Mike Smith serves as the Principal Assistant Program Manager for Acquisition, Procurement, Program Integration for the Arleigh Burke Class (DDG 51) Shipbuilding Program (PMS 400D) within the Program Executive Office, Ships (PEO Ships) where he is responsible for the program’s acquisition and procurement efforts. Additionally, he leads the regulatory and statutory acquisition requirements for the program as well as all public and Congressional affairs efforts. In this capacity, Mr. Smith has directed the competitive award of two Multi-Year Procurement (MYP) contracts for nine destroyers and two option ships, totaling over $16B.
Prior to joining the DDG 51 Class Program, Mr. Smith served as the Deputy Director, Undersea Warfare Programs for the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Ship Programs (DASN Ships). In this capacity he managed the Navy’s in-service submarine portfolio to include acquisition, maintenance, and sustainment matters while serving as the subject matter expert on such topics for the Secretariat.
Prior to his assignment in DASN Ships, Mr. Smith served as the Assistant Program Manager for Acquisition for the Virginia Class Submarine Program (PMS 450). As Acquisition Manager, he was responsible for all regulatory and statutory acquisition requirements for the program, managed the program’s Congressional and public affairs efforts, and served as the program’s liaison to the Department of Defense, Navy, and other federal agencies. During his tenure, Mr. Smith led the program’s acquisition efforts for the development and award of two MYP contracts totaling 20 submarines with a combined total value of over $41B.
Mr. Smith entered Federal Service in 2011 as a public affairs officer for Team Submarine. As a spokesman for the Navy’s submarine acquisition and in-service community, Mr. Smith was responsible for fielding media inquiries, authoring feature and scholarly articles, speech writing, and providing strategic communications guidance to Flag Officers and Senior Executives.
Prior to entering the government, Mr. Smith worked in the private sector supporting various Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard programs to include serving as the Senior Editor of UNDERSEA WARFARE Magazine, earning national awards for excellence.
Mr. Smith is a graduate of Radford University where he received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management. He earned a Master of Public Policy degree with a concentration in National Security Studies from George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government. He serves on the Board for Correction of Naval Records (BCNR), holds an Advanced certification in Program Management, and is a member of the Defense Acquisition Corps. He is the recipient of various personal and team awards to include the Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award, the 2023 Aegis Team Excellence Award, and the 2020 Team Submarine Excellence Award.