Workforce Mobility Employee Spotlight: Alix Stein
Alix Stein’s career at Systems Planning & Analysis (SPA) has continued to take on new dimensions since she joined the company in 2021. What began with Navy program analysis in Alexandria, Virginia, has expanded into operations research and systems engineering. Today, she is a Systems Engineer III with SPA’s Operations Research & C5ISR Analysis (ORCA) Group in San Diego, California.
About a year after joining SPA, Alix decided to relocate to San Diego and approached her manager about continuing her work remotely. Her manager helped identify projects she could support during the transition, allowing Alix to continue building on the experience she had gained with SPA’s Undersea Technology Analysis Group (UTAG).
Once in San Diego, Alix connected with SPA’s local ORCA team. Conversations with the group eventually led her to transition from her program analyst position in UTAG to an operations research analyst role with ORCA.
“I was able to transition across teams, projects, and locations while continuing to grow technically and professionally.”
Alix Stein, SPA Systems Engineer
For Alix, staying with SPA did not mean staying in the same role. Her path has continued to change with her skills and interests, giving her opportunities to explore new work while building on the experience she already had.
Hear directly from Alix about how she joined SPA, expanded her technical skills, and discovered new opportunities across projects and responsibilities.
Taking on New Technical Challenges
Alix’s changing roles have also introduced new technical challenges. One of her first projects at SPA involved GCAM®, SPA’s proprietary modeling and simulation software. With little prior experience using the tool, she learned by contributing directly to project work.
That early experience laid the groundwork for increasingly technical responsibilities. Alix has since expanded beyond analytical support into systems engineering, modeling and simulation, and model-based systems engineering, gaining experience with tools including CAMEO and SPA ArcherEye™.
SPA has also provided resources for Alix to continue building her technical skills as her role has evolved. Company-funded training in areas such as SysML and Python has complemented her project work and prepared her to take on new assignments.
Her move to ORCA also broadened the mission areas and customers she works with. In addition to her earlier Navy experience, Alix has contributed to Space Force efforts and taken on more customer-facing responsibilities.
Finding Work That Fits
Mobility at SPA has given Alix opportunities to explore different projects as her technical interests have developed. Through conversations with her manager, she has transitioned to work more closely aligned with her strengths and areas of interest while continuing to build on experience from previous roles.
Exploring What Comes Next
Alix encourages early-career professionals to stay open to opportunities that may initially feel unfamiliar.
“Some of the experiences that helped me grow the most professionally were opportunities that I initially felt underqualified for or uncertain about taking on.”
Alix Stein, SPA Systems Engineer
Her advice is to learn about work beyond an immediate project, take advantage of trainings and brown bags, and explore different teams and technical areas. She also encourages employees to speak up when they identify work or skills they want to pursue.
For Alix, that approach has meant a career that continues to develop across roles, projects, and technical areas, with room to explore where her interests and expertise take her next.
Watch the video interview here, or listen to the audio-only version.
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