Air Operations Center & Technology Program Manager
Senior program manager bridging commercial airline operations-control (OCC/NOCC) expertise with US Air Force Kessel Run AOC modernization — advising software product teams on workflows, collaborative decision making, disruption management, and cloud-native C2 capabilities. Full-time remote; US citizenship and Secret clearance required.
- Compensation
- $90.2K–$200K / yr
- Location
- Bedford, MA
- Work setup
- Remote
- Seniority
- Not specified
- Employment
- Contract
- Experience
- 5+ years
- Category
- Project management
- Posted
Skills
Must have
- U.S. citizenship required
- Ability to obtain a Secret Clearance
- Bachelor's Degree in a related field plus 12 years of experience
- 5+ years of operational management experience within a major commercial airline, air cargo carrier, or airline operations technology provider
- Direct experience operating within or building technology for a commercial Network Operations Control Center (NOCC/OCC), Flight Dispatch, or Integrated Operations Center
- Comprehensive understanding of flight operations, dispatch workflows, slot and flow management, disruption recovery (IROP), and crew/aircraft schedule optimization
- Experience leading cross-functional teams, managing complex technical programs, and championing process change
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to develop and present briefings to senior leadership
- Strong analytical and organizational skills
- Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced acquisition environment
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively within Government and contractor teams
- Travel up to 25% at customer's discretion
Nice to have
- Hands-on experience with modern airline operations software platforms (e.g., Sabre, Jeppesen, Amadeus, NAVBLUE, Carmen, or custom cloud-based OCC tooling)
- Working knowledge of FAA/Eurocontrol CDM programs, System Wide Information Management (SWIM), or Ground Delay Programs (GDP)
- Experience working inside an Agile/Scrum software development environment, product management discipline, or DevSecOps product team
- Familiarity with USAF Air Operations Centers (AOC), Air Tasking Orders (ATO), or joint airspace coordination
Full description
DCS has an exciting opportunity for a Senior AOC Operations & Technology Program Manager providing support to the Command, Control, Communications (C3C)/Kessel Run division.
Kessel Run is revolutionizing how the United States Air Force develops, deploys, and operates mission-critical software. We are seeking an experienced AOC Operations & Technology Program Manager to serve as the critical bridge between commercial airline operations control practices and military Air Operations Center (AOC) modernization.
This is a full-time remote position.
Position Contingent upon Contract Award
Essential Job Functions:
In this role, you will leverage deep commercial airline industry expertise—specifically from Airline Operations Control Centers (OCC / NOCC)—to advise and guide software product teams, operational leaders, and system architects. You will help translate battle-tested commercial concepts such as Collaborative Decision Making (CDM), real-time disruption management, automated flight dispatch, and predictive resource allocation into modern, cloud-native command and control (C2) software capabilities for the warfighter.
Duties include, but not limited to:
Commercial Aviation Practices & Operational Strategy
- Champion the adoption of proven commercial airline Operations Control Center (OCC) processes, metrics, and workflows across Air Operations Center functional areas.
- Introduce and adapt commercial Collaborative Decision Making (CDM) frameworks and Air Traffic Management (ATM) flow strategies to military airspace planning and dynamic air tasking.
- Advise leadership on modern disruption management (irregular operations / IROP) models, crew/fleet recovery algorithms, and slot management concepts to improve operational resilience and sortie execution.
Product Roadmapping & Technology Modernization
- Partner closely with product managers, software engineers, and user-experience (UX) designers to translate operational pain points into clear user stories, functional requirements, and product roadmaps.
- Facilitate user-centered design sessions and workflow mapping between operational controllers, planners, and software development teams within an agile/DevSecOps development cycle.
- Evaluate emerging commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) airline software, optimization solvers, and cloud architectures to determine feasibility for integration into modern AOC software suites.
Operational Metrics & Performance Optimization
- Establish and monitor data-driven operational KPIs modeled after commercial aviation standards (e.g., departure punctuality, turnaround time optimization, asset utilization, and fuel/route efficiency).