Technical Operations Manager Senior

Brandes Associates Inc.•Leesdale, CA

2d•$130,000 - $180,000•Onsite

About The Position

BAI, a defense contractor, seeks a senior Operations Manager with 10+ years’ experience to oversee technical and operational support for defense-related engineering, architecture, and interoperability within a NAWCWD research and development (R&D) project at Point Mugu Naval Base in Camarillo, CA. The selected candidate will act as the bridge between research and development efforts, oversee engineering implementation, and ensure alignment with government regulations while utilizing government-defined engineering processes. This position offers opportunities for career progression, excellent benefits, and stability in a well-established, employee-focused company.

Requirements

10+ years of relevant experience in technical operations management and systems engineering, with a focus of automation applicable to defense RDT&E and test range programs
Demonstrated capability overseeing large-scale, technical projects
Expertise in process optimization through innovative engineering methods, tools, and techniques (Automation)
Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams in regulated tabletop exercises, lab demonstrations, and at-sea testing of sensors or systems
Deep understanding of government-regulated engineering processes and non-personal-services contract performance, including awareness of inherently governmental function boundaries
Familiarity with maritime systems, including deployment and safety considerations (e.g., Range Safety & Coast Guard regulations) for at-sea SUT and sensor testing
Working knowledge of telemetry, RF, and SATCOM systems sufficient to coordinate technical teams and troubleshoot event-support issues
Familiarity with cybersecurity/RMF authorization processes (POA&Ms, continuous monitoring) sufficient to coordinate with cybersecurity leads on event authorization status
Ability to ensure technical compliance with configuration control, Government property accountability, risk management, and quality assurance frameworks
Awareness of foreign disclosure, export-control, and releasability considerations applicable to authorized support of Coalition, FMS, or other non-U.S. Government-designated users
Advanced expertise in Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
Effective verbal and written communication, with the capability to convey technical and operational concepts to diverse audiences
Applicant must have an active DoD Secret Clearance.
The applicants selected will be subject to a security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information.
The applicant must have US citizenship at the time of application.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with data management, analytics, or AI/ML-enabled decision-support concepts as applied to test and evaluation data (AIDI) is a plus

Responsibilities

Serve as an accountable functional lead supporting the Contractor's Integrated Master Schedule (IMS), risk/issue/decision/action-item registers, and status reporting at the cadence directed by the Government
Support Government-directed technical reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR, ORR), and transition reviews; and assemble and track associated review packages and exit criteria
Identify constraints, assumptions, dependencies, and risks early enough to support Government decision-making and avoid event failure or schedule disruption
Serve as the operational bridge between research, development, and test activities to optimize rapid prototyping and integration of BWI capabilities
Analyze current workflows, identify bottlenecks, and support implementation of engineering methodologies and tools to improve technical execution and event readiness
Support requirements traceability, verification and validation matrices (VCRMs), interface control documentation, and configuration/technical decision-support records
Coordinate scheduled-event operation and support of BWI C2 environments, range operations workspaces, and distributed control nodes under Government direction
Support scenario development, instrumentation planning, rehearsal, event execution, data monitoring, and after-action reporting for Government-approved T&E, experimentation, fleet training, and tactical experimentation events
Coordinate the application of range infrastructure, resources, and communications systems to support collection of required data from maritime autonomous system sensors and instrumented platforms, and support alignment of follow-on sensor and system engineering/test efforts
Guide technical teams in the coordination and troubleshooting of LOS/BLOS telemetry, RF, SATCOM, and antenna systems supporting live event execution, including coverage, link margin, and data-routing considerations
Coordinate with data engineering and cybersecurity/RMF leads on developmental data environments, authorization packages, POA&M status, and vulnerability remediation supporting scheduled BWI events
Support Government-led development and assessment of AI-enabled decision-support and instrumentation-decision-intelligence (AIDI) capabilities, including coordination of data quality, event data packages, and after-action data products
Support Government-led planning for temporary, modular, and expeditionary range infrastructure, and coordinate installation, configuration, scheduled event operation, and removal activities across distributed and over-the-horizon operating locations
Integrate Coast Guard, Federal, and State safety considerations into the preparation, deployment, and use of maritime autonomous systems during System Under Test (SUT) and/or Live Fire range operations of sensor prototypes and OEM products
Support dock trials, harbor trials, sea trials, acceptance testing, and operationally representative demonstrations on Government-designated maritime platforms and support craft
Coordinate with logistics and property leads on materials, equipment, spares, and Government-furnished or contractor-acquired property required for authorized BWI tasks and events
Support configuration status accounting (as-built/as-tested/as-operated records) for systems, prototypes, and equipment where configuration affects performance, safety, or transition decisions
Lead, mentor, and coordinate across teams (subcontractor and BAI systems engineers, cybersecurity specialists, data analysts, and OEM product owners) to ensure successful delivery of development objective
Serve as a primary point of coordination between Government stakeholders, technical leads, and contractor resources during authorized RDT&E and event-support activities, consistent with the non-personal-services nature of this effort; this role does not exercise Government supervisory, command, or inherently governmental authority
Align technical operations with program objectives, drive efficiency, and support data-driven decision-making
Track technical progress, quality standards, availability/readiness, security, and compliance against the Performance Requirements Summary (PRS) and Acceptable Quality Levels (AQLs) in PWS §12
Review test readiness plans, milestone review packages (SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR), and performance evaluation metrics for critical systems
Assist in validating interoperability and compliance through verification cross-reference matrices (VCRMs) and audit trails, and support timely delivery of associated CDRLs (e.g., IMS/status reports, risk registers, technical review packages, event data packages, after-action reports)
This individual will play a critical role across engineering disciplines and in interoperability between BWI capabilities, range infrastructure, testing, and stakeholder coordination — supporting an evolving, multi-customer RDT&E effort rather than a single fixed test program.