Strategic Operations Department

The Strategic Operations Department is found on most starbases but only on large starships with sector-wide command responsibilities. The purpose of this department is to help the officers in the Command Department remain aware of the position of other assets in relation to their unit, such as other starships in the sector, both allied and enemy, to help make strategic decisions. On starships, this department may only have one officer in it, but on major starbases, it could have a staff of dozens. This department is often found aboard flag officers' flagships, but reports to the flag officer and not to the ship's captain. On ships and bases without command responsibilities over other ships or bases, there would be little use for this department.

Duties

Strategic Operations thinks about the strategic situations beyond their individual unit, processing and interpreting data from across the sector where they are stationed, to help their commanding officers' make decisions on where starships, runabouts, and other assets should be sent, for tactical, exploratory, and humanitarian purposes.

Collate, interpret, and synthesize information from multiple sources, including field reports, Starfleet Intelligence, Starfleet Science, the Federation government, etc. to maintain a full picture of the strategic situation in the region to which they are assigned.
Advise their commanding officers on the best strategic decisions across Starfleet's mission priorities.
When delegated to do so, transmit orders to other units on behalf of their commanding officer to fulfil strategic purposes.
Coordinate with Starfleet Tactical Command, Starfleet Science, and other Starfleet offices as necessary to ensure that overall fleet objectives are being achieved.

Standard Strategic Operations Positions

Chief Strategic Operations Officer

Lieutenant Commander Worf was the Strategic Operations Officer aboard Deep Space 9 during the Dominion War.

The Chief Strategic Operations Officer is the senior strategic operations officer, and is responsible for collating reports from within their unit's area of influence, making recommendations to the commanding officer or flag officer on how to best accomplish their mission with the strategic resources available to them. An example of this would be suggesting that a starship change position to accomplish a new mission objective, or recommending that one ship replace another on a mission because it is better suited or better positioned to handle it. Some departments may only have one Strategic Operations Officer, and in those cases this position is just called by that title. Generally, officers in this role must have spent some time in Operations, Tactical, or Command first, and so generally aren't under the rank of Lieutenant or Lieutenant Commander.

Assistant Chief Strategic Operations Officer

Assistant Chief Strategic Operations Officers assist their department head in their duties and in creating a duty roster, in conjunction with their unit's executive officer. As with the department head, they have typically had experience in Operations, Tactical, or Command, and usually are in the lieutenant ranks at least.

Strategic Operations Officer

On units with many strategic operations officers, there can be several in more junior ranks who are in training to head strategic operations of their own. Like with the more senior roles, they generally have some experience in other departments, but recent Ensigns who studied Interstellar Relations, Small Group Tactics, or Political Science are sometimes assigned to these larger departments.

Strategy Specialist

A Strategy Specialist is an enlisted specialist who has been trained to assist strategic operations officers in their duties. Generally speaking, their role is very similar to that of a yeoman, but the work inherently requires a higher clearance level. Strategy specialists might also have extensive experience in security, tactical, or diplomatic affairs departments.

Strategist's Mate

The Strategist's Mate is the senior enlisted specialist in the Strategic Operations departments, responsible for mentoring and training more junior specialists.

Strategic Operations In-Play

This department almost got moved down to the 'Other Departments' section, but given that it is one of the departments referenced by name on screen, it's remained here, along with its history in the hobby. The only Strategic Operations Officer we've ever seen is Worf, and his role was strongly adjacent to command, given that DS9 was an important hub in the region.
Most starships won't have a Strategic Operations Officer let alone multiple Strategic Operations Officers, unless they're flagships. Many starbases would have this position, though.
Individual flag officers might have a Strategic Operations officer who is part of their personal staff, not part of the command where they're stationed.
If you're not hosting a flag officer or giving orders to other starships, you don't need a Strategic Operations Officer.