Robert Susann
Mount Airy,MD
Overview
17
17
years of professional experience
10011
10011
years of post-secondary education
1
1
Certification
Work History
FORNSAT Deputy Division Chief
NSA | Capabilities Directorate
05.2024 - Current
- Deputy Division Chief of FORNSAT consisting of over 200 personnel (military, contractors, civilians). Through 'in-house' designed and developed software and hardware architecture, FORNSAT provides numerous U.S. government customers - inside and outside of the intelligence community - critical and timely satellite constellation collection against U.S. adversaries.
- With the Division Chief, developed and implemented a new FORNSAT strategy for the division to become more agile, scalable and expeditionary to support a broader base of customers in a more timely manner for national security purposes.
- Led multiple high priority FORNSAT projects to provide technical and programmatic direction to contractors, military and civilians executing that guidance to ensure there were not cost or timeline overruns and that we were fulfilling national level requirements as written.
- Influenced and determined how the roughly $150 million annual budget is allocated and used to support high priority requirements and needs of numerous customers.
- Ability to take broad objectives from higher level leadership, marry them with the FORNSAT strategy and successfully execute the strategy for greatest amount of impact.
- Works with and directs architecture design engineers, software developers, hardware designers, information system security officers, information system security engineers, system administrators, program managers and many others to provide guidance and updates on progress of development efforts, deployments and challenges.
- Regularly meets with allied nations equivalents to discuss FORNSAT development efforts and solutions and how these solutions can fulfill their needs in order to protect the security of their nation.
- Utilizes a range of both hard and soft skills to complete mission demands from technical writing, to persuasive writing, from driving meetings towards outcomes, to proposal writing to advocate for tens of millions of dollars to support mission growth.
Deputy Division Chief / Section Chief
Cybersecurity Directorate | Detection & Mitigation
09.2021 - 05.2024
- Led a 120-person, cross-functional cybersecurity organization delivering advanced threat detection, analysis, and mitigation solutions to protect critical infrastructure and high-value industry partners.
- Directed large-scale cyber defense operations mitigating nation-state threats, preventing billions in potential losses and strengthening client resilience against sophisticated attacks.
- Built and scaled a high-performing cyber analytics team, delivering actionable intelligence that informed executive decision-making and shaped national-level cybersecurity strategy.
- Drove a 45% increase in analytical output by realigning priorities, optimizing resource deployment, and implementing a scalable, performance-driven operating model.
- Advised senior executives and stakeholders on cyber risk, providing clear, actionable recommendations and response strategies for high-impact incidents.
- Designed and implemented integrated operating frameworks that aligned stakeholders across government, industry, and international partners—improving speed, coordination, and effectiveness of cyber response efforts.
- Established a rapid-response model for critical incidents, reducing time to detection and mitigation while enabling coordinated, cross-organizational action.
- Recruited and developed top talent, fostering a high-performance, client-focused culture and building sustainable organizational capability.
Technical Project Manager
NSA
10.2017 - 09.2021
- Married private industry capabilities to existing DoD requirements to fulfill large-scale collection and analytical tool gaps that support tens of thousands of people across the intelligence community. Negotiated with both financial and technical leaders from industry including CEO, CTO and CFO from multiple large, medium and small-sized companies from various sectors of industry.
- Technically managed a private industry financial portfolio worth tens of millions of dollars and fulfilling multiple large scale DoD requirements that had impacts across the intelligence community as a whole.
- Led the strategy, development, operational evaluation and implementation of a core real-time tactical geolocation capability to replace a single source capability scheduled to cease operations. The intelligence community and DoD rely on this real-time capability to track targets of interest world-wide. Due to the urgency to replace this capability, operated under a strict timeline with a considerable amount of management and political pressure.
- Drafted a position paper with ancillary testing results that determined the best tactical geolocation capability to fulfill the customer's needs. Utilized the plan to implement a restructured real-time tactical geolocation strategy for parts of the DoD to ensure the customer was getting the most value out of its tactical geolocation programs at the best price.
- Drove the transformation and expansion of multiple private industry platforms to better align with capability gaps and intelligence needs. Discovered innovative ways to access communication methods, expanded critical man-on-the-side capability increasing the number of geographic sites that deliver cyber effects to targeted endpoints, and led the effort to stand up a robust test network to test all purchased and developed implants.
- Worked daily with industry on one end, and government customers within the DoD on the other, to fulfill large scale requirements supporting thousands of people in different disciplines and mission organizations across the DoD and intelligence community as a whole.
