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PAE SSP's Newcomer Onboarding Workshop Demonstrates PAE SSP's Relationship to the Wider DOW

29 May 2026

From Thomas Jones

At Portfolio Acquisition Executive (PAE) Strategic Systems Programs (SSP), workforce development is a key priority for delivering continued strategic deterrence capabilities to America’s warfighting Navy. The command, which is headquartered in Washington D.C., takes a proactive approach to training its team members, who are the difference-makers in sustaining and modernizing the Navy’s premier strategic weapon system and regional strike capabilities.
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One of the largest initiatives behind this key priority – workforce development – is PAE SSP’s Newcomer Onboarding Workshop (NOW).

NOW was originally designed as a year-long experience for new employees, providing follow-on trainings and historical context to PAE SSP’s mission across its 70-year timeline. The program has since evolved. While its original design is still in place, the program now also hosts trainings for all employees under “NOW Presents,” a collection of seminars that all PAE SSP employees are encouraged to attend. These trainings feature a range of topics, designed to cover information that employees, especially those new to the government, may not be familiar with.

“I know when I joined SSP, I was completely green to government work,” said Delaney Burlingame, program manager for NOW. “We take for granted, sometimes, that not everyone coming into the organization has worked for the Department of the Navy (DON) or the Department of War (DOW) before and understands the nuances.”

PAE SSP’s Director of Mission Support, David Macht, led a recent session titled “Navy & Government 101.” During the session, Macht dove into the details behind PAE SSP’s place within DON and the government as a whole, along with more general information, ensuring all attendees have a baseline knowledge about DON and DOW. Having a strong baseline of general information such as rank structure is the ideal first step to integrate new members of the workforce to a Navy command, and for them to know as much as possible about the organizations they’re supporting.

The sessions delivered a comprehension overview of the PAE SSP hierarchy, highlighting both upward and downward command relationships. Looking up the chain of command, the presentation outlined the Director of PAESSP’s relationship with wider Navy leadership, including reporting lines to both the Chief of Naval Operations and the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development, and Acquisition. Looking down the chain, the presentation focused on how PAE SSP relies on and works with its field activities, and how it interacts with other Navy commands on a day-to-day basis. The presentation also covered many non-PAE SSP-specific topics, such as the Navy’s rank structure, other government agencies, and the responsibilities of DON leadership.

Macht, who serves as a senior leader and advisor at PAE SSP, is a major supporter of workforce development and said it is imperative to have programs like NOW to enable new employees to hit the ground running. Additionally, having a leader like Macht participate in NOW sessions presents a unique opportunity to new employees, allowing them to directly interact with PAE SSP leadership and understand their career progression.

“The time PAE SSP leaders take to present for new employees is extremely valuable,” Burlingame said. “It allows the program to provide high-quality sessions with experts in the field and provides opportunities for new employees to meet and engage with leaders and subject matter experts.”

While PAE SSP employees can absorb new onboarding information on their own, PAE SSP offers a distinct approach to bridge the gap between newcomers and seasoned technical and nontechnical experts.

“This session has been one of my most frequently requested topics since starting the NOW program,” Burlingame said. “These optional sessions allow us to cover topics we don’t have time for in the main seminar and give employees the ability to self-select what’s most relevant for them. They make sure employees are able to engage in continuous learning throughout their first year, they provide venues for employees to engage with subject matter experts across the command, and they even teach new information to employees who have already been with PAE SSP.”

PAE SSP is responsible for sustaining the strategic weapon system (SWS) on the Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines (SSBN) and supporting the integration of the D5LE weapon system on the new Columbia-class SSBNs. Looking to the future, PAE SSP is actively modernizing the sea-based leg of the nuclear triad through the development of the D5LE2 SWS and pioneering regional strike capabilities of the future through development of the nuclear-armed sea launched cruise missile (SLCM-N) and the non-nuclear hypersonic conventional prompt strike system (CPS).
 
 

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