Robert Umstead

Survivability & System Performance

Spearhead the daily operations and strategic priorities of critical system performance and survivability activities. Lead multidisciplinary teams in executing studies, assessments, and analyses of development and testing activities across advanced military aircraft and low observable weapon system survivability functions.

Successfully led a subsystem team through preliminary design reviews, test planning, and execution.

Facilitated customer familiarization with nuclear survivability verification and qualification facilities, including developing budget options to enable program integration.

Collaborate with 40 staff at three locations throughout the U.S. while concurrently supporting a second team of 10 at two locations

Directed the comprehensive implementation of critical policy across the Air Force Global Strike Command and impacting 34K+ people across 12 global locations. Led all requirements gathering, planning, and execution activities to support the effective implementation and utilization of technology programs in the nuclear and long-range strike portfolio.

Designed requirements to drive best practice global multi-level security computer network strategies.

Oversaw security inspections and consistently achieved high ratings.

Set three different cybersecurity benchmarks to obtain an exceptional performance team award.

Directed the unifying strategy to field the B-21 while retiring two legacy aircraft and driving modernization efforts.

Gained critical buy-in and funding approval for programs from senior Air Force leadership.

Mentored numerous talented staff into leadership positions, including aiding 10 direct reports in becoming commanders of their own units from 2009 to 2018.

Promoted to manage a $45M+ budget and lead an 880+ member aircrew, engineering, and technical team in developing, testing, and fielding mission software for 31 US aircraft systems and 27 allied nations.

Delivered 385 unique software sets supporting global operations during tenure.

Successfully improved operational readiness by 8%.

Facilitated training with counterparts throughout the world to ensure key alignment of activities.

Established and introduced a comprehensive quality assurance program to support $1B+ in hardware and software and conducted 327 different inspections with a 97.8% pass rate.

Played an integral role in the group earning two separate Unit of the Year awards.

Led a 235-person multi-organizational team in supporting and meeting national intelligence priorities, systems, and more.

Personally guided eight Air Force and Office of Secretary of Defense research and development programs and managed $2B+ in related project and operational funds.

Established a $100M+ new mission area and set Air Force transition models in just nine months

Orchestrated high-profile strategy and plans to ensure ongoing adherence to NATO mission changes that enabled the withdrawal of US personnel and equipment from Afghanistan. Directed a logistics program to support transportation, supplies, services, and other logistical elements for international partners. Cultivated and sustained strong global partnerships.

Directed an $852K project that refurbished Kabul’s Ghazi Stadium into a FIFA two-star field, thereby enabling the first internationally sanctioned football match in a decade.

Managed a $3.2M development project that enabled student access to educational programs across the country and worked in tandem with Afghan and US stakeholders to successfully reopen 77 different schools.

Led a 30-member team through a $10.7M+ annual flying-hour and 427 academic-hour program.

Successfully graduated 24 students and achieved an outstanding rating for flight safety and security programs.

Directed the daily operations and strategic priorities of critical operational centers. Planned, coordinated, and managed operational and project focused activities and rapidly evolving priorities.

Merged 17 different operating centers into six, thereby saving 5,800K+ staff hours annually.

Directed activities that supported a 33-member team in executing 20 tests valued at $18.5M for multiple agencies.

Spearheaded the operations of a $5M flight testing program.

Held a dual role as Theater Plans Officer, US European Command and later Deputy Chief of Plans, US Security Coordinator (Jerusalem). Oversaw an $86M collaborative program between the US State Department, Palestinian Authority, Israel, and Jordan that advanced security sector reform. Facilitated training for 1,500 PA personnel in all aspects of planning, security, and other key areas.

Enabled the modernization of a decade-old security cooperation approach and implemented a new European Theater strategy that aligned with evolving security cooperation needs.