Branch Chief
NSA | Computer Network Operations
11.2016 - 10.2017
- Supervised a small group of Access Leads and Access Analysts as the Special Technologies (ST)/Cyber Counterintelligence (CCI) Branch Chief within Computer Network Operations (CNO) to plan, develop, and execute computer network exploitation operations.
- Developed branch curriculum to train new access leads and analysts to lead CNO opportunities. Section leaders used curriculum as template to train nearly 80 civilian and military employees.
- Negotiated an intern resource plan (military and civilian) with civilian and senior enlisted leadership creating a pipeline for analysts to gain a holistic understanding of the CNO-ST mission.
- Developed and taught multiple iterations of the Technical Operations Officer Course to train and mentor nearly 100 new and existing technical operation's officers to ensure a level of proficiency and standardization to increase success and impact of mission operations.
Subject Matter Expert
Cyber Counter Intelligence & Threat Intelligence Cell
12.2015 - 11.2016
- Chosen by senior leadership to be the first dedicated Cyber Counterintelligence (CCI) SME and first SME to a newly stood-up organization.
- Produced a coherent, cohesive and comprehensive strategy to guide targeting and fulfill collection gaps against high priority networks to ultimately obtain never before collected foreign intelligence.
- Developed highly valuable relationships with other intelligence community partners to increasingly and successfully work joint efforts against like targets to expedite operations, increase the likelihood of success and leverage different intelligence authorities for greater impact.
- Referred to be part of Operations Planning for the Cyber Domain; a course offered to select few people within the intelligence community and designed to successfully leverage IC cyber capabilities in the conduct of HUMINT operations.
Field Operations Lead
NSA | Computer Network Exploitation
06.2013 - 12.2015
- Worked across the intelligence community to fulfill some of the highest priority collection gaps in highly sensitive operations. Developed, planned, executed and led numerous "first of its kind" CNO operations against adversary nations.
- Directed multiple "one of a kind" development initiatives to provide solutions to seemingly intractable intelligence gaps into highly sensitive adversary networks.
- Led and coordinated operational, programmatic and development work to ensure solution was developed within the operational 'window of opportunity'.
Lead Forward Deployed Project Manager
NSA | Tactical SIGINT Solutions
01.2012 - 06.2013
- Lead Project Manager for the establishment of architecturally decentralized processing for high capacity microwave relay links located at the 'front-end'. The project provided collection for thousands of analytical reports and helped to protect U.S. war fighters and shape U.S. policy in that region of the world.
- Singly acquired the land area from U.S. Base Leadership and developed, led, coordinated and executed the technical plan to establish large scale processing of links, base power, infrastructure to support multiple antenna towers and facilities to house multiple intelligence community partners supporting the effort.
- Worked across the highest levels of base operations and cross-organizationally within NSA for the approvals, construction and completion of the compound. The secure facility was used as a major staging area in Afghanistan for operations at outlying Forward Operating Bases for USG. The effort reduced the number of preparation and planning hours required for operations against targets of interest and freed up satellite overhead resources, saving hundreds of millions of dollars of U.S. taxpayer money.
Chief of Operations
NSA | Tactical SIGINT Solutions
01.2011 - 06.2011
- Served as Chief of Operations in Afghanistan for nearly 70 force protection systems (worth $300m) in 46 locations across Afghanistan providing force protection for 287,000 U.S. and Coalition military and civilian personnel from mid-January to mid-June 2011.
- Briefed senior level leadership in Afghanistan and received final approval to build one of the largest enduring SIGINT collection hubs.
- Coordinated intra-theater air movement for nearly 600 forward operating personnel over a 5 month period. In addition, coordinated movement of 1,018,571 lbs of DCS shipments, 1150 flights in that same 5 month period.
Analyst/Target Developer/Target Reporter
NSA
02.2009 - 10.2010
- Directly supported operations for elements in Iraq in the elimination of top tier Al Qa'ida in Iraq (AQI) members. Provided intelligence and reporting to inform military members in theater of specifics so they could 'action' targets.
- Analyzed intelligence and wrote reports accordingly that directly supported operations for military elements in the Area of Responsibility (AOR) and other elements of USG.
- Analysis and reporting provided unique insight into AQ ties to senior AQ leadership.
- Provided actionable intelligence to military elements in AOR through intelligence sharing and by writing and releasing nearly 100 analytical reports that provided critical intelligence and garnered significant positive feedback across the intelligence community, policy-makers and President.
