AIMING FOR SPACE S
SATONYA HOBSON- WILLIAMS
COMMAND/ORGANIZATION: Javelin Missile System Product Office, Tactical Aviation and Ground Muni- tions Project Office, Program Executive Office for Missiles and Space
TITLE: Javelin chief engineer
YEARS OF SERVICE IN WORKFORCE: 22 years
AAW/DAWIA CERTIFICA- TIONS: Level III in engineering and Level III in program management
EDUCATION: MBA, Auburn Univer- sity; B.S. in mechanical engineering, Mississippi State University
AWARDS: Army Civilian Service Achievement Medal
atonya Hobson-Williams never intended to become an Army civilian. As a child growing up in Mississippi, she had a different goal in mind—she dreamed of becoming an astronaut. When she enrolled in college, she set out to earn a degree in aerospace engineering, but then she got some advice that changed the entire
course of her career. “I was talking with some professors and advisers, and at the time, there weren’t many opportunities for aerospace engineers,” she said. “So, I started look- ing for other things I could do, where I could still do some aerospace, but with a broader focus.” She decided on a degree in mechanical engineering, which led to her first job working for the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA).
“After graduation, I went to work with TVA as a non-destructive engineer, which meant I was testing hardware in a way that doesn’t break it.” She later married, left the TVA, and went to work for General Electric Co. as a tool and process engineer in Decatur, Alabama. “Tey make refrigerators,” she chuckled. “Still not quite an astronaut.” She developed an interest in programming equipment, which she did for several years before moving to her next job as a project manager at DaimlerChrysler. From refrigerators to cars—she was getting closer.
In her next role, she entered the Army workforce as a production engineer on the Hydra 70 rocket, a 2.75-inch diameter fin-stabilized unguided rocket used primarily in an air-to-ground role. “Finally, I was getting there,” she said. Over the next few years, she worked her way up to assistant product manager before moving to Project Manager Unmanned Aerial Systems. From there, she branched out to a new role at the Missile Defense Agency, before returning to the Hydra 70 as chief engineer, and then to the Javelin as engineering division chief within the Tactical Aviation and Ground Muni- tions (TAGM) project office.
"Te Javelin is a shoulder-launched, man-portable, ‘fire and forget,’ medium close combat missile,” she said. “I provide technical insight informing the decisions of both the prod- uct and project managers. As the technical lead, I am responsible for the modernization and sustainment of the Javelin missile for our Army warfighter.” She directs the engi- neering team to lead development and transition-to-production activities for the Javelin missile and the Command Launch Unit, a reusable stand-alone component that provides surveillance capability for troops. Her work includes component-level design reviews, integrated systems test planning, performance verification tests and baseline discus- sions with TAGM management. “I get satisfaction from my position because we provide Soldiers with the hardware needed when they are on the ground,” she said.
She said there are many differences between her experiences in industry and her career as an Army civilian, but she loves to ask questions and learn as much as she can. “I’m one of those people who likes to understand a little bit about everything, so I have a good grasp of why people ask the questions they’re asking, to understand their point of view. It makes it a little easier for me to find the right solution.” One of the major differences she first encountered was the pace of work, which had been very demand- ing working on the production floor for an auto manufacturer. “Te biggest transition
160 Army AL&T Magazine Fall 2021
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