Nicholas Sieja
Kailua, HI | (256) 690-6356 | nsieja@gmail.com
LinkedIn
Summary
A dedicated leader with five years of proven experience in quality assurance, engineering
management,
training,
and government acquisition programs. Experienced in translating executive level goals into achievable
team
tasks. Experienced in personnel and organizational development. Recognized for ability to use mature
judgment to
make high-impact, bias-conscious decisions under stress. Passionate about process improvement and team
building.
Currently active U.S. Top Secret / SCI security clearance.
Skills + Abilities
- Persuasive Leadership
- Program Management
- Quality Assurance and Control
- Process Improvement
- Maintenance and Inventory Management
- Critical Thinking and Decision Making
- Personnel and Organizational Development
- Communication and Interpersonal Skills
- Time Management and Prioritization
- Damage Control and Emergency Response
- Major Acquisition Program Processes
- Nuclear Propulsion Plant Operations and Maintenance
- Inventory Management Systems
Professional Experience
Undersea Mobility Technical Product Manager | NSWG-8 | 2023 - Current
Contributing technical member of multiple integrated product teams for design and delivery
of
critical undersea
mobility capabilities to the Naval Special Warfare community.
Primary drafter of baseline capability development document for next generation undersea
mobility
platform
shelter. Followed regulations of the Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System and
Special
Operations Command (SOCOM) to capture combat diver and platform expert threshold and objective
requirements
for
initial design and build assessments from engineering industry.
Quality Assurance Officer (QAO) | USS Hawaii | 2022-2023
Responsible for maintaining the quality of work performed by the submarine's crew,
contractors, and
vendors
to
ensure all maintenance or repairs met or exceeded US Navy standards. Applied lessons learned from
major
quality
control disasters to train maintenance workers.
Systematically reviewed all critical work on a fast attack submarine to ensure the $2.8
billion
war-fighting
asset
remained safely deployable.
Conducted inspections and audits of the submarine's systems, components, and equipment to
identify
deficiencies and develop corrective action plans to address them.
Vice Director of Engineering (AENG) | USS Hawaii | 2022-2023
Directly supervised and mentored a team of 5 technical program managers, ensuring their
technical and
leadership
development added value to the morale, training, and operations of the submarine crew and was in
line
with
all
policies and regulations associated with submarine and nuclear operations.
Supervised department of more than 70 team members in the performance and documentation of
over
25,000
preventative maintenance items and over 15,000 man-hours of work resulting in a 60% increase in
accomplishment
metrics.
Oversaw the planning and execution of a departmental training program for more than 70
personnel.
Used
classroom
style learning, interactive modeling, and hands-on training to highlight engineering principles,
operations,
emergency provisions, and lessons learned. This effort resulted in over 16,000 man-hours of
intentional,
focused
training in the 14 months I was responsible.
Ensured the successful completion of electric plant equipment upgrades. Specifically,
coordinated the
safe
shifting of nuclear plant operations methods to facilitate de-energizing the electric plant for the
replacement
of all major power generation and conversion modules with new generation. Process completed on
planned
schedule
and without incident.
Operations Manager (DIVO) | USS Hawaii | 2020-2023
As the Main Propulsion Assistant (MPA), managed the operation and maintenance of the
submarine's
nuclear
propulsion plant, ensuring it remained capable of meeting mission requirements.
As the Damage Control Assistant (DCA), led the operation and maintenance of the submarine’s
auxiliary
systems
including air conditioning, ventilation, and hydraulic systems. Managed the ship's damage control
efforts to
prevent and combat fires, flooding, and other emergencies.
As the DCA, created and improved upon casualty response plans for the submarine and drydock
facility.
Coordinated with the shipyard to conduct over 20 training exercises, each involving over
150
personnel.
My
casualty
response plan was used in a $3M, site-wide fire response assessment drill involving nearly 1000
personnel. A
federal
audit of the response revealed 0 major comments and 1 minor comment. Incorporated lessons learned to
further
improve
casualty response for the submarine crew and 3 depot maintenance facilities.
Education + Training
Bachelor of Science, Biomedical Engineering | December 2018
- Duke University, Durham, NC
Submarine Officer Training Pipeline | September 2020
- Naval Nuclear Power Training Command, Charleston, SC Nuclear Power Training Unit,
Charleston, SC
- Submarine Officer Basic Course, Groton, CT
Certifications
Certification in Business Ethics | November 2023
- Cornell University Law School, Ithaca, NY (Remote)
Project Management Professional | Expected: February 2024