Education
MA - National Security Studies
California State University, San Bernardino
Intensive Arabic Program -
Dar Loughat
Tetouan, MoroccoBA - Political Science/International Relations
Pennsylvania State University
University ParkUniversity of Glasgow
Glasgow, ScotlandRome Program -
Temple University
Rome, ItalyClearance
Active TS/SCI with Full Scope
Objective
To obtain a position utilizing my 17 years of experience in the intelligence community supporting U.S. national security priorities while concurrently enabling the financial growth of the company.
Professional Summary
Engineering Management and intelligence operations leader with 17+ years of experience directing high-stakes programs in RF systems, microelectronics, 4G/5G telecommunications, network exploitation and satellite collection systems to name a few. Expert in managing complex, sensitive projects across the intelligence community and working with private industry and allied partners. Adept at leading large multidisciplinary teams, overseeing multimillion-dollar budgets, and ensuring secure supply chain management. Proven record of delivering innovative solutions, optimizing processes, and advancing national security objectives.
Core Competencies
- Program & Project Management | Close Access Operations | RF & Microelectronics Systems | 4G/5G LTE Networks | Sensitive Industrial Relationships
- Cybersecurity & Network Exploitation | Supply Chain Risk Management | Technical Strategy
- Budget Oversight ($150M+) | Cross-Functional Leadership | Stakeholder Engagement
- Strategic Planning & Execution | Risk Assessment | Contract Negotiation
- Team Building & Staff Development | Technical & Proposal Writing | Decision-Making
Certification
- Graduate of Mid-Level Leadership Program for the National Security Agency, 2024
- Graduate of Front Line and Mid-Level Manager Program for the National Security Agency, 2014
- Graduate of Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape (SERE) Course, Spokane, Washington, 2014
- Graduate of National Security Agency Intelligence Analysis Development Program (IADP)
- Various National Cryptologic Courses related to SIGINT collection and operations
- Various courses involving: cybersecurity, defending networks, weapons training, defensive and tactical driving training, special operations combat aid training and leadership training throughout National Security Agency career
- United States Peace Corps Business Volunteer, Islamic Republic of Mauritania, North West Africa, 2002-2003
Awards
- 2025 Department of WAR Award for the Top 15% of civilian performers at NSA, 2025
- National Intelligence Meritorious Unit Citation (NIMUC), 04/01/25
- NIMUC from NSA-ODNI, 06/01/22
- Cybersecurity Directorate's (CSD), 'C1 Recognizing Our Best' Award, 05/01/22
- NIMUC from ODNI, 10/01/20
- NIMUC from ODNI/CIA, 04/01/16
- NIMUC from ODNI/SID, 02/01/16
- NIMUC from NSA/ODNI, 11/01/11
- Secretary of Defense Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) Medal for service in Afghanistan, 2011
- NATO Medal for 8 month service in Afghanistan, 2011
- Numerous individual and team cash awards for 'special achievement', 'exceptional support', and 'critical leadership'
- $5,000 California State University - ACE IC scholarship while in graduate school to study modern standard Arabic for five weeks in Tetouan, Morocco, 06/01/07 - 08/01/07
- Chosen as Volunteer of the Quarter for Erie Chapter of the American Red Cross, 2001
References
Available upon request
Timeline
FORNSAT Deputy Division Chief
NSA | Capabilities Directorate
05.2024 - Current
Deputy Division Chief / Section Chief
Cybersecurity Directorate | Detection & Mitigation
09.2021 - 05.2024
Technical Project Manager
NSA
10.2017 - 09.2021
Branch Chief
NSA | Computer Network Operations
11.2016 - 10.2017
Subject Matter Expert
Cyber Counter Intelligence & Threat Intelligence Cell
12.2015 - 11.2016
Field Operations Lead
NSA | Computer Network Exploitation
06.2013 - 12.2015
Lead Forward Deployed Project Manager
NSA | Tactical SIGINT Solutions
01.2012 - 06.2013
Chief of Operations
NSA | Tactical SIGINT Solutions
01.2011 - 06.2011
Analyst/Target Developer/Target Reporter
NSA
02.2009 - 10.2010
MA - National Security Studies
California State University, San Bernardino
Intensive Arabic Program -
Dar Loughat
BA - Political Science/International Relations
Pennsylvania State University
University of Glasgow
Rome Program -
Temple University