Naval Surface Warfare Center, Philadelphia Division, Pa –
The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Philadelphia Division Women’s Employee Resource Group (WERG) hosted a high grades informational panel on May 18, 2022 to explain what a high grade is and how to become one.
Led by Branch Manager for Solid Waste and HAZMAT ISE Allyson Jones-Zaroff, who also chairs the NSWCPD Women’s Employee Resource Group (WERG), the virtual panel included members from various codes detailing their experience as high grades.
“The purpose of today’s discussion is really to give everyone some insight into the different types of high grade positions that we have here, some of the skills that are required for these positions, and any recommendations that our panel members have for anyone who is on the hunt for their next position,” Jones-Zaroff said.
The panelists were:
• Fanny Walker, lead for outgoing funds management
• Alicia McPeters, contracts manager for the submarine program
• Mia Korngruen, SEA21 portfolio manager
• Karen Shull-Archer, team leader for shipboard HAZMAT control and management
• Edward Carter, acquisition manager
• Cassandra Zook, deputy principal assistant program manager
NSWCPD has a plethora of high grade positions that can either be managerial, technical, or a mix of both. Sometimes, these positions work closely with management and allow for individuals to get a feel of what being a manager is like.
“It allows me an opportunity to see what the life of a manager would be like because I have a close relationship with my managers … it also gives me an insight into determining whether that’s something I want to pursue in the future,” Walker said.
McPeters added: “For me, this was an opportunity to be in somewhat of a leadership role, but not have the responsibilities of a supervisor … For my position it’s more a programmatic position so it gives me a much higher level view of things and it gives me a chance to influence things that I wouldn’t necessarily have the opportunity to do.”
“My biggest decision on this was I love the technical work. I spent a lot of time and effort to get two engineering degrees and I wanted to utilize them. There was no doubt that I was staying on a technical track,” Shull-Archer said.
High grade positions require more than technical competence. While it is important to know the intricacies of the specific job, these positions require other professional skills.
“There were smarter engineers on the team when we competed (for the high grade position), but what I brought to the table and what I fully utilized as a high grade and a team lead is a broader vision, financial management skills, program management, leadership, communication, and decision making,” Shull-Archer said.
“I definitely get pulled in front of leadership more often. I’ve had my high grade position for less than a year so I’m still kind of in that transition period. Some things haven’t changed. I kept a lot of my collateral duties … helping pass messages along between leadership internally and also some of our external customers and their leadership as well,” Korngruen said.
“It’s really about the communication both with your team and externally. As the high grade, you’re generally interacting with people outside your team. You kind of have to be that conduit and make sure that you are able to communicate clearly, quickly, very effectively, both inside and outside,” Zook said.
As entry level positions may offer little to no opportunities to gain experience to qualify for a high grade position, some of the panel members discussed ways to be creative in getting that experience.
“I would say there’s always an opportunity to make opportunities to develop these skills. No matter what position you’re in, you can take the initiative to put yourself in a position of influence,” McPeters said.
“Don’t be afraid to take on tasks that fill in a gap that you see” Shull-Archer said, elaborating on having the initiative to start working on fixing a problem before prompted by her manager. “I started to see gaps in our area. We were missing a lab procedure so I started writing a procedure and I remember at one point my supervisor came around and he said ‘what are you working on?’ I said ‘I’m writing this procedure.’ He said ‘that’s really important.’ I said ‘I know that’s why I’m writing it!’”
“From a manger’s perspective I would also recommend that you talk to people. Talk to your team leads. Talk to your managers. Find mentors … I’m sure everybody on our panel would be more than happy to meet with you if you want to talk about your skills and how to develop them,” Jones-Zaroff said.
These positions can be very competitive to the point that a position in one’s field may not be available. Panel members discussed working outside of one’s comfort zone and how that may be the ticket to getting a high grade position.
“If there’s an area that you’re interested in that’s outside of where you’re at just talk to somebody that’s in that position and get their perspective,” McPeters said.
“I’ve always been in the shipboard environmental area … but I achieved my high grade in the oily waste system. I was there I don’t know how many years and an opportunity opened up in HAZMAT and I actually did a lateral (transfer). It was still in the same construct of shipboard environmental. It goes back to the conversation of technical versus leadership. I still had the necessary skills and I definitely had the leadership skills,” Shull-Archer said.
“I was an engineer before (becoming an acquisition program manager). Being an acquisition manager you need to know more contracts so that is still a learning curve for me. … it definitely can be done. I just think you have to find the right role. You have to have some experience in it. If you don’t, you can work on those skill sets as well,” Carter said.