Senior Program Engineer-Contingent

AVIAN is looking for Senior Program Engineer to become our next Employee-Owner supporting the Office of Naval Research in Arlington, Virginia.

At AVIAN (pronounced *a-v-yin*) we believe in the extraordinary potential of every individual. As an employee owner at AVIAN, you will find that we have cultivated an employee-first mentality. By prioritizing talent over experience, we ensure that every hire we make is as unique as the position that they will be filling.

Here on our team, we embrace new challenges and focus on continuous learning which fosters growth mindsets in all our employee owners; whether you are joining the workforce for the very first time or if you’re a seasoned professionals who has their eyes set on retirement.

Our commitment to providing our customers and employees with an unmatched experience sets us apart. We believe that every team member has a stake in the success of AVIAN, and we strive to ensure that each member of our team knows that their contributions matter. You can be sure as an employee owner you will celebrate both your individual and our collective triumphs.

Taking care of each other is a cornerstone of the AVIAN philosophy. Being part of the AVIAN team means being part of a team that takes pride in being expansive in our community because our impact doesn’t stop in the workplace. We actively engage in community initiatives, empowering our employees to make a meaningful difference.

We believe that employee investment shouldn’t be a one-way street, so we offer benefits that normalize balancing mental wellness and family time with work responsibilities. From Flexible Time Off to Wellness Reimbursements we want all our team members to achieve the highest levels of life/work balance.

AVIAN - where creative, talented minds flourish, and where proactive, productive, proficient professionals feel valued.

Science & Technology Technical Program Support

• Support the Program Officer in strategic analyses, market research, special studies and road mapping activities for improving planning, processes and S&T program investments.
• Conceptualize technology development strategies, creates integrated program plans including interdependencies and products from companion projects. Develops options tailored to various opportunities or constraints.
• Assist in ensuring sufficient Systems Engineering and integration assistance is provided to ensure programs stay on schedule and within costs/time constraints.
• Utilize various software tools to allow ONR to effectively analyze and visualize research and technology products generated by performers to assist in overall program management.
• Assist in technology assessments and evaluations.
• Provide input to the Program Officer in meeting the objectives of their programs and in carrying out associated technical and program management responsibilities, including assessments of the current state of the art, assistance in evaluation of white papers (in an advisory capacity, vice as an evaluator) that may be submitted from universities/industry in response to Broad Agency Announcements or other calls for proposals.
• Assists in preparation for internal reviews of ONR sponsored programs. The Contractor will gather information and data on progress and accomplishments from the various performers and assemble information for use in internal reviews.
• Organize and administer conferences, symposiums and workshops, steering groups, program reviews, technical meetings and other events as required, including coordinating and tracking of certifications, proposals, and completed reviews. The contractor will assist in identifying subject-matter-experts to serve as peer reviewers, preparing and providing background information of each project for the peer reviewers, providing logistical support for the review, and gathering the results and assembling a report for the program manager to document the process and results.
• Attend meetings; coordinate with government organizations; organize, coordinate schedules of invitees, host and coordinate meetings; prepare program presentations; and provide audio-visual services/equipment at meetings.
• Assist the program officer in the formulation and execution of technical and financial aspects of science and technology programs; Monitor both the technical and programmatic progress of various performers and keep the program officer informed, including participation in teleconferences and meetings, such as design reviews, program and financial status reviews, or technical interchange meetings. Additionally, the contractor will keep the program officer abreast of progress through monthly reports and other reports as needed.
• Attend design reviews and coordinate key demonstrations and testing.
• Provide input to draft briefings, and draft letters for the Program Officer, enabling him to respond to inquiries related to the relevant programs.
• Use SharePoint and/or other approved communications software to setup and modify pages, archive science and technology products such as briefs, reports, papers, etc.
• Coordinate and consolidate departmental responses to Requests for Information from Congress and other relevant government organizations, such as OSD, DON, Senior ONR management, relevant Joint Technology Offices, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Naval Directed Energy Steering Group (NDESG), ASN (RDA), etc. Interfaces effectively with physicists, scientists and engineers from Department of Energy Laboratories, Department of Defense Laboratories, Industry, Academia, as well as Congressional Liaison, and other key partners and stakeholders.
• Communicate clearly and effectively complex issues verbally and in writing for senior executive audiences, both inside and outside of (DoD and other agencies representatives) commands.
• Draft, review, and edit high level communications products to include PowerPoint presentations, white papers, technical reports, ghost emails, etc.
• Track, obtain approval of appropriate offices and maintaining database of all technical abstracts, papers, journals, briefs and posters on work performed on program funds. Coordinates with all performers to ensure that any publication on work funded by program is reviewed by program officer, management, public affairs office and security as appropriate.
• Compile and coordinate paperwork for human subject and animal use in research, where appropriate.
• Assist program officers in drafting of request for proposal including assisting in development of an acquisition strategy, understanding of different contracting types and understanding the Broad Agency Announcement and Request for Proposal Process (create drafts, review, edit, and manage control of submissions).
• Coordinate duties of preparing, handling, storing, couriering, and arranging for digital projection of classified material.
• Supports Program Officers in development of Systems Engineering strategies, management plans, and associated artifacts. Works with technical staff to identify and allocate system requirements, create and monitor integrated master schedules, incorporates risk management procedures, and establish configuration control. Support development of Technical Review Action Plans and assessment of System Engineering Technical Reviews.
• Support Program Officers in development of S&T Acquisition Strategy. Assess technical development options (make, buy, hybrid) and associated independent cost estimates to inform contracting strategies. Perform cost assessment of on-going activities, including analysis of invoices and contractor-reported Earned Value Management status.
• Support Program Officers in development and implementation of program protection plans. Conduct analysis of Operational Security (OPSEC) and make recommendations for potential modifications in posture. Draft updates to program specific Security Classification Guidance.
• Supports ONR Program Officers in the identification of military missions and associated capability gaps that can be addressed by ONR technical products. Works with operational community to understand military requirements, formulate scenarios and experimentation to assess military value, and identifies appropriate timelines for transition to the acquisition community.

