Mike Whelan Email & Phone Number

Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States

- Facilitate support for the SSC Commercial Space Office COMSO, including the SSC Front Door initiative and commercial integration efforts, to enhance collaboration with industry partners- Collaborate with the Space Warfighting Analysis Center (SWAC) to integrate commercial solutions into future space architectures, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives- Identify, align, and connect commercial capabilities with applicable warfighters, providing them with innovative and relevant technologies to enhance mission readiness- Contribute to the development and updating of the Joint Constellation Report, providing key insights and data of commercial capabilities to inform strategic decision-making- Leverage Aerospace Corporation's subject matter experts to assess commercial capabilities, ensuring comprehensive evaluations and recommendations for our customers- Implement the SSC commercial space strategy on behalf of COMSO, coordinating efforts across the Aerospace enterprise to achieve organizational goals and objectives-Developed and implemented the Joint Commercial Operations (JCO) on-boarding process for new commercial capabilities leveraging the SSC Front Door workflows

Denver, Co

Supervise a team of 13 engineers in five geographically separated locations working as the DoD’s Cadre of Experts for commercial item acquisition. Responsibilities include development of the CIG’s vision/goals to achieve DoD’s Strategic Plan, development/execution of the CIG yearly budget, coordinate CIG training/outreach to DoD customers and the defense industry, champion internal process improvement review for performance efficiencies, provide quarterly performance reviews of team members, recognize high performing employees through various award opportunities, coordinate with customers to increase CIG involvement early in the acquisition cycle, provide engineering expertise to the CIG Director to make critical organizational decisions, and resolve complex issues that arise with employees.

Denver, Co

Lead a team of 22 engineers in six geographically separated locations performing engineering market research, technical analysis to support FAR 12 commercial item determinations, technical analysis to support price reasonableness assessments, and negotiation support. Assigned cases to the engineering workforce with diverse skillsets, tracked workload/customer due dates for East and West engineering teams, mentored/trained the team members with market research/case completion strategies, reviewed/approved all technical reports delivered to the customer, coordinated with customers regularly, lead hiring panels/interviews in support of the selecting official, and developed/implemented the Agency policy and report templates for all technical pricing efforts.

Denver, Co

Perform technical analysis to support DoD Procurement Contracting Officers (PCOs) with commercial item expertise for major contractor and subcontractor cost proposals (FAR12 and FAR15) and establish Government negotiation positions using market research to support commercial item determinations and fair and reasonable pricing. Lead the development of pricing and engineering course content for the DCMA Commercial Item Support training to ensure DCMA brings consistency and timeliness to commercial item evaluations across the Agency, developed the commercial item acquisition course (CLC139) content for Defense Acquisition University (DAU) required in the 2017 NDAA, provided in-class room training for hundreds of DCMA engineers and price/cost analysts, lead a commercial item price analysis of a multi-billion dollar ULA FAR 12 Delta IV Heavy proposal, worked and managed multiple concurrent projects ranging from military satellite communications (MILSATCOM) equipment to Launch/Early Anomaly Resolution and Disposal Operations Orbit (LADO) hardware and software, provided technical inputs and communicated lessons learned during the development of the DoD Commercial Item Handbook, and performed multiple interviews to identify the best team members in support of the DCMA CIG stand-up effort.

Denver, Co

Lead an interdisciplinary team of engineers in performing Technical Support to Pricing for multi-billion dollar FAR 15 major Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company (LMSSC) and United Launch Alliance (ULA) proposals. Managed the engineering team’s workload, coordinated team logistics/travel budget/internal processes to support the customer, mentored new engineers and lead technical pricing strategies/training for team members, developed customer relationships through consistent outreach and communication, and lead the ICAT through multiple forward pricing rate proposal efforts. Additionally, I managed a geographically separated team performing 35 subcontractor technical evaluations in support of GPS III Space Vehicles 9/10 and lead technical analysis of the NASA InSight Mission proposal.

Denver, Co

Perform engineering and manufacturing Technical Support to Pricing for multi-billion dollar FAR 15 Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company (LMSSC) and United Launch Alliance (ULA) proposals in an effort to reduce procurement costs. Lead the business case development to rationalize additional engineering positions, helped start the start award-winning engineering team which supports DoD Better Buying Power affordability initiatives, lead technical evaluation of ULAs Bill of Material (BOM) for Atlas V and Delta IV rockets, lead direct labor hour analysis of Northrop Grumman Global Hawk (GH) Sustainment Proposal using historical actual analysis/statistical applications, lead Cost Estimating Relationship (CER) analysis of GH Development Proposal using statistical methodology, and worked directly with multiple customer to negotiate contract reductions. Additional responsibilities included reviewing LMSSC and ULA’s base calculations that support their Forward Pricing Rate Proposals (FPRPs) ensuring fair and reasonable rates for future contracts.

Denver, Co

Performed duties as a systems engineer on the multi-billion dollar ULA Atlas V/Delta IV rockets and Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle. Performed advanced engineering and manufacturing demand tasks, participated in Engineering Review Boards (ERB) and Anomaly Review Boards (ARB) for RS-68/68A and RD-180 engines, provided technical recommendations regarding contract performance deficiencies to SMC customer, collaborated with contractor to develop plan to resolve technical deficiencies while minimizing technical risk, and performed earned value management oversight. Demonstrated extensive earned value and risk management skills to assess contractor engineering efforts and provided predictive analyses of impacts to program technical, cost, and schedule baselines on the Orion Launch Abort System (LAS). Additional responsibilities included reviewing LMSSC’s multi-million dollar Independent Research and Development (IRAD) programs, policy development and implementation for DCMA’s first Engineering and Analysis (E&A) policy for systems engineers’ agency wide, Performed Earned Value Management System (EVMS) surveillance, including Integrated Baseline Reviews (IBRs), and performed supply chain management, tracked supplier cost and schedule execution and validated supplier controls.

Bachelor Of Science - Bs, Mechanical Engineering

Master Of Business Administration - Mba