Air Operations Center & Technology Program Manager

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).
• Utilize operational telemetry and user feedback to identify planning bottlenecks, track system adoption, and quantify the operational impact of newly deployed software features.
• Oversee capacity planning and operational modeling to support both day-to-day operations and surge tasking requirements.

Stakeholder Collaboration & Change Management

• Serve as the primary operational liaison between software product teams, operational military leadership, acquisition authorities, and industry technology partners.
• Drive change management initiatives that help traditional operations teams transition smoothly from legacy monolithic software and paper-based tracking to automated, cloud-based applications.
• Prepare operational impact analyses, technical white papers, and business cases to justify modernization investments.

Travel may be required at the customer’s discretion up to 25%.

** Position Contingent upon Contract Award**

Required Skills:

Due to the sensitivity of the customer, U.S. citizenship is required. 

Must be able to obtain a Secret Clearance.

Bachelor’s Degree in a related field in the respective technical/professional discipline being performed plus 12 years of experience.

5+ years of operational management experience within a major commercial airline, air cargo carrier, or airline operations technology provider.

• OCC / Dispatch Background: Direct experience operating within or building technology for a commercial Network Operations Control Center (NOCC/OCC), Flight Dispatch, or Integrated Operations Center.
• Aviation Domain Knowledge: Comprehensive understanding of flight operations, dispatch workflows, slot and flow management, disruption recovery (IROP), and crew/aircraft schedule optimization.
• Leadership & Change Management: Demonstrated experience leading cross-functional teams, managing complex technical programs, and championing process change across operational workgroups.

Desired Skills:

• Commercial Aviation Software: Hands-on experience with modern airline operations software platforms (e.g., Sabre, Jeppesen, Amadeus, NAVBLUE, Carmen, or custom cloud-based OCC tooling).
• Collaborative Decision Making (CDM): Working knowledge of FAA/Eurocontrol CDM programs, System Wide Information Management (SWIM), or Ground Delay Programs (GDP).
• Agile / Software Factory Experience: Experience working inside an Agile/Scrum software development environment, product management discipline, or DevSecOps product team.
• Military / Defense Familiarity: Familiarity with USAF Air Operations Centers (AOC), Air Tasking Orders (ATO), or joint airspace coordination is a plus, but not required.

Interpersonal Skills

• 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

Pay Range and Benefits: There are a variety of factors that can influence salary at DCS Corp, including but not limited to, geographic location, Federal Government contract labor categories and wage rates, relevant prior work experience, specific skills and competencies, education, and certifications.

The proposed salary range for this position is:

Salary Range: $90,220 - $200,000

At DCS, we pride ourselves on providing flexibility that allows employees to balance meaningful work with their personal lives. We offer competitive compensation, benefits, and opportunities for learning and development.

Our broad and competitive mix of benefits is designed to support and protect employees and their families. Our robust benefit offerings include medical, dental, 401k, ESOP, PTO, education reimbursement, work/life balance, parental and other leave programs.

Learn more about our benefits here: DCS Corp Benefits.