Program Acquisition Manager

Precise Systems delivers integrated, mission-ready solutions that advance warfighter readiness and strengthen our nation's most critical defense programs. Through the power of our combined capabilities, we provide deep expertise in Advanced Engineering; Digital Transformation; Electromagnetic Warfare; Interactive Training & Simulation; Physical Sciences Research; Platform Lifecycle Support; and Foreign Military Sales. Unified by decades of trusted performance and expanded through strategic growth, our team applies innovative technologies, engineering rigor, and customer-focused execution to solve complex challenges and accelerate mission success. Guided by our commitment to partnership, precision, and performance, we deliver the scalable solutions and technical excellence our customers depend on, today and into the future.
Precise Systems is actively seeking an Acquisition Manager to support external technical engagement and opportunity development at Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division (NSWC Carderock), in West Bethesda, Maryland. This position requires an engineering professional with a strong background in naval engineering or a related technical discipline and the ability to communicate Carderock's specialized research, testing, and laboratory capabilities to prospective government and industry customers.
The successful candidate will leverage technical expertise and engineering relationships to identify organizations whose mission requirements, research initiatives, or engineering challenges align with Carderock's capabilities. Through technical discussions, customer outreach, and collaboration with Carderock subject-matter experts, this individual will help prospective customers understand how Carderock's laboratories, facilities, and engineering expertise can address their needs.
This role emphasizes technical relationship development, customer discovery, and the identification of new opportunities for external laboratory utilization. The Acquisition Manager will collaborate with Carderock technical personnel and business development stakeholders to qualify opportunities and facilitate engagement with prospective customers. Dedicated personnel will support the subsequent business development, agreement, and Work with Private Parties (WWPP) processes.
Duties

Technical Business Development:

Identify and develop opportunities for external organizations to use Carderock's engineering expertise, research capabilities, testing facilities, specialized equipment, and laboratory resources. Connect prospective customers' technical challenges with relevant Carderock capabilities.
External Customer Engagement:

Establish and cultivate relationships with engineers, technical program managers, research organizations, government laboratories, federal agencies, defense contractors, commercial companies, and academic institutions. Conduct technical outreach to identify potential applications for Carderock's capabilities.
Engineering Requirements Discovery:

Engage prospective customers to understand their engineering problems, research objectives, testing requirements, and capability gaps. Identify opportunities where Carderock's specialized facilities and technical personnel may provide value.
Technical Capability Alignment:

Develop a working understanding of Carderock's laboratories, equipment, facilities, and technical disciplines to recognize potential matches between external requirements and available capabilities. Coordinate with internal subject-matter experts to assess technical suitability.
Technical Presentations and Discussions:

Communicate Carderock's capabilities in engineering terms appropriate to the audience. Participate in technical briefings, customer meetings, facility visits, industry events, and discussions with government and commercial engineering organizations.
Engineering Network Development:

Build and maintain a network of technical contacts across the Navy, Department of Defense, federal laboratories, defense industry, commercial engineering organizations, and academia. Use these relationships to identify emerging requirements and facilitate introductions to relevant Carderock experts.
Opportunity Identification and Qualification:

Identify, document, and evaluate potential external laboratory engagements based on technical alignment, customer interest, mission relevance, facility suitability, and potential for follow-on work. Coordinate with Carderock stakeholders to determine the appropriate next steps for promising opportunities.
Laboratory Utilization and Sustainability:

Help identify opportunities that could support sustained use of Carderock's facilities, specialized equipment, and technical workforce. Understand prospective customers' recurring testing, research, and engineering needs and identify potential opportunities for longer-term engagement.
Cross-Disciplinary Engineering Outreach:

Engage prospective customers across relevant disciplines, including materials science, corrosion engineering, fracture mechanics, structural engineering, hydrodynamics, model testing, ship design, systems engineering, and related naval engineering fields.
Internal Technical Coordination:

Work closely with Carderock engineers, laboratory managers, technical points of contact, and research personnel to understand available capabilities, evaluate prospective customer requirements, and facilitate meaningful technical exchanges.
Business Development Handoff:

Coordinate qualified opportunities with designated business development and WWPP personnel, providing relevant customer contacts, technical requirements, proposed scope, capability alignment, and engagement history to support subsequent commercial and agreement activities.
Opportunity Tracking and Reporting:

Maintain records of customer outreach, technical discussions, prospective requirements, potential laboratory engagements, and follow-up actions. Provide periodic updates on emerging opportunities, customer interest, and progress toward external engagement.
Required Experience

