will provide expert advice, mentorship, and strategic insight to the EUCOM J7 and the Joint Exercise Division, leveraging prior experience as a former senior leader in the European Theater. The position enhances the Directorate’s ability to design and execute exercises aligned with U.S. national defense strategy, NATO operational concepts, global multi-domain operations, and multinational interoperability requirements.

 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

 

• Advise the J7 Director, Division Chiefs, and exercise planners on strategic priorities, operational design, and lessons learned from theater-level operations.
• Provide input on annual and long-term exercise planning cycles to ensure alignment with the EUCOM Theater Campaign Plan, NATO priorities, and U.S. Department of Defense guidance.
• Participate in senior-level exercise planning conferences, key leader engagements, and after-action reviews.
• Offer guidance on the integration of emerging domains (cyber, space, hybrid threats) into EUCOM exercises.
• Facilitate senior leader engagement, if applicable, with NATO Allies, Partners, and U.S. Joint/Interagency stakeholders.
• Mentor senior and mid-level EUCOM staff officers on joint/combined exercise design and execution.
• Provide written and oral recommendations to J7 leadership on exercise priorities, risk areas, and opportunities for improvement.
• Support after-action reporting to the Commander, EUCOM, with strategic-level insights and recommendations.
• Serve as Senior Advisor to HICON during exercise execution to facilitate National Command Authority replication and emulation, as required/requested. 
• Other duties as assigned.

Specific Joint Exercise Life Cycle (JELC) Tasks and Responsibilities:

• Concept Development Conference (CDC) and Initial Planning Conference (IPC)
  • Provide strategic context: ensure the exercise aligns with the Combatant Commander’s Theater Campaign Plan, Joint Strategic Campaign Plan, and NATO requirements.
  • Advise on exercise objectives and training audiences, making sure they are nested, relevant to current threats and operational requirements, and senior leader priorities.
  • Mentor planners on incorporating political-military realities (NATO dynamics, allied sensitivities, interagency considerations).
  • Shape the exercise concept to ensure senior leader engagement and realistic decision-making opportunities.
• Master Scenario Events List (MSEL) and Main Planning Conference (MPC)
  • Review operational environment (OE) and the strategic injects to ensure the exercise design supports EUCOM strategic goals and exercise objectives.
  • Review and provide guidance on Master Scenario Events Lists (MSELs) to ensure strategic injects test decision-making at the right echelon.
  • Recommend inclusion of emerging domains (cyber, space, hybrid threats) and interagency elements in the design.
  • Participate in JELC events to offer insights on balancing realism with feasibility.
  • Provide guidance on realignment of exercise objectives as needed.
  • Ensure exercises test key command relationships between EUCOM, component commands, NATO HQs, and interagency stakeholders.
  • Assist in the development of National Command Authority (NCA) guidance and direction, interagency priorities and concerns, and NATO considerations (if NATO is not engaged), that requires the EUCOM staff to develop options, adequately assess risk, design contingencies given political/diplomatic constraints, and then convey those options, risk with mitigation, and concerns to the NCA.  
• Final Planning Conference (FPC) and Preparation
  • Validate the exercise design and ensure it meets the EUCOM Commander’s guidance and intent.
  • Coach exercise control (EXCON) staff on senior leader injects, authorities, and high-level decision dilemmas.
  • Prepare EUCOM leadership for exercise participation through mentorship sessions and scenario walkthroughs as required.
  • Provide recommendations on risk management -- balancing mission objectives against political/operational/strategic risk.
  • Execution and AAR/Assessment
  • Serve on HICON and support National Command Authority guidance and direction, dynamic injects as