FORT WORTH, Texas –
My DCMA showcases the Defense Contract Management Agency’s experienced and dedicated workforce and highlights what being part of the national defense team means to them. Today, Zachary Ransom shares his story.
My name is Zachary Ransom, and this is “My DCMA.” I am a lead quality assurance specialist at DCMA Fixed Wing Fort Worth in Texas. My job duties include managing and assigning work to my team members and maintaining a technical understanding of policies and agency requirements related to the F-16 Fighting Falcon, F-22 Raptor, F-35 Lightning II, as well as interfacing with the contractor and customer on significant and major challenges.
I have been a part of the DCMA team for 11 years. I like working at DCMA because my role as a team lead is demanding with the most diverse workload I have ever experienced. There is always something going on and it keeps me busy. I supervise 11 employees. My team does an excellent job working through issues, and we accomplish a great deal of work at a high level.
Some great things about working at my location includes there is a very diverse workload within our contract management office. Every day, we see contractor issues that are rare, which require quick thinking and fast data collection for senior leadership reporting.
DCMA is important to America’s warfighters because we influence the contractor at both the prime and sub-contractor level. My team has reach all over the globe, and we handle some of the biggest challenges within our programs. This capability allows us real-time data for reporting and positive change within the contractor’s processes.
DCMA has changed over the years as the agency continues to get leaner, which requires a do more with less approach. This has given my team members an opportunity to showcase their critical thinking and workload management skills. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Greg Masiello, the DCMA director, takes a vested interest in supply chain management, and that is the type of work my team performs on a daily basis. This is a critical mission and role we provide to these programs and warfighters because we ensure that our prime and sub-contractors are producing compliant parts and assemblies toward a final build for the aircraft. In addition, my team reports on trends and emerging issues in real time.
I am privileged to have been a recent Employee of the Quarter winner for the Central Region. We, as a group, tend to get so work and deadline focused that we forget that rewarding top performers and innovative thinking is important too. My future career goals include growing my skills and knowledge of the agency and its inner workings at the senior leadership level. I want to further understand the contractor processes at the executive level. I also want to build a closer relationship with our customers.
My favorite hobbies include baseball, football, hiking and traveling. I enjoy watching my kids play sports and perform in school activities. Something unique about me is that I am not afraid to step out into the unknown. I have put myself into scenarios, often above my position, that facilitated personal growth beyond what most people are comfortable doing.