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AFSC 63A4, Staff
AFSC 63A3, Qualified
AFSC 63A1, Entry

Specialty Summary. Manages defense acquisition programs covering every aspect of the acquisition process, including integrating engineering, program control, test and deployment, configuration management, production and manufacturing, quality assurance, and logistics support. Performs functions essential to acquisition programs involving major defense acquisition programs and other than major systems or subsystems. Performs acquisition support roles. Related DoD Occupational Group: 8D.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Plans and organizes acquisition management activities. Plans, organizes, and develops program management techniques, and establishes internal controls to manage acquisition programs and support functions. Determines organizational structure, personnel, training needs, and security requirements. Establishes performance standards, work schedules, and priorities. Develops, reviews, coordinates, and executes acquisition management plans to support daily operations, contingencies, and war fighting capabilities.

Directs acquisition management activities. Supervises, manages, and administers all aspects of acquisition programs. Includes direction and participation to establish military, economic, and technical bases for acquisition programs in conceptual phases and throughout the validation, engineering and manufacturing, production, and deployment phases of an acquisition life cycle. Manages cost, schedules, performance, and supportability of acquisition programs, discrete portions of programs, or support activities.

Coordinates acquisition management activities. Advises commanders and staff on status and progress of acquisition programs. Coordinates with commander, staff, and units to develop and execute acquisition program plans and schedules. Serves as project manager having cost, schedule, logistics, and engineering responsibilities for a discrete portion of a program, either hardware or software. Manages systems integration activities, including identifying and resolving subsystem, hardware and software interface, or logistics problems to support optimum system design. Performs integrated logistics support engineering and planning tasks.

Performs program management functions. Manages tasks associated with engineering, program control, configuration management, test, manufacturing and quality assurance, and integrated logistics support. Responsive to user environment, concerns, and requirements. Coordinates with users to translate operational requirements and system design into definitive subsystem and equipment acquisition programs. Manages program progress to ensure availability of operable and supportable subsystems and equipment. Makes changes to acquisition program to achieve desired outcomes.

Specialty Qualifications:

Knowledge. Knowledge is mandatory of: DoD and Air Force system, subsystem, and equipment acquisition program management philosophy, policies, and procedures applicable through several phases of an acquisition life cycle; and program management procedures pertinent to development, procurement, production, logistics support, and techniques of employment for the system being acquired.

Education. For entry into this specialty, undergraduate academic specialization in engineering, engineering science, engineering management, mathematics, analytical science, physical science, business, or management; or completion of a minimum of 24 semester credit hours of study from an accredited institution of higher education from among the disciplines of: accounting, business finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, and organization and management is mandatory.

Training. For award of AFSC 63A3, completion of Defense Acquisition University Fundamentals of Systems Acquisition Management (ACQ 101) course or Acquisition Fundamentals Course (L30QR63A1) is mandatory.

Experience. For award of AFSC 63A3, a minimum of 18 months of acquisition experience is mandatory.

Other. None.

Specialty Shredouts:

None

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Above Information Derived from AFMAN 36-2105