By Jake Trybulski, talent acquisition

Back in 2003, a driven and curious Dave Kem walked into a BAE Systems facility for the first time as a supply chain management intern. He didn’t know it then, but that step marked the beginning of an inspiring 20-plus year career shaped by relationships, advocacy, and impact.

For the first 14 years of his career, Dave made his mark in the Supply Chain function holding six different roles. For the last seven years, Dave has led the Quality Assurance function. No matter the team, he quickly realized that communication and collaboration weren’t just useful skills but essential building blocks for career growth.

“My first mentor as an intern gave me critical feedback and helped me understand that I can’t expect everybody to adjust the way I want them to. I can only control myself,” Kem said. “If I can be aware of the situation and learn to adjust how I communicated based on each individual stakeholder’s needs, that's something that I can do to grow our business, our people, and my career.”

Driven by efficiency

This attitude played a key role in his internal mobility, opening doors to opportunities that allowed him to constantly learn and do more – even within his own function. One of those pivotal moments came in 2011, during a time when some new supply chain process improvement initiatives were happening. The catch? There wasn’t an open position for Dave to join that specific effort.

But Dave didn’t wait for an invitation. Fueled by a passion for making things better, he reached out to the manager leading the initiative and expressed his interest.

“I said, 'I don't know if you're just a team of one forever, but if you're interested in being a team of two, I would love to come on board to help with that effort,’” said Kem. “It took about a year to join the team, but I ended up spending several years with this manager updating processes within Supply Chain and other functions around the company.”

That experience advocating for himself not only gave Dave new skills but also set the stage for what came next. His work on process improvements caught the attention of leaders, and before long, he stepped into his first supervisor role, leading a team of his own. True to form, Dave continued to build relationships and showcase the impact of his work, and his efforts didn’t go unnoticed.

Taking initiative

By 2018, a leader familiar with his achievements approached him with an offer to pivot into the Quality Assurance team. While it was a shift from his previous roles, Dave saw it as an opportunity to bring fresh ideas and contribute in new ways.

“It just seemed like a natural progression for me to try to build my career, learn new skills, and see if I could help the organization approach challenges differently by using my unique experiences from a different expertise,” he explained. “Both disciplines ultimately focus on identifying and reducing risk and delivering value, ranging from component level items to full systems. Those transferrable skills made it a successful risk worth taking.”

The transition allowed Dave to broaden his skill set and add another dimension to his career path. Yet, he will be the first to tell you that internal mobility requires some ingenuity.

“Transferring internally is really driven by you. And when I say ‘you,’ this business allows people the opportunity to see things that resonate with them,” Dave said. “If there's a position out there that’s interesting to you, maybe you may not qualify for it right away. But your network, your leadership—they'll help you get the qualifications that are needed to make sure you meet those requirements.”

Dave’s story is a reminder that growth doesn’t just come from climbing the ladder; it often comes from building bridges, asking questions, and taking initiative.

Join our team

Here, we all make a difference, but together – we know we do so much more. Join us today and take your career to the next level through initiative, support, and mentorship like Dave.

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