GET INVOLVED
Te fundamental skills and ideals we acquire in our formative years often serve as the most crucial building blocks for both our personal and professional development. According to Christopher Ayoub, who is currently a fellow in the Defense Acquisition University (DAU) Senior Service College Fellowship program, communication and rela- tionship building are his top two.
CHRISTOPHER AYOUB
COMMAND/ORGANIZATION: Joint Program Executive Office for Armaments and Ammunition, Program Manager for Towed Artillery Systems
TITLE: Defense Acquisition University Senior Service College Fellow
YEARS OF SERVICE IN WORKFORCE: 13
DAWIA CERTIFICATIONS: Advanced in program management; Practitioner in engineer- ing and technical management
EDUCATION: B.S. in mechanical engineering, Rutgers University
AWARDS: Honorable Order of St. Barbara Award for Artillery (2023); Army Civilian Service Commendation Medal (2019)
“Being able to provide the Soldier with a sustainable capability that they can rely on is what we are here to do as acquisition professionals. Being able to have a direct impact on what happens on the battlefield is the pinnacle of our craft,” said Ayoub, who joined the Army Acquisition Workforce right out of college.
“I was interested in an employment opportunity that was not traditional,” he said. “Having interviewed at Picatinny Arsenal [New Jersey] for an engineering role, I knew it was a good fit for what I was looking for in a career, as it would be challenging and interesting every day.”
And it has been just that. With a few pivotal roles thereafter, he arrived at his most recent position with PM TAS.
After a few years in the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Armaments Center, Ayoub was exposed to the PM TAS program manage- ment office via a rotational assignment that became a long-term move. “I found that my skill set better aligned with the PM [program management] mission set of manag- ing cost, schedule and performance of programs,” he said. “As my career evolved, I have been able to work with our customers directly and build relationships that ultimately led to providing them with the critical capability they seek. Tese relationships, and the impact that has on the battlefield, lead to a level of job satisfaction that is unmatched.”
“As we progress through our careers, we typically have a greater influence over a larger set of teammates, and with that, a growing number of generations who communicate and build relationships differently,” he said. “We must continue to evolve our relation- ship building and communication modes to be able to connect with every member of the organization. As a leader, connecting with your various stakeholders is critical to your team’s success.”
Before “starting life as a student again,” as he put it, Ayoub concluded a 15-month rota- tion as the acting deputy program manager (DPM) for the Program Manager for Towed Artillery Systems (PM TAS) and the Ukraine product lead. As DPM, he provided guid- ance to the functional and product leads responsible for all the towed artillery and artillery survey systems for the Army and U.S. Marine Corps. But as the Ukraine product lead, he said he experienced the greatest professional achievements of his career, leading a high-performing team that was at the forefront of support to Ukraine.
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Army AL&T Magazine
Summer 2024
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