Curtis Jones

About Curtis Jones

Curtis is a dynamic, results-driven executive with over 25 years of experience driving strategic growth, business development, and operational excellence across the Department of Defense, Intelligence Community, and private sector. His career spans C-suite leadership in both military and commercial environments, with a proven track record of expanding portfolios by 50%+, leading $500M+ captures, and cultivating executive-level relationships that align emerging technologies with customer modernization priorities. A decorated war veteran and former Chief of Systems for the Secretary of Defense at the Pentagon, Curtis has commanded high-stakes missions and led cross-functional teams through complex global operations spanning the U.S, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Italy, Germany, and Romania. His leadership bridges strategic vision with tactical execution—translating customer mission challenges into winning capture strategies, sustainable revenue growth, and transformational outcomes.As a Harvard Senior Executive Fellow, Curtis brings both academic rigor and combat-tested experience to every challenge. His interests in artificial intelligence, autonomy, semiconductors, sensor fusion, and advanced networking technologies reflect his commitment to integrating disruptive innovation into growth strategies. His real-world experience delivering capabilities under pressure—from Desert Storm and the Kuwaiti Liberation to Kosovo operations and standing up U.S. Cyber Command—underscores his ability to lead at the intersection of mission criticality and technological transformation. Curtis thrives in fast-paced, innovative environments where he can orchestrate opportunity identification, shape customer requirements, lead capture discipline, and manage portfolio growth with both strategic vision and operational rigor. He is now seeking a senior leadership role within a forward-thinking organization that values transformation, refuses to accept the status quo, and dares to outthink, outbuild, and outpace the competition.

Experience

1. Strategic Growth and Operations Leadership, Director of Operations

   Northrop Grumman

   Jul 2015 — Present · US

   Led strategic growth initiatives, capture executions, and operational delivery for $1.2B+ portfolio spanning air vehicles, sensors, cyber systems, and AI-driven technologies across DoD and IC customers.GROWTH & CAPTURE LEADERSHIP• Drove 50% revenue growth on $700M FAA portfolio through strategic customer engagement, capture shaping, and solutions innovation that addressed critical capability gaps• Led qualification, shaping, and capture of $500M+ IRAD initiatives, translating emerging AI and digital technologies into fundable R&D programs across multiple DoD domains• Increased portfolio revenue 20% on $473M CPFF contract by leading customer-driven transformation from Waterfall to Agile methodologies and integrating AI code generation capabilitiesCUSTOMER & STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT • Cultivated executive-level relationships with FAA, CBPO, and other key government stakeholders, serving as primary client liaison for funding discussions, strategic planning, and program direction• Led monthly executive program reviews with customers and corporate leadership, presenting strategic recommendations on cost, schedule, technical performance, and growth opportunities• Influenced customer modernization roadmaps through thought leadership on AI/ML integration, cloud migration, and digital transformation strategiesINNOVATION & SOLUTIONS INTEGRATION• Championed integration of AI, machine learning, and predictive analytics into customer solutions, enhancing win themes and differentiating capture strategies• Developed CI/CD strategies and quality management systems that became corporate best practices• Led digital transformation initiatives across classified modeling and simulation systems• Result: Multiple R&D initiatives adopted and reimbursed by government; innovations adopted, and transformed failing programs into excellent-performing organizations

Education

• Webster University

  Master's, Business Administration

  2001 — 2002

• Harvard Business School

  Business Administration, Management and Operations

• Harvard Kennedy School

  Senior Executive Fellow

  2011 — 2011

• Texas State University

  Bachelor of Science (BS), Computer Science

  1990 — 1992

Skills

• Government
• Business Development
• Dod
• National Security
• Intelligence
• Project Planning
• Leadership Development
• Cissp
• Integration
• IT Management
• Operational Planning
• Program Management
• Executive Management
• Operations Management
• Outsourcing
• Federal Government
• Team Leadership
• Pmp
• Leadership
• Cross-Functional Team Leadership
• Policy
• IT Service Management
• Information Assurance
• Team Building
• Management
• Strategic Planning
• Analysis
• Change Management
• Business Analysis
• Consulting
• Requirements Analysis
• Security
• Enterprise Architecture
• Management Consulting
• Business Strategy
• Project Management
• Risk Management
• Human Resources
• Information Technology
• Security Clearance