Defense Acquisition Program Management Subject Matter Expert (SME)

Title:

Defense Acquisition Program Management Subject Matter Expert (SME) At KBR, we deliver science, technology and engineering solutions to governments and companies around the world. KBR employs approximately 37,000 people worldwide with customers in more than 85 countries and operations in over 28 countries. KBR is proud to work with its customers across the globe to provide technology, value-added services, and long-term operations and maintenance services to ensure consistent delivery with predictable results.

Trinzic is the future independent company to be created through the planned spin-off of KBR's Mission Technology Solutions business, expected in January 2027. Our people work at the frontier of what is possible, delivering solutions in challenging environments and advancing some of the world's highest-priority national security and space missions.

Backed by decades of mission success, deep expertise, and trusted partnerships, Trinzic will launch as a global organization with more than 18,000 employees supporting customers around the world. Join us at a defining moment and help shape the future of a company built to tackle complex challenges and make a meaningful impact.

Candidates who join KBR's Mission Technology Solutions business before the spin-off will transition to Trinzic when the separation is complete and will not need to reapply for employment.

Position Summary:

KBR, Inc. is seeking a highly experienced Defense Acquisition Program Management Subject Matter Expert (SME) to join our team at Eglin Air Force Base (AFB), Florida. The selected candidate will serve as a Senior Advisor and provide Branch- and System Program Office (SPO)-level acquisition, programmatic, and organizational decision support for high-priority Air Force and Joint-Service next-generation weapon acquisition programs. The position will support the full acquisition life cycle for direct-attack air-to-ground munition capabilities, including development, test, production, fielding, and sustainment. The ideal candidate will have experience with direct-attack weapons, penetrator capabilities, and systems designed to address hard and deeply buried targets. The SME will advise senior Government leaders and integrated product teams on acquisition strategy, program execution, resource planning, risk management, documentation, and stakeholder engagement.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide SME-level defense acquisition program management and organizational decision support to the SPO responsible for planning and executing high-priority Air Force and Joint-Service weapon acquisition programs.
• Advise Branch leadership, Materiel Leaders, Program Managers, and integrated product teams on acquisition strategy, program execution, resource allocation, risk management, affordability, schedule, and stakeholder communication.
• Mentor and develop Government and contractor personnel in defense acquisition program management, acquisition strategy development, Adaptive Acquisition Framework application, and preparation of decision-ready program documentation.
• Design, develop, and execute acquisition strategies for next-generation direct-attack air-to-ground weapon programs, including penetrator and hard/deeply buried target capabilities.
• Apply and tailor the Adaptive Acquisition Framework, including appropriate acquisition pathways, strategies, documentation, reviews, and decision points, to meet program needs while accounting for technical maturity, operational urgency, risk, and funding constraints.
• Lead the development, coordination, staffing, and maintenance of acquisition and program-management documentation, including acquisition strategies, program management plans, decision briefs, risk-management products, schedules, execution roadmaps, and milestone-support materials.
• Provide advanced decision analysis and actionable recommendations to senior leaders and program managers across program management, engineering, test, financial management, contracting, logistics, and requirements disciplines.
• Provide guidance and develop products required to execute weapon-system acquisition programs, as directed by the Senior Materiel Leader and System Program Manager(s).
• Support senior-leader engagements with industry counterparts by providing acquisition, programmatic, technical, and materiel-management expertise.
• Support cross-functional teams throughout all phases of the acquisition life cycle, including research and development, systems engineering, test and evaluation, manufacturing, production, fielding, and sustainment.
• Analyze and communicate relevant acquisition policy, regulation, and statutory changes affecting program design, execution, reporting, and decision-making. Ensure program managers and organizational leaders understand associated impacts and required actions.
• Support Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution (PPBE) activities by providing senior-level guidance on strategy, resource allocation, budget formulation and execution, and related financial-management processes.
• Coordinate with congressional staff, Department of War, Air Force, Navy, and other stakeholder organizations regarding requirements, budgets, acquisition policy, financial management, contracting, and program execution.
• Develop and implement program management, systems engineering, digital engineering, and data-integration processes that improve SPO decision quality, effectiveness, and efficiency.
• Develop contract strategy recommendations and acquisition approaches for Procurement Contracting Officer consideration.
• Assist in the development and review of system cost estimates by identifying and phasing work required to meet warfighter needs; developing and evaluating key assumptions; and translating program requirements for the cost-estimation team.
• Author, coordinate, and support required program reporting and executive-level decision products, including Selected Acquisition Reports, Defense Acquisition Executive Summary inputs, Monthly Activity Reports, and other reporting as applicable.
• Identify programmatic risks, develop mitigation strategies, track actions to closure, and provide concise status to leadership.

Work Environment:

· Location: On-site (Eglin AFB, FL) · Travel Requirements: Low-Moderate, 20% · Working Hours: Standard – Core hours 0900 - 1500

Qualifications:

Required:

• Current Top Secret clearance with eligibility for Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) access.
• Special Access Program (SAP) eligibility; counterintelligence polygraph may be required.
• Bachelor’s degree in acquisition, business, engineering, management, or a related field.
• At least 15 years of experience performing relevant defense acquisition and program-management functions, including at least 3 years advising senior leadership or serving in an Acquisition Category (ACAT) I leadership position.
• Level III Defense Acquisition University certification, or equivalent current acquisition certification/credentialing consistent with applicable workforce requirements.
• Direct experience supporting ACAT I programs in the development and/or production phase.
• Demonstrated experience developing and executing acquisition strategies and tailoring acquisition approaches and documentation under the Adaptive Acquisition Framework.
• Demonstrated experience authoring, coordinating, staffing, and maintaining complex acquisition and program-management documentation.
• Experience leading or substantially supporting weapon-system development programs through major planning, execution, review, and decision milestones.
• Expertise managing large defense acquisition programs and improving program-management, organizational, and data-driven decision processes.
• Proven ability to build, lead, and contribute to high-performing cross-functional teams in a demanding and technically sophisticated environment.
• Demonstrated ability to manage competing priorities, meet short-fuse deadlines, operate with limited oversight, and consistently deliver high-quality, decision-ready work products.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to develop senior-leader briefings, read-aheads, issue papers, and customer-facing products.
• Availability for ad hoc and recurring customer and team meetings during core business hours.

Desired:

• Former Senior Materiel Leader, Materiel Leader, Program Manager, or Deputy Program Manager for an ACAT I defense acquisition program, with 20 or more years of relevant experience.
• Experience as a program manager, deputy program manager, or senior acquisition advisor for an air-to-ground or air-to-air weapon program.
• Direct experience supporting direct-attack air-to-ground munitions, penetrator systems, or capabilities intended to address hard and deeply buried targets.
• Experience supporting next-generation weapons, advanced munitions, or technically complex weapon-system development portfolios.
• Experience applying Agile acquisition practices, digital engineering, model-based systems engineering, advanced analytics, or data-integration techniques to defense acquisition programs.

Ready to Make a Difference? If you’re excited about making a significant impact in the field of space defense and working on projects that matter, we encourage you to apply and join our team at KBR. Let's shape the future together.

KBR Benefits KBR offers a selection of competitive lifestyle benefits which could include 401K plan with company match, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, AD&D, flexible spending account, disability, paid time off, or flexible work schedule. We support career advancement through professional training and development.

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KBR is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, veteran status, genetic information, union status and/or beliefs, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.