Katie O’Donnell, a contract specialist and member of the Strategic Systems Programs (SSP) acquisition workforce, recently earned her Cost Estimating and Analysis certificate from the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) – Online.
O’Donnell, a former active-duty servicemember, began her certificate as a Sailor, but discontinued it after leaving service in May 2024. When she applied for, and accepted, a job at SSP’s Contract Office in Washington, D.C. in July 2024, she never imagined she’d have the opportunity to return to school and complete her NPS program.
“When I found out I could finish it, I reached out to my supervisor and NPS to coordinate everything – I had a small window to do this before my courses expired,” she said. “My supervisor and SSP’s acquisition workforce development team really helped me prepare my package before submitting it to NPS.”
After enrolling back into the program, O’Donnell had to manage her work and school responsibilities, and she received plenty of support from her supervisor.
“It was challenging to balance both of them,” she said. “I would block one day-a-week to do homework. The program was self-paced, so I was able to watch the recorded lecture videos in the evenings and coordinate a day in the week to complete the coursework. My supervisor was very encouraging and she understood the challenges that were involved with balancing work and school priorities, especially since she had a similar experience.”
O’Donnell graduated NPS in June 2025 and learned critical organizational budgeting skills, allowing her to more easily understand cost-estimates, budget proposals, and reallocation of funds across SSP branches. She also gained a clearer outlook on the overall contracting award process, helping her navigate negotiations and setting her up to provide premier customer service for the command.
Surprisingly, O’Donnell did not intend to pursue a career in acquisition, having originally studied computer engineering at the Naval Academy in Annapolis. However, after graduating in 2016, she commissioned as a supply corps officer and received orders to move to Newport, Rhode Island, for training, which centered around learning the business side of the U.S. Navy. After completing her acquisition training, she embarked on her first tour aboard USS Somerset (LPD-25), a San Antonio class amphibious transport dock ship, and was exposed to her first acquisition job.
“The ship was responsible for supporting transportation for the Marine Corps, taking Marines and their equipment where they needed to go close to shore,” she said. “While on the ship, I was responsible for supply chain management and even served as the food service officer at one point, ensuring the ship had sufficient meals for everyone and making sure they were prepared properly.”
During that tour, O’Donnell also served as the disbursing officer, managing payroll and offering financial guidance to Sailors and Marines.
When her first tour ended, O’Donnell applied for an internship sponsored through the Navy Supply Corps – more specifically the Petroleum Oil and Lubricants Program – in Norfolk, which focused on learning how the Department of War transports fuel. During that period, she attained her lifecycle logistics certification from the Defense Acquisition University in Fort Belvoir, Virginia, in November 2021 and, upon completion of her internship program, moved to Jacksonville, Florida, where she took a new role as the assistant regional fuel manager for the entire southeast region.
“I oversaw 13 different sites and also served as Kings Bay’s site director, representing Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center Jacksonville,” she said. “While I was there, I led the postal operation, fuel operation, and started a hazardous materials center. I coordinated with the Trident Refit Facility and boats to ensure they received their mail, were mission ready with lubricant oils and fuel, and had a safe place to dispose of and acquire hazardous materials.”
O’Donnell said she always had an interest in contracting, but didn’t fully realize it until she worked as a contracting officer’s representative at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay in Georgia.
When she finished her active-duty service almost two years ago, she heard of a job opening at SSP’s Contract Office from a friend and immediately applied for the contract specialist position.
“During my internship in Norfolk, I attended the University of Virginia Darden School of Business Insights into Industry Management Course,” she said. “The acquisition workforce is really big into that course and it was a great networking resource as I was transitioning out of the Navy. One of my friends from the course shared a job posting at SSP, and I took the opportunity to apply.”
O’Donnell was hired in July 2024 and now serves as a key team member helping SSP deliver acquisition solutions to customers and exercising business excellence.
SSP is responsible for sustaining the strategic weapon system (SWS) on the Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines (SSBN) and supporting the integration of the D5LE weapon system on the new Columbia-class SSBNs. Looking to the future, SSP is actively modernizing the sea-based leg of the nuclear triad through the development of the D5LE2 SWS and pioneering regional strike capabilities of the future through development of the nuclear-armed sea launched cruise missile (SLCM-N) and the non-nuclear hypersonic conventional prompt strike system (CPS).