Brett Tally

Technical Program Manager with Active Secret Clearance and 15+ years delivering complex defense, aerospace, and security systems. Expertise in cross-functional coordination (software, firmware, hardware, mechanical), Agile/Waterfall methodologies, earned value cost management, and high-stakes testing/integration. Proven in securing $50M+ in contracts/funding, turning around at-risk programs, and deploying mission-critical solutions. 

Program Management • Active Secret Clearance • P&L Financial Models • Bid Management 

Systems Integration • Software/Hardware Development • Waterfall/Agile Project Management

High Availability System Design (99.999%) • Startup/New Market Experience • Public Speaker 

MS Project • MS Excel • Smartsheet • Jira

First Principles: no matter how good your process is, how fine your technology is, or how resourceful your AI agent is, garbage in – garbage out still applies.  Let’s make sure the inputs are good.

Technical Program Manager with Active Secret Clearance and 15+ years delivering complex defense, aerospace, and security systems. Expertise in cross-functional coordination (software, firmware, hardware, mechanical), Agile/Waterfall methodologies, earned value cost management, and high-stakes testing/integration. Proven in securing $50M+ in contracts/funding, turning around at-risk programs, and deploying mission-critical solutions. 

Program Management • Active Secret Clearance • P&L Financial Models • Bid Management 

Systems Integration • Software/Hardware Development • Waterfall/Agile Project Management

High Availability System Design (99.999%) • Startup/New Market Experience • Public Speaker 

MS Project • MS Excel • Smartsheet • Jira

First Principles: no matter how good your process is, how fine your technology is, or how resourceful your AI agent is, garbage in – garbage out still applies.  Let’s make sure the inputs are good.

Technovative Applications                                                                                          Nov. 2024 – Present

Program Manager 

Ensure Technovative Applications develops and delivers cutting edge radar interferometers to the United States Department of War. 

• Turn ambiguous requirements into unambiguous derived requirements and integrate with Jira.
• Manage field testing of radar system at Yuma Proving Grounds (YPG)
• Create and manage reports and presentations to the Army program office (STARE)
• Business Development - find, vet and respond to opportunities to win new business

Kestrel Vision                                                                                                               Sept. 2023 – Nov. 2024

Engineering Program Manager 

Re-Introduced Project Management best practice into engineering processes. Triaged at risk projects and organized a sustainable path forward.

• Managed development of central control and I/O boards for system upgrades with backward compatibility of high-speed visual and x-ray inspection systems.
• Coordinated between Software, Firmware, Electrical Hardware and Mechanical engineering to ensure testing and on time release into production.

Thomas Global Systems LLC                                                                                     Dec. 2022 – June 2023

Sr. Program Manager – Program Start Up

Managed subcontract from Boeing Space, Defense and Security to: Design, develop and build Apache AH-64 Avionics Line Replaceable Units (LRU). Initiated program during post-award preparation and through authorization to proceed. Successful delivery of System Requirements Review (SRR) for Boeing and U.S. Army representatives. Direct activities and deliverables included:

• MIL-STD-881 compliant WBS in MS Project and earned value financial model.
• SDRL preparation and delivery.
• Requirements and Testing Compliance Matrix. 
• SRR PowerPoint presentation with meeting minutes SDRL and Action Item list. 
• Initiate detailed design: CCA/PCB schematics, layouts and test plans. 

Astrophysics Inc.                                                                                                        June 2019 – Oct. 2022

Sr. Program Manager – R&D

Responsible for identifying and winning Department of Homeland Security funding for Research and Development projects, program delivery of new products to the aviation market. Maintained regulatory compliance with TSA and FAR regulations. Reported directly to CEO from within the Research and Development department.

• On time deployment of the first of its kind 450kV Multi-View CT (3D x-ray) Cargo Inspection system for EL AL Airlines at JFK Airport, New York. Six engineers on site for two months.
• Raised government CPARS rating from lowest to highest rating possible.
• Secured $1.0M+ follow on project from Department of Homeland security for ruggedization of prototype system, $1.3M for follow on productization. 
• Managed University research effort for neural network design for automatic threat recognition including x-ray/materials interaction data collection, roadmap and weekly program updates.
• Manage all TSA regulatory applications including ACSTL qualification of new cargo system.
• Lead presenter to members of congress and Homeland Security Management for government reports.

High Availability Solutions LLC - Start up                                                          Nov. 2018 – June 2019

Business Development Consultant - Provided management and sales support for HA Solutions entry into the U.S.  Military and Security market. Start-up strategy, Client development, Pricing, Sales. 

SAFRAN MorphoTrak LLC / IDEMIA                                                                        June 2009 – Nov. 2018

SR. PROGRAM MANAGER – Start up

Coordinated engineering resources and managed customer expectations and responsibilities to deliver Biometric solutions to law enforcement agencies. Program Portfolio was greater than $30M.

• End to end responsibility- technical and cost proposal, customer presentations, project implementation, integration, and transition into maintenance phase.
• Responsible for overall customer satisfaction and P&L for all activity in program portfolio.
• Waterfall for overall project management with Agile software development methodologies.
• Prepared and presented detailed status reports, project schedules, internally and externally.
• All projects brought in on-time, under budget and with full customer satisfaction.
• Took over 3 major at risk accounts resulting in renewed sole source contracts.
• As Bid/Capture manager won new forensic business through competitive bids over $9.5M.
• Built and presented financial models for 10 year production runs ranging from $20M - $40M.
• Won $47.5M driver license contract for North Carolina. Key role in all pre-sale’s activity including, strategy, RFP written response, Oral presentations and demo. 

GoAhead Software                                                                                                                  May 2005 – May 2009

TECHNICAL ACCOUNT MANAGER – World Wide 

High Availability/System Management Middleware for Telecommunications Core Networks and Military systems - Provided technical support to prospect developers on how to achieve 99.999% availability.

• Direct success achieved at major accounts including LG-Nortel, Tellabs and Lockheed.
• $1 million license and service deal won with Astronautics as primary customer contact.

Bachelor of Science, Physics - University of California, Santa Barbara