COMMAND/ORGANIZATION: Program Executive Office for Aviation, Project Manager Uncrewed Aircraft Systems
TITLE: Assistant product manager Future Tactical Unmanned Aircraft Systems
YEARS OF SERVICE IN WORKFORCE: 2
MILITARY OR CIVILIAN: Military
YEARS OF MILITARY SERVICE: 21
DAWIA CERTIFICATIONS: Practitioner in program management
EDUCATION: MBA, University of St. Thomas; B.S. in commercial aviation, University of North Dakota
AWARDS: Bronze Star; Meritorious Service Metal; Air Medal (3); Army Commendation Medal (5); Army Achievement Medal (3); Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Senior Aviators Badge; Air Assault Badge; Combat Action Badge

Maj. David “Jon” Lilja

by Cheryl Marino

Job stagnation is a common occurrence when tasks become routine, and one feels they’ve mastered every aspect of their role. However, Maj. David “Jon” Lilja doesn’t subscribe to this mindset and firmly believes that the journey of learning is perpetual.

“Learning doesn’t stop,” he said. “It is humbling to have the opportunity to work with my team and colleagues who possess exceptional knowledge and skills in acquisition. They inspire me to keep on learning and growing my skills so that I can contribute as much as they do.”

As the assistant product manager for Future Tactical Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (FTUAS), under the Program Executive Office for Aviation, Project Manager Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (PM UAS), Lilja is leading the prototyping effort to develop a group 3 Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) replacement for the existing RQ-7B Shadow, which has been in service for over 20 years. The RQ-7B Shadow provides reconnaissance, surveillance, target acquisition and force protection for the Brigade Combat Team in near-real-time, day and night, and in limited adverse weather conditions.

This being his first acquisition position, Lilja didn’t expect the prototyping program to be nearly as fast paced and dynamic as it has turned out to be, but he couldn’t be happier with all the learning and challenges he’s been able to take on with his team, which he said, is the “best part of the assignment.”

“I am directly involved with a team of experts to replace the RQ-7B Shadow, a system I had as an attack troop commander, and I know first-hand the capabilities and challenges associated with that system’s operations,” for which he is highly motivated to find a replacement. “It is thrilling to be working on the successor program. I know what capabilities Future Tactical UAS brings to the warfighter, and I’m excited to be a part of it,” he said. “This program has given me a fantastic opportunity to learn at a rapid rate, not only in the realm of program management but also the intersection where technologies merge.”

While Lilja was still in graduate school, following his time as a troop commander with Alpha Troop, 6-17th Calvary Regiment, 4th Infantry Division at Ft. Carson, Colorado, he took advantage of the Voluntary Transfer Incentive Program (VTIP)—a means for eligible officers to apply to transfer to a different branch or functional area. “The opportunity to use the VTIP process and explore a new career pathway, while still contributing to the service and providing advanced capability to warfighters, is something I am passionate about,” he said.

Lilja noted one thing people typically find interesting about his work is the cutting-edge technology his team develops, the efficiency of his organization and “how great of a team” he gets to work with. “I’ve been in the Army for over 20 years in all three components [active duty, reserve and national guard] and this is one of the most outstanding organizations I’ve been lucky enough to be part of.” He said there are subject matter experts from engineers, acquisition analysts, cost analysts, program integrators and logisticians who’ve been working for over two decades in their fields, as well as experts with deep experiences and knowledge who are driven to make lives better for our warfighters.

“The competitive prototyping effort for Future Tactical Uncrewed Aircraft Systems is a foundational experience for me,” he said. “Throughout this process, Tactical Unmanned Aerial Systems and PM UAS leadership have provided excellent guidance and mentorship for executing this program as well as shaping the program and guiding the team. Additionally, my leaders have given me the latitude to grow and lead my team and interact directly with industry and Army senior leaders to share the successes we’ve had.”

Supportive leaders and team members combined with critical career development programs helped Lilja navigate along his career path. Most recently, he took a program management course called PMT 3550/360V, which he completed in July 2021. The course was designed to reinforce knowledge and hone analysis, synthesis and evaluative skills through the use of individual examinations, case studies and team exercises. Students completing this course are expected to be effective leaders in program offices at the upper mid- and senior-level positions, while serving in program management positions.

“It was a great capstone course for the pilot Army Acquisition Professional Education Program allowing us to work through the fully Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System (JCIDS) life cycle in small groups. I would recommend it to anyone who has a few years of PM [program management] experience,” he said.

Lilja said he always encourages his team and coworkers to seek challenges and challenging assignments to avoid stagnation and keep learning and growing in their field and beyond. “Having worked on a few programs now, I find my teams have learned a great deal using the Adaptive Acquisition Framework (AAF) on a few star programs. We touched on stakeholder engagements, interactions with industry, briefing leadership and understanding intersecting technologies.”

And the challenges don’t stop at the end of the workday. Outside of work, Lilja enjoys cooking and is always in search of new recipes. “A few folks on my team might know that I love to cook and am very interested in perfecting recipes,” he said. “Likewise, having a desire to improve processes and help the team with efficiencies is common to both [work and personal life] as well as having a passion for the resulting product.”

The best part of being an Army Acquisition Workforce member, he said, is having the opportunity to help report modernization of the force and a specific pain point that he experienced as a troop commander.

“The product I’m working on is part of the Future Vertical Lift initiative of modernization. Using Shadow UAS, it can take a Soldier 12 to 24 hours to establish a working launch and recovery site requiring HMMWVs [High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles] with ground controllers, maintenance support with air vehicle transportation shelters, trailer-mounted launchers and other associated equipment,” he said. “With FTUAS, the system takes off and lands vertically, eliminating the need for the majority of that equipment [previously needed by Shadow UAS] and the controller is small enough to sit on a table or in an ‘on-the-move’ configuration.

The modernization initiative is a group effort, requiring diverse knowledge and experiences to seek out and deliver capabilities, he said. “No one person knows it all. Acquisitions is a team sport and understanding that everyone can contribute to solve problems is critical.”