Career Overview: As part of the DoD system engineering process, establishing and keeping track of the baseline configuration of systems being developed or sustained is one of the critical jobs that must be accomplished. The job of establishing and tracking the baseline is the responsibility of the Configuration Management (CM) manager and CM Analysts.
The CM career field involves coordination and administration of the technical baseline artifacts that make up a system. Activities include the identification, control, accounting, and auditing of systems and/or equipment in accordance with government standards and contractual requirements. CM managers and analysts establish CM procedures and implement the contract engineering change control processes.
CM Analysts review and analyze released engineering change data and coordinate changes with engineering, quality, support, manufacturing, and engineering data control activities. CM Analysts ensure that customer requirements are implemented and reviews change accounting activity to ensure compliance with configuration management policies.
The career field requires experience in managing design drawings, engineering changes and notices, and planning/conducting design audits. Additionally, experience working closely with program management, systems engineers, quality managers, draftsmen and design/manufacturing engineers in a concurrent engineering environment is a part of the job.
Career Path: Entry-level CM analysts usually have a bachelor’s degree and experience in data management, quality control, technical writing, drafting, auditing or logistics. Analysts start out as a member of the CM team and assist in implementing CM processes to capture and maintain baseline control of one or more DoD systems. Activities include inventory and audit of technical artifacts (drawings, technical manuals, test procedures), processing engineering change proposals (ECP) and performing system configuration audits.
Mid-level CM analysts usually are assigned to track and update the baseline for multiple complex DoD systems or projects. Senior Level CM Analysts manage the baseline of multiple systems and projects and may also supervise the CM team and CM activities of a program. CM professionals at the Senior level are frequently promoted to CM Manager.
Career progression for CM Analysts beyond CM Manager include senior management positions in the CM, Quality or Data Management career fields.
Salaries: CM Analyst salaries vary by region and project complexity, but start around ~$40k for entry level CM Analysts and can be in excess of $100k for senior level CM Managers.
Professional Organizations: The Association for Configuration and Data Management (ACDM), founded in the early 1990s, is an organization focused on the advancement of the profession and field of configuration, data and change management. The ACDM serves its members with education, advocacy, intellectual resources and the setting of standards to achieve excellence.
Training & Certifications: The Configuration Management Training Foundation (CMTF) was founded by Mr. John Roberts in 1993. CMTF is the largest Configuration Management training company in the world. They have trained more CM professionals than any other organization. CMTF also has the longest running CM certification program.
Education: Most configuration analyst positions require a bachelor degree, but there are a few that do not.
Job Search: To review currently open CM Analyst jobs that DoD contractors are actively hiring for I recommend going to the career page of several of the DoD contractors profiled on this site and searching for jobs with the titles “Configuration Analyst” or “Configuration Manager” and review the jobs and job requirements that come up.