Senior Executive Service (SES) members and Scientific Professionals (STs), with their military counterparts, General/Flag Officer peers, collaborate at the helm of MDA in leading major organizations, programs, and projects. Our SES cadre are all intimately and intricately involved in missions and functions leading organizations and fields in engineering missile architecture; missile testing; developing missile targets and countermeasures; development of advanced technology; acquisition and fielding technology to the Military Service Components; Acquisition Contracts and Agreements; International Affairs and Policy; state-of-the-art communications and information technology used for warfighting and missile tracking scenarios; Sensors and Radar development; and reaching out to colleges and universities to recruiting top graduates.

The MDA's SES spans a range of professions, all leading the agency towards accomplishing our missions, strategic goals, and vision. Our SES employees are the best from their fields, robust and diverse in their professional experiences, and indubitably dedicated to public service and protecting our nation, allies, and friends. The following is a list of career fields available in MDA for senior executives:

• Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense
• Acquisition
• Contracts
• Engineering and Missile Architecture
• Finance: Comptroller and Chief Financial Officer
• International Affairs
• IT Communications; Information Technology Warfighting Operations Center; Research and Development
• Legal: GeneralCounsel
• Missile Testing and Evaluation
• Operations
• Program Management: C4ISR — Command, Control, Communication, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance
• Program Management: Sensors
• Security/Intelligence Operations

Senior Executive Service (SES)

• General Information
• Qualifications

The SES includes executive and managerial positions that are the major link between top Presidential appointees and the rest of the Federal work force.

SES members direct the work of an organizational unit, which includes the responsibility to:

• Lead major organizations, programs, and projects involving or supporting missile defense development, testing, acquisition, and deployment;
• Assess policy, program, and project feasibility;
• Determine program goals and develop implementation plans at the Program Executive, Deputy Program Executive, or Program Director levels;
• Design an organizational structure to promote a diverse, efficient, and effective workforce to accomplishment its missions and requirements and serving its customers; and
• Be the role model for its organization or program in leading it with effectiveness, efficiency, productivity, and setting management/internal control standards consistent with DOD regulations.

Scientific and Professional (ST)

• General Information

STs perform high-level research and development in the physical, biological, medical, or engineering sciences, or a closely-related field.

Research and development positions are characterized by the following features:

• systematic investigation of theory, experimentation, or simulation of experiments
• application of the scientific method, including problem exploration and definition, planning of the approach and sequence of steps, execution of experiments or studies, interpretations of findings, and documentation or reporting of findings;
• exercise of creativity and critical judgment, variation in which may materially affect the nature of the end product; and
• significant honors from major organizations for his/her accomplishments, contributions, and/or publications; and is sought as an advisor and consultant on providing scientific and technological solutions that may extend beyond his/her specialty.