WORKFORCE
In 2013, he transitioned to program management, working on programs assigned to the Product Manager for Meteorological and Target Identification Capabilities within the Project Manager for Navigation Capabilities and Special Programs. “Tat switch was a huge turning point in my career,” he said. “In the course of five years, I grew from being the lead acquisition technical leader to the technical director and then the acting deputy director and acting deputy product lead for a billion-dollar program.”
Kirkwood continues to work on developing his career. He recently completed the Systems Supportability Engineering program that is led jointly by Stevens Institute of Technology and the C5ISR Center PRD. Kirkwood called the certificate program “the high- light of my educational progression thus far.” Te course aims to increase technical competency in systems engineering and better support weapon system sustainment. “I was able to immediately apply lessons learned during the course and improve the outcome of the program office,” Kirkwood said. “I support a quick reaction capability program that is very schedule-driven. When work- ing at that pace, it’s great practice to have structure and a record of our work. Working with a system of systems, there are many fast-moving parts that make program management even more complex. Te course taught me that I could reduce this complex- ity through order.”
He tries to pass on what he has learned over the course of his career, through mentoring programs outside of the office and in his work as a branch chief of Electronic Sensors. In that role, he leads a team of 75 systems engineering technical assistance contractors in identifying ways to better support the customers to whom they are assigned. “Providing structure and guidance to help define and work toward career goals helps identify the right fit for employees and the customers they serve, ensuring higher satisfaction for both groups,” he said.
ENGINEERING THE BEST
Black Engineer of the Year Award staff, including Pamela McAuley, left, and Dr. Kendall Howard, right, present Kirkwood with his award in February 2018. (Photo courtesy of Kevin Kirkwood)
With more than a decade of federal service behind him, Kirk- wood noted that the most important lesson he has learned “is to be patient, trust the chain of command, and always main- tain the code of ethics and law. Trust the process, so that the process can reflect its strengths and weaknesses—and leader- ship can address those accordingly. We often try to circumvent a process, and there are times that may need to be done. But if we find ourselves constantly disregarding it, we’re only prevent- ing leadership from seeing a flaw in it,” said Kirkwood, who will soon begin a six- to 12-month assignment as executive officer to the C5ISR Center’s director.
When problems arise, he said, confront them—don’t avoid them. “Run toward problems and embrace change—it’s OK to be uncomfortable. Tere’s reward and growth in conflict and in problem-solving.”
—SUSAN L. FOLLETT
AWARD-WINNING SMILES
Kirkwood, left, Gen. Dennis L. Via (USA, Ret.), center, former commanding general of the U.S. Army Materiel Command, and Courtney Coulter, an engineer with the C5ISR Center’s Intelligence and Information Warfare Directorate, at the Black Engineer of the Year Award event in February 2018. (Photo courtesy of Kevin Kirkwood)
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