Army MOS · Support

51A Systems Development

Overview

A Systems Development officer serves as a project officer for the requirements, development, and acquisition of new systems or major modifications to existing systems. This officer coordinates system design with support programs and monitors development to meet operational requirements at the lowest life cycle cost.

Core Skills

  • systems development lifecycle management
  • requirements engineering
  • acquisition and procurement
  • risk management and mitigation
  • configuration management oversight
  • stakeholder and vendor management
  • technical evaluation and trade studies
  • test and evaluation oversight
  • lifecycle cost analysis
  • cross-functional team leadership

Civilian Software & Tools

  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Microsoft Project
  • Procore software
  • Adobe Acrobat
  • Adobe Creative Cloud software

Civilian Career Paths

  • Project Management
  • Procurement
  • IT Management

Training & Development

Getting Started

  • Certified Quality Engineer (CQE) · Funded
  • Certified Reliability Engineer (CRE) · Funded
  • Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) Exam: Electrical and Computer · Funded
  • Certified in Governance Risk and Compliance (CGRC)
  • Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Exam: Mechanical · Funded

Career Growth

  • IT Specialist: Software Development · Funded
  • PMI Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA)
  • Certified Software Quality Engineer · Funded
  • Adobe Certified Expert: Adobe Analytics Business Practitioner
  • Adobe Certified Master: Adobe Analytics Architect

What the Work Involves

  • Inspect or review projects to monitor compliance with building and safety codes or other regulations.
  • Develop or implement quality control programs.
  • Prepare and submit budget estimates, progress reports, or cost tracking reports.
  • Plan, schedule, or coordinate construction project activities to meet deadlines.
  • Direct and supervise construction or related workers.

Related Occupations

  • Civil Engineers
  • Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians
  • First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers

Typical preparation for these civilian roles: a four-year degree or equivalent experience.

Defense contractor jobs for 51A

Descriptions may be summarized for clarity. Verify all information with your branch career counselor or official military documentation before making career decisions.

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