Tyto Athene is searching for an Acquisition Program Manager (temporary) to support the Commander, 3rd Sustainment Squadron, Mission Delta 3 in leading and managing their front office support staff (Commander's Support Staff) and performing executive assistant functions. This position will lead, manage and operate as the Commander's high-level Executive Assistant (EA) and project manager, focusing on the operations management of the commander’s assigned projects, personal communication, schedule, and immediate, as well as, longer-term priorities. MD3 trains and presents combat-ready Space Electromagnetic Warfare (EW) forces, headquartered at Peterson SFB, to dominate the electromagnetic spectrum by jamming, protecting, and supporting allied space systems, ensuring U.S. and coalition forces maintain freedom of action in the contested space environment. Their primary objective is to achieve spectrum superiority, which is vital for space superiority, by controlling the unseen battleground of modern warfare. 

Responsibilities:

1. Executive Administrative & Operations Management

• Strategic Calendar Gatekeeping: Manage the Commander’s master outlook appointment calendar, prioritizing high-impact engagements and de-conflicting complex schedules with zero-fail accuracy. Proactively audit the calendar 30, 60, and 90 days out to identify "white space" for strategic thinking and ensure long-lead preparations for major milestones are scheduled.

• Predictive Logistics Planning: Direct all travel logistics via the Defense Travel System (DTS), including itinerary development, lodging, and ground transportation for domestic and international TDYs. Anticipate travel requirements by analyzing the Commander's priorities; coordinate all DTS and itinerary details independently to ensure zero-gap transitions between engagements.

• Front Office Synchronization: Lead and mentor the Commander’s Support Staff (CSS) to ensure administrative workflows are standardized and that all staff members anticipate the Commander's preferences without being prompted.

• Distinguished Visitor (DV) Strategy: Lead the planning for DV visits, coordinating with protocol offices to ensure seamless execution of tours, briefings, and social engagements. Beyond basic protocol, research DV backgrounds and current organizational challenges to prepare the Commander with strategic talking points tailored for each specific interaction.

2. Strategic Communication & Messaging

• Ghostwriting & Speechwriting: Develop speeches, reports, and white papers that reflect the Commander's "voice." Prepare executive-level briefing materials for conferences (e.g., AFA, Space Symposium).

• Executive Correspondence: Review and edit all outgoing correspondence, ensuring strict adherence to the Tongue and Quill standards and Commander’s preferences.

• Read-Ahead Management: Synthesize vast amounts of data into concise Read-Ahead packages to ensure the Commander is fully prepared for every meeting 24–48 hours in advance. Critically analyze all incoming read-ahead packages for quality and relevance; reject or return subpar materials to staff directorates before they reach the Commander’s desk.

• Public Voice Management: Proactively draft speeches and other correspondence that align with the latest Department of the Air Force and Space Force messaging, ensuring the Commander is positioned as a thought leader.
• Correspondence Oversight: Serve as the final quality control for all outgoing communications, ensuring they are not only error-free but also strategically aligned with the organization's long-term goals.

3. Program Management, Initiative Leadership and other potential tasks:

• Strategic Reviews: Lead time-sensitive projects that fall outside normal staff directorates, such as organizational change efforts or legislative liaison tasks.
• Cross-Functional Project Integration: Lead high-visibility projects—such as agile acquisition shifts or mission-delta reorganizations—by bringing together stakeholders from logistics, engineering, and operations to meet tight deadlines.

• Task Management (TMT): Monitor and direct the flow of tasks through the Task Management Tool (TMT), ensuring all suspense dates are met by subordinate units. Use Task Management Tools to proactively identify bottlenecked tasks and intervene with staff leads to resolve issues before they result in a missed suspense.

• Provide advice, expertise and consultation in acquisition program management (PM) lifecycle activities, in concert with sustainment engineering, logistics and test and evaluation members to the SSC government integrated planning team
• Provide expert advice to the Commander, and when required, to Materiel Leader (ML) / Program Manager (PM) and Senior USSF and Air Force Leadership regarding acquisition strategies, product support, logistics, contracting, budgeting and execution
• Provide oversight and facilitation of assigned program management activities between operational stakeholders, as well as other developmental program activities supporting STS3.
• Ability to clearly and concisely advise and present information in person to stakeholders and Senior Military Leadership on program milestone decision and processes ensuring continued program success.
• Manage and assist in the development and coordination of overarching program planning and execution documents as prescribed by/tailored from DoDI 5000.02, and relevant Department of Defense, Air Force, USSF, and SSC policies
• 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 and effectively communicate 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 as requested by the Commander
• 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

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree, preferable BS STEM
• At least 10 years experience in Program or project Management (Government PM time preferred) but preferably 15 or more years of DoD and related Space operations combined experience. Experience as an executive assistant or officer.
• In lieu of a Bachelor’s degree and 15 years of relevant experience, a Master’s plus 8 years of related experience or PhD plus 4 years 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.
• Proactive behavior coupled with excellent problem-solving, critical thinking and analytical skills
• Demonstrated competency in technical writing and superior oral communication skills, including the ability to persuade and negotiate with senior stakeholders.
• Exceptional ability to analyze complex data and utilize it to make sound business and operational decisions on behalf of the Commander.

• Strategic Creativity: Ability to develop innovative solutions to modernize and improve organizational proficiencies.

• Adaptive Flexibility: Ability to rapidly adapt to changing conditions, new technology, or unexpected obstacles with minimal guidance.

• Conflict Resolution: Strong relationship-building and conflict management skills to harmonize efforts across a multi-disciplinary team.

• Familiarity operating under agile conditions as a member of a Scrum team
• Superior written and oral communication skills, including interpersonal and negotiation 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
• Familiar with MS Office products and DOD systems and programs such as TMT and DTS
• Customer service – Superior customer service skills to both internal and external customers
• Experience in working with multi-disciplinary teams of Military and technical managers

Desired:

• Master’s degree (STEM)
• 15+ years’ experience in Program or project Management (Government PM time preferred) of DoD and related Space operations combined experience with some time serving as an executive assistant or officer.
• 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
• 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
• 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

Clearance:

• Active Top Secret clearance with SCI eligibility required

Compensation:

• Compensation is unique to each candidate and relative to the skills and experience they bring to the position. The salary range for this position is typically between $120,000-$170,000. This does not guarantee a specific salary as compensation is based upon multiple factors such as education, experience, certifications, and other requirements, and may fall outside of the above-stated range.

Benefits:

• Highlights of our benefits include Health/Dental/Vision, 401(k) match, Paid Time Off, STD/LTD/Life Insurance, Referral Bonuses, professional development reimbursement, and parental leave.