Minimum of five (5) years of professional experience in naval engineering, marine engineering, materials engineering, structural engineering, corrosion engineering, fracture mechanics, hydrodynamics, or a closely related technical discipline.
Experience applying engineering knowledge to technical problems, research activities, testing, analysis, design, or evaluation of systems, structures, materials, or components relevant to naval or maritime applications.
Experience communicating technical concepts, engineering requirements, or specialized capabilities to engineers, technical program managers, government customers, or industry stakeholders.
Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain professional relationships with technical personnel, engineering organizations, government agencies, or commercial customers.
Experience evaluating technical requirements and identifying potential solutions, capabilities, or resources to address engineering challenges.
Familiarity with Navy, DoD, federal laboratory, defense industry, or maritime engineering environments.
Ability to engage prospective customers, understand their technical needs, and coordinate with subject-matter experts to assess opportunities for laboratory testing, research, analysis, or engineering support.
Required Skills and Knowledge

Engineering Credibility:

Ability to understand and discuss engineering problems, technical requirements, and laboratory capabilities with experienced engineers and technical decision-makers.
Technical Communication:

Ability to translate complex engineering capabilities into clear, relevant explanations that help prospective customers understand potential applications and benefits.
Customer Discovery:

Ability to ask informed technical questions, uncover unmet requirements, recognize potential opportunities, and connect customer challenges to relevant research and testing resources.
Relationship Development:

Strong interpersonal and networking skills, with the ability to establish productive relationships across government, industry, academia, and technical communities.
Technical Research and Analysis:

Ability to review engineering requirements, assess preliminary technical alignment, research prospective organizations, and coordinate with subject-matter experts to determine potential paths forward.
Collaboration:

Ability to work effectively with multidisciplinary engineering teams, laboratory personnel, government stakeholders, and designated business development representatives.
Initiative and Follow-Through:

Self-directed approach to prospect identification, customer outreach, relationship management, and opportunity development.
Organization and Reporting:

Ability to maintain accurate contact records, document discussions, track follow-up activities, and communicate progress to leadership.
Microsoft Office Proficiency:

Working proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams.
Required Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering from an accredited institution, preferably in Mechanical Engineering, Naval Architecture, Marine Engineering, Materials Engineering, Civil or Structural Engineering, or a related discipline.
Preferred Qualifications

Five or more years of experience supporting Navy, DoD, federal laboratory, shipbuilding, maritime engineering, or defense industrial base activities.
Familiarity with NSWC Carderock's mission and capabilities in naval architecture, ship design, hydrodynamics, structural engineering, materials research, corrosion, fracture mechanics, model testing, and related technical disciplines.
Experience working directly with engineering customers, technical program offices, government research organizations, or commercial engineering teams.
Established professional relationships across Navy engineering organizations, warfare centers, federal laboratories, defense contractors, shipbuilders, maritime companies, or academic research institutions.
Experience identifying potential applications for specialized test facilities, research laboratories, engineering analysis, or technical services.
Professional Engineer (PE) license, where applicable, is desirable but not required.
Experience with technical presentations, customer briefings, industry engagement, or collaborative research and testing initiatives.
Success Measures

Success in this position will be measured by the ability to build technical relationships and identify meaningful opportunities for external use of Carderock's capabilities, including:
Establishing a network of prospective government, industry, and academic customers.
Identifying engineering challenges and research requirements that align with Carderock's capabilities.
Generating qualified opportunities for laboratory access, testing, research, and engineering services.
Facilitating productive technical discussions between prospective customers and Carderock subject-matter experts.
Increasing awareness of Carderock's capabilities among external engineering organizations.
Providing qualified opportunities and complete technical context to designated business development and WWPP personnel for subsequent action.
Contributing to sustained external engagement and greater utilization of Carderock's specialized facilities and technical resources.
Must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance. Due to the sensitivity of customer related requirements, U.S. Citizenship is required.
Precise Systems values employee contributions, promotes diverse opportunities for professional growth, and prioritizes overall well-being. We recognize exceptional performance and alignment with our core values through our STAR Award recognition program.
Compensation at Precise Systems is determined by various factors, including education, experience, skills, competencies, and contract-specific requirements. The salary range for this position is $98,041.42 to $150,135.62 annualized USD). This range represents the standard pay for this role and is just one component of Precise Systems' total compensation package.
Precise Systems is committed to fair and equitable pay practices in alignment with applicable pay transparency laws and equal employment opportunity standards.
Precise Systems is dedicated to a shared vision and core values of Integrity, Respect, and Responsibility, which foster innovation and drive our continued success in the global marketplace. Precise Systems and its subsidiaries are Equal Opportunity /Affirmative Action Employers. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, status as an individual with a disability, or any legally protected status under federal, state, or local law. Visit for a listing of current openings and our comprehensive, employee friendly benefits summary. Precise Systems participates in E-Verify.

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