By Renee Hatcher
NAWCWD Public Affairs

Just one week prior to being selected to her new senior executive service position in August as NAVAIR’s national Director of Software Engineering, Joan Johnson returned from a two-week “trip of a lifetime” to Italy with family and a few close friends.

“The trip was phenomenal,” Johnson said. In retrospect, it was a timely opportunity to unwind and refresh before accepting the challenges of the new position. “I was both thrilled and humbled by my selection for this job, and I was also ready to get started.”

Soon after returning to the states, Johnson began her new role as the senior technical authority for software engineering and development within NAVAIR. Johnson is responsible for establishing policies and providing leadership and supervision o f NAVAIR personnel and engineering resources required to acquire, develop, and integrate the embedded software for Navy and Marine Corps aircraft, weapons, and associated support systems, and for the technical performance of the Systems Integration Laboratories

Johnson is dual-hatted, and also serves as the head of the NAWCWD Systems Engineering Department.

“Joan’s selection into the NAVAIR executive ranks is well deserved and we will benefit from her expertise in software engineering,” said Jesse McCurdy, NAVAIR’s deputy assistant commander for Research and Engineering (4.0A).

Staffing program offices with software acquisition experts early in the acquisition phase, and up-front integration of software activities into systems engineering plans are critical to program success for software intensive systems. Johnson said that modern naval aircraft and weapon systems implement as much as 80 percent of their mission capabilities via software.

“If you don’t adequately plan and staff for software development and integration in the context of the larger system, it’s a safe bet you are going to slip schedule or cost or both,” she said.

Johnson is the NAVAIR competency lead for developing capabilities, identifying opportunities, and leading action to integrate systems-of-systems into unique warfighting capabilities.

“We’re still developing the organizational construct and implementation plan, but we are working horizontal integration aggressively,” Johnson said. “We already have the breadth of experience in the work force, and now we need to connect all of that expertise to form a cohesive community postured to work across our programs of record to field systems-of-systems solutions.”

Born in Los Angeles, Johnson grew up just outside the Washington D.C.-metro area, and graduated from the University of Virginia with a chemical engineering degree. She actually began her studies in architecture school, and as a self-described architect-wannabe, finally found an opportunity to put her passion to work when she and her husband, Stuart, designed their current home from a blank piece of paper.

Johnson spent about 17 years working software and systems engineering for Department of Defense contractors before joining NAVAIR. She first learned about China Lake while working for a contractor in San Jose.

“I was endlessly impressed by the breadth and depth of expertise of virtually everyone I came across when we came down to the Weapons Division to test our systems using their labs, aircraft and ranges,” she said. “I also saw professional growth opportunities in acquisition far beyond those I had in industry and thought, ‘this is something I would really love to do.’”

Johnson made an overt effort to come to China Lake and has been here for 10 years. She is now responsible for about 400 employees working at WD and the Aircraft Division.

“Our success relies on facilitative, out-in-front leadership,” Johnson said. “We have great people who work hard to provide world-class products to the fleet. One of my responsibilities is to kick the rocks off the path so our folks can focus on the job at hand rather than being consumed by the political environment or bureaucratic barriers.”

In addition to the typical work force challenges, Johnson said she also sees training and hands-on opportunities as a unique challenge in the software field.

“It’s a combination of providing meaningful hands-on work that attracts the younger employees who come with an academic knowledge of current tools and technologies, and providing relevant training to our journeyman work force so that their skills keep pace with rapid changes in technology.”

Johnson said she hopes to foster cultural as well as programmatic changes.

“One of my goals is to collaborate more seamlessly across the competencies, the sites and programs to achieve the significant warfighting effects,” Johnson said. “I will also continue to build on the early success we’ve had training and integrating competent software acquisition leads into the program offices so that programs can leverage their expertise to improve our performance in the acquisition of quality, affordable systems.”