Program Manager & Operations Integration Lead

About the role

SPA’s Space and Intelligence Division provides professional services to the US Space Force, Combatant Commands, Intelligence Community, and NASA. The Strategic Technology Analysis Group, part of SPA’s Space and Intelligence Division, offers sophisticated capabilities to resolve unique problems in space, cyber, and special operations in support of military services, Secretary of Defense offices, and theater warfighters. The portfolio includes the Assistant Secretary of Air Force for Space Acquisition & Integration (SAF/SQ), Joint Warfare Analysis Center (JWAC), Space Security and Defense Program (SSDP), National Space Defense Center (NSDC), Space Warfighting Analysis Center (SWAC), Strategic Capabilities Office (SCO), US Space Command (USSPACECOM) and US Space Force (USSF).

Responsibilities

• Support the USSF to conduct test campaigns across space mission areas to satisfy Operational Test & Evaluation requirements and validate system performance and tactics, techniques, and procedures.
• Support a foundational simulation environment with integrated third-party models and simulations, such as blue models from program offices and intel-validated red models.
• Support the High-End Advanced, Test, Training, and Tactics Development (HEAT3) effort under USSF System Delta (SYD) 81.
• Work closely with internal and external teams to drive effective collaboration and deliver a superior solution.
• Provide technical program management, serving as the primary interface between SPA personnel across all sites and the client Program Manager, including status, blockers, upcoming activities, and cross-site coordination.
• Attend all scheduled Technical Exchange Meetings and other forums in support of HEAT3 execution.
• Assist client in user story selection and review, including active management of requirements traceability, prioritization decisions, and acceptance criteria validation.
• Provide and regularly update internal-use program management products such as stakeholder registry and risk registry.
• Coordinate with internal SPA leadership, teaming partners, and client to identify, capture, and resolve programmatic risks and issues at the earliest possible point.
• Support documentation, configuration management, and version control of all PM artifacts produced under this Task.
• Support security staff in coordinating Co-Usage Agreements (CUA) and Joint-Usage Agreements (JUA) as early as possible after award, and get team members set up with the appropriate accounts to support classified deployments remotely, wherever possible, as well as Colorado Springs SCIF/SAPF use between SSC/BMC3I and SYD 81.
• Oversee remote engineering support and domain expertise support with personnel possessing domain expertise in space systems modeling and simulation, space test and training, the Joint Simulation Environment (JSE), and other relevant areas to provide general technical support.
• Oversee embedded subject matter expert (SME) and “super-user” support to the 3 TES customer site to enable delivery of the 3 TES test environment capability and successful execution of the associated Weapon System Evaluation Program (WSEP) and tactics validation campaign(s).
• Oversee embedded JSE SME and “super-user” support to enable client’s delivery of space effects into the JSE at JITTC-N in support of the Long-Range Kill Chain (LRKC).
• Upon option exercise, oversee requirements discovery for and execute emergent WSEP campaigns, other USSF or Joint test and Tactics Validation campaigns, or additional capability deployments.
• Attend conferences and other technical exchanges and provide reports, as required.
• Collaborate and integrate across diverse teams to achieve insightful analytic findings that aid decision makers.

Qualifications

• Current and active TS/SCI clearance at time of application; willingness to take a poly
• Master’s degree in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, or Space-related discipline
• 10+ years of leading and integrating DoW and IC system engineering, operations research, and/or cross-domain studies and analysis
• Thorough and nuanced understanding of USSF test & evaluation processes
• Thorough understanding of the space domain to include astrodynamics, aerospace engineering, space system engineering, RF, optics, and directed energy applications
• Excellent interpersonal and communication (oral and writing) skills with experience using critical thinking to prepare written reports and presentations for decision makers
• Demonstrated initiative and ability to plan, work, and deliver both independently and as part of a diverse team focused on delivering critical assessments for decision makers
• Demonstrated ability to effectively and professionally interact with staff members and executive leadership via both verbal and written means
• Ability to report to designated work location in Colorado Springs, up to full time, based on the needs of the customer

Desired Qualifications

• JSE system experience
• 3 TES, 17 TES, DEL 9, and JITTC-N user communities experience
• AFSIM or REACT modeling & simulation experience
• Graduate of USAF, USSF, Navy or Marine Corps Weapon School

Pay

Salary pay range: $180,000 – $200,000 per year. Salaries are commensurate with experience and qualifications, as well as market and business considerations.