Program Management Support

• Support Code 35 by maintaining awareness of departmental needs and requirements; communicating departmental plans and strategies; maintaining briefings; and assisting in coordinating input for data calls, such as budget exhibit submissions, congressional requests for information, and budgetary drills. Development of databases for technical and programmatic tracking of key deliverables and milestones.
• Coordinate and schedule reviews, technical meetings, program meetings, conferences, and demonstrations with government authorities, program managers, other ONR Code 35 support team members, and other stakeholders.
• Use Navy- and ONR-approved business processes to optimize reporting workflow, facilitate technical data collection across department, as well as data entry/retrieval.
• Prepare and coordinate correspondence, presentations, reviews, reports, and responses to ONR, high level Navy, congressional and other internal and external requests for information.
• Support technical evaluation reviews in an advisory/non-voting capacity of special program proposals and prepare consolidated submissions for department head approval.
• Support technical liaison activities with senior officials in other departments, services/agencies, government laboratories, academia, and industry and in day-to-day interactions with other agencies, services, civilian and governmental institutions and organizations to support, facilitate, and avoid duplication of ONR program activities.
• Provide technical support and coordinate conferences, demonstrations, expositions, events, meetings, technical reviews, etc. to include physically presenting displays and assisting with display transportation, setup and staffing of event booths as directed or required by ONR Code 35 Management personnel.
• Support technical management of programs including acquisition plan development, representation of the government project manager in his/her absence where required, and assessment of performance in terms of technical objectives, costs and schedule.
• Support the management and execution of S&T innovation programs and pilots, including interfacing with government agencies, academia, non-profits, industry, and public and private investment groups.
• Prepare program status reports and after-action reports following major program reviews or key events, as required.
• Coordinate Department inputs for various calls, such as Chief of Naval Research (CNR)/OPNAV N94 Monthly Report to the Chief of Naval Operations and Commandant of the Marine Corps, Command Operations Report, Assistant Chief of Naval Research (ACNR) Plan of the Month and the weekly submission of the Naval Research Enterprise Product Sheets.
• Coordinate management and oversight of site content for ONR Code 35 S&T program webpages on the ONR public facing website and update of other websites related to ONR Code 35 programs.
• Coordinate monthly Division staff meetings and weekly team planning meetings, maintain task lists and prepare documents for public release, as required.

• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Department of Defense SECRET security clearance prior to start date
• Due to the sensitivity of customer-related requirements, U.S. Citizenship is required.
• Ad hoc telework not to exceed 2 days a week is authorized for Key Personnel. 3 days of telework a week is authorized for Non-Key Personnel. 
• Must have experience and be proficient in the following:
  • Microsoft Office 365 (specifically, Word, Power Point, Outlook, SharePoint Online, Teams and Excel).
  • Communicating effectively, both orally and in writing.
  • Being effective working independently and collaboratively; &
  • Organizing and coordinating meetings.

Educational Requirements

• A Master's Degree from an accredited college or university in a technical field related to the areas of science and technology investment for which the supported organization is responsible as indicated above
• Allowable Substitutions: A Bachelor's Degree from accredited college or university in a technical field related to the areas of science and technology for which the supported organization is responsible as indicated above with an additional two years of experience outlined below for a total of ten (10) years.

Experience Requirements

• Minimum of eight (8) years of Program Management or Program Management Support experience in Science and Technology or Acquisition Program Management
• Prior experience managing contractor employees on Government contracts
• Demonstrated leadership, interpersonal, organizational, communication, and analytical skills. 

• Experience in at least one of the following core competency areas is required (experience in more than one core competency area is preferred): (1) physics, (2) aerospace materials, (3) energetics, (4) surface and air launched weapons, (5) kinetic weapons, (6) directed energy weapons, (7) robotics and unmanned aerial systems, (8) air vehicle design, (9) air vehicle structures and subsystems, (10) vehicle self-protection and survivability, and (11) air vehicles modeling and simulation.

Desired additional qualifications

• Current, or ability to obtain, TOP SECRET/SENSITIVE COMPARTMENTED INFORMATION (SCI) Clearance.
• DAWIA certification or Federal Acquisition Certification for Program and Project Managers (FAC-P/PM) certification or commercially available Project Management Certification (PMP).
• Prior Department of Defense (DoD) or Department of Navy (DON) experience.
• Salary range: $116,000-$183,000 (The offered rate will be based on the selected candidate’s knowledge, skills, abilities, and/or experience and in consideration of internal parity.)

At AVIAN, we offer a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your health, financial security, and overall well-being. Our health and wellness benefits include medical, dental, and vision coverage, along with telemedicine services and a TRICARE supplement for veterans. Financially, we provide flexible spending accounts (FSA), a 401(k) plan with company contributions, and an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP). Additional perks like wellness reimbursements and referral bonuses are also available.

For insurance protection, we offer basic life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) coverage, disability benefits, and AFLAC supplemental insurance. In terms of life, work, and family, we provide flexible time off, paid sick leave, maternity and bonding leave, and military training leave. Tuition reimbursement and professional development opportunities are available to help you grow. We also offer pet insurance, identity protection, and life assistance programs. At AVIAN, we prioritize a balanced, supportive environment that allows you to thrive both personally and professionally.

AVIAN is a service-based organization. As an equal opportunity employer, our policy of business is to seek the most qualified candidate for each talent opportunity without regard to race, creed, color, sex, age, religious belief, marital status, national origin, ancestry, sexual preference, physical or mental handicap, lawful political affiliation or veteran’s status.