Flight Operations Scheduling SME (SkillBridge Intern) - 26642

Summary

This is an UNPAID internship through the DoD SkillBridge Program for transitioning active-duty US military personnel. DoD SkillBridge Internships are available to help transitioning active-duty military personnel gain real-world experience in the work force sometime during their final 180 days of active-duty service. The intern will actively train on meaningful projects and work closely with a mentor and with senior company leadership. HII Mission Technologies (HII-MT) Internship programs are focused on placing transitioning military into internships that require KSAs, Education & Military Training similar to their current or previous military jobs; positions that could easily transition over to a full-time regular and permanent job with HII-MT.

Objective

The intern will train as an AFSOC Flight Operations Scheduling Subject Matter Expert supporting the Joint Aircrew Data Enterprise (JADE) program. Training focuses on translating operational scheduling expertise into actionable input for software development teams through internal-only simulations, ensuring full compliance with DoD representation restrictions.

The intern will gain hands‑on experience in:

- User‑story interviews (simulated)
- Requirements decomposition
- Agile sprint planning and execution
- Technical evaluation and feedback cycles
- Cross‑functional collaboration with engineering, product, and program management
- Risk management, quality assurance, and ethical decision‑making

All “stakeholder” interactions will be conducted exclusively through HII‑controlled simulations.

Desired End State (90‑Day Target)

By the end of the internship, the intern will be able to:

Simulated Stakeholder Engagement & Requirements Development

- Conduct structured user‑story interviews (internal simulations only)
- Translate sortie‑cycle and readiness workflows into technical requirements
- Document acceptance criteria and evaluation metrics

Software Engineering Leadership & Agile Execution

- Participate in sprint planning, backlog refinement, and task estimation
- Provide operational SME input during mock sprint reviews and demos
- Support test‑cycle execution and defect triage

Flight Operations Scheduling & Data Integration

- Model sortie cycles, readiness tracking, and qualification workflows
- Demonstrate conceptual proficiency with PEX, GTIMS, Envision, and ARTEMIS
- Map operational processes to JADE data structures and workflows

Technical Program Management & Risk Control

- Identify risks, constraints, and dependencies in simulated JADE scenarios
- Apply change‑control and quality‑assurance principles
- Produce structured reports and recommendations

Leadership, Ethics & Federal Contracting

- Understand federal contracting frameworks relevant to software development
- Apply ethical decision‑making in simulated operational and engineering scenarios
- Demonstrate leadership, communication, and collaboration across multidisciplinary teams

Assumptions / Restrictions

- Interns may not represent HII to DoD or government customers.
- All “stakeholder,” “end‑user,” or “government” interactions occur only through internal simulations.
- Interns may participate in internal engineering, product, and program management activities with no external customer contact.
- Training occurs onsite with the JADE development team in Mary Esther, FL.

Program of Instruction - Training Plan

12‑Week Training Plan (90‑Day Format)

Phase 1 – Foundations & Operational Technical Orientation (Weeks 1–4)

Week 1 – Orientation & JADE Overview

HII mission, structure, and AFSOC support

DoD representation guidelines & SkillBridge boundaries

JADE architecture and operational impact

AFSOC sortie cycle, readiness, and qualification workflows

Familiarization with PEX, GTIMS, Envision, ARTEMIS

Week 2 – Simulated Stakeholder Engagement

Conduct simulated user‑story interviews

Decompose requirements tied to sortie/readiness workflows

Document user stories and acceptance criteria

Reinforce ethical boundaries

Week 3 – Agile Fundamentals & SDLC

Sprint planning, backlog refinement, task estimation

Participate in mock sprint ceremonies

Understand resource prioritization

Learn SME influence on product direction

Week 4 – Flight Operations Scheduling Systems

Conceptual training on AFSOC scheduling systems

Simulated sortie‑build exercises

Readiness/qualification data modeling

Map workflows to JADE structures

Phase 2 – Engineering Leadership & Program Execution (Weeks 5–8)

Week 5 – Risk Management & Quality Assurance

Identify risks in simulated JADE scenarios

Develop mitigation plans

Study QA practices and testing cycles

Review software ethics and operational risk

Week 6 – KPIs & Engineering Management

Monitor KPIs (velocity, defects, cycle time)

Create performance reports

Use project‑management tools

Explore agile, DevSecOps, and hybrid approaches

Week 7 – Cross‑Functional Collaboration

Examine collaboration across engineering, product, cybersecurity, and PM

Participate in simulated coordination exercises

Practice communication strategies

Understand SME impact on technical tradeoffs

Week 8 – Test Cycle Participation

Participate in simulated test events and defect triage

Develop evaluation criteria

Conduct mock acceptance testing

Provide structured feedback

Phase 3 – Contracting, Integration & Leadership Development (Weeks 9–12)

Week 9 – Contract Compliance & Integration

Study federal contracting frameworks

Map simulated requirements to JADE deliverables

Review safeguarding protocols (conceptual only)

Explore R&D‑to‑operations transitions

Week 10 – Advanced Requirements & Data Integration

Conduct advanced requirements decomposition

Model complex readiness/qualification scenarios

Align workflows with JADE data architecture

Produce technical documentation

Week 11 – Leadership & Continuous Improvement

Leadership exercises focused on innovation and accountability

Practice conflict resolution and delegation

Evaluate simulations for improvements

Draft a final proposal

Week 12 – Capstone Evaluation

Complete a capstone simulation integrating scheduling and requirements

Present findings and improvement proposal

Review SkillBridge learning objectives

Receive transition guidance

Additional Goals

Expand internal networks within AFSOC support and defense software teams

Gain exposure to HII’s Mission Technologies ecosystem

Strengthen readiness for future engineering leadership or technical program management roles

Minimum Qualifications

Active-Duty Military ONLY within final 180 days of active-duty service. Applications accepted within final 12-months of active-duty US military service. Education and Experience dependent on Program of Instruction.

• Transitioning US military service member with program/project experience and technical background
• 4 years relevant progressive experience with Bachelors in related field; 2 years relevant progressive experience with Masters in related field; or High School Diploma or equivalent and 8 years relevant progressive experience.
• Prior AFSOC aircrew operations experience with knowledge of entire sortie cycle.
• Familiarity with tools, standards, and best practices for tracking aircrew readiness and qualifications.
• Recent experience as squadron scheduler (within 3 years) using PEX and/or GTIMS.
• Familiarity with Envision and ARTEMIS.
• Proficiency with specialized tools or software aligned to the role.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively in multidisciplinary teams.
• Active Secret government security clearance required to start.

#LI-RM1

Preferred Requirements

• 6 years relevant experience with bachelor’s degree in related field. 
• PMP certification. 

Physical Requirements

Physical Requirements will vary and is dependent on the Program of Instruction.