Acquisition Program Manager (DAG Operations Manager)

Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership & Mission Integration

• Synchronize Commander’s priorities, strategic messaging, and operational direction across Mission Delta 3 staff agencies.
• Serve as the central integrator for strategic initiatives, ensuring alignment with Space Force doctrine, policy, and higher‐headquarters guidance.
• Manage cross-functional efforts requiring rapid staff coordination, operational planning, or Commander-level decision support.
• Commander Support & Executive Operations

• Lead the planning, coordination, and execution of Commander-focused engagements, meetings, outreach, and battlefield circulation.
• Develop executive-level products, including talking points, briefings, read‑aheads, and strategic communication materials.
• Ensure timely delivery of all decision items requiring Commander approval, including routing, suspense tracking, and dissent reduction.

Enterprise-Wide Staff Coordination

• Direct and oversee internal task management processes, ensuring timely response to Space Staff, CFC, SSC, MAJCOM, and interagency requests.
• Operate as the hub for staff-to-Commander information flow, ensuring accuracy, relevance, and mission impact.
• Coordinate Directorates to align efforts with annual priorities, operational imperatives, and readiness objectives.

Information Management & Knowledge Flow

• Maintain Commander’s information framework: dashboards, decision logs, action trackers, risk boards, metrics, and status summaries.
• Enforce disciplined staff communication standards, leveraging best practices consistent with Air Force/Space Force communication guidance.
• Manage staff package development and quality assurance for all high-visibility correspondence.

Organizational Battle Rhythm & Event Management

• Develop, maintain, and optimize the organizational battle rhythm, including recurring staff meetings, syncs, councils, and working groups.
• Lead planning for major Commander-hosted events such as senior leader engagements, immersion visits, town halls, and strategic reviews.
• Serve as the focal point for crisis coordination when emergent operational issues require Commander-level action.

Process Improvement & Mission Optimization

• Analyze workflows, identify bottlenecks, and implement improvements to enhance staff efficiency, transparency, and accountability.
• Establish standard operating procedures for DAG operations, including routing, suspense management, knowledge management, and communication protocols.
• Use data-driven approaches to monitor staff performance and support continuous improvement across the Delta.

Team Leadership & Personnel Development

• Supervise DAG personnel, setting expectations, providing mentorship, and ensuring readiness to support rapid Commander requirements.
• Oversee onboarding, training, and performance development of DAG staff to maintain a high-functioning executive operations team.
• Foster a culture of excellence, agility, and professionalism in support of senior-leader mission execution.

General

• Successful candidate may be tasked by Air Force/Space Force to support one or more acquisition programs with responsibility for performance and schedule execution
• Leads integrated scheduling and active risk management activities for Operations Integration, Logistics, and Product Support
• Prepare program scheduling activities, meetings, briefings, reports, and analyze information in support of 3STS developmental and sustainment programs.
• Supports operations training and technical documentation development, including Technical Orders (TOs), coordination and operations integration.
• Coordinate with operations and development stakeholders to facilitate identifying and designating SMEs who will assist in obtaining information critical for development, to include rapid integration requests
• Frequently coordinate with multiple military organizations (including Joint, Space Force, Air Force, and Navy organizations)
• Review and provide input to enabling concepts, concept of operations, and multi-agency agreements supporting program development and integration
• Adept at a variety of acquisition concepts, phases, and procedures; participate in technical studies, and performance reviews; ability to function in a multi-contractor/customer environment, performs a variety of complicated tasks, a wide degree of creativity and latitude is expected; demonstrated leadership and interpersonal skills; and effective written and oral communication skills required
• Experience working on classified government systems and networks

Qualifications

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree
• At least 5 years experience in Program/Project Management (Government PM time preferred) but preferably 10 or more years of DoD and related Space operations combined experience, specifically acquisition program management and/or operational experience
• In lieu of a Bachelor’s degree and 5 years of relevant experience, a Master’s plus 2.5 years of related experience or PhD plus 1 year of related experience is acceptable.
• Experience with Air Force and/or Space Force operations, command and control (C2), theater operations, space tasking cycle, and operator training, preferably with experience in the Electronic Warfare and/or Satellite Communications (SATCOM) mission areas.
• Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills
• Demonstrated competency in technical writing
• Familiarity operating under agile conditions as a member of a Scrum team
• Superior written and oral communication skills, including interpersonal and negotiation skills
• Familiar with MS Office products
• Experience in working with multi-disciplinary teams of Military and technical managers

Desired:

• Master’s degree (STEM)
• 10+ years’ experience in Program/Project Management (Government PM time preferred) of DoD and related Space operations combined experience, specifically acquisition program management, Director's or Commander's Action Group and/or operational experience development of requirements, specifications and proposals; familiar with a variety of acquisition concepts, phases, and procedures.  Executive officer and/or Executive assistant experience is desired. 
• Scaled Agile Framework for Enterprises (SAFe), Project Management Institute- Agile Certified Professional (PMI- ACP), Certified Scrum Master, PMP, USAF Acquisition Professional Development Program (APDP) or similar certification
• Experience in the Electronic Warfare and/or Satellite Communications (SATCOM) mission areas or other USSF mission domains.
• Experience participating in technical studies and project performance reviews; ability to function in a multi-contractor/customer environment
• Ability to perform a variety of complicated tasks, a wide degree of creativity and latitude is expected; demonstrated leadership and interpersonal skills; and effective written and oral communication skills required
• Familiarity working with or at the Combined Space Operations Center (CSpOC), US Space Command (USSPACECOM), and/or Space Force Field Commands
• Experience/knowledge navigating the Air Force’s cloud-based DevSecOps Platform One enterprise service
• Experience/familiarity working as a Product Repository technician or lead.
• A successful candidate will coordinate the delivery of services among different program activities to increase effectiveness and efficiency leadership – proven success in leading high-performance teams in an integrated product development team environment, achieving results through others, and being a strong team player
• Objectivity – Must maintain objectivity to determine proper standards, processes, and procedures that benefits the entire organization
• Creativity – Develop innovative solutions to modernize and improve system proficiencies (i.e. processes, procedures, techniques, tools, etc.)
• Flexibility – Receptive to change/new information and rapidly adapts to new technology, information, changing conditions, or unexpected obstacles
• Analytical Thinking - Exceptional ability to analyze data and utilize it to make sound business decisions
• Conflict management and resolution skills
• Passionate - Possess a passion for researching, defining and enforcing standards, processes and procedures
• Results focused – Ability to organize and manage multiple, and at time competing priorities
• Communication Skills – Demonstrate communication skills necessary to interpret policies in situations requiring persuasion and prepare and present presentations
• Relationship building skills – Ability to work within a dynamic team setting and provide role-model leadership
• Customer service – Superior customer service skills to both internal and external customers

Clearance:

• Active Top Secret clearance with SCI eligibility required