Program Analyst - Maritime Launched Effects

National security co. SPA expands with move to Ampersand. DEFENSE: Mission Valley Office Supports Tech Support for Military October 8, 2026 SAN DIEGO - Systems Planning & Analysis (SPA) is expanding its San Diego presence with the September opening of a new office in Mission Valley that is three times the size of the company's former location in Liberty Station. The defense company has leased the entire second floor - about 35,000 square feet - in the main building of the two-building Ampersand at 350 Camino De La Reina, the former home of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Built in 1975, Ampersand was redeveloped into an office building in 2018 when the newspaper moved its office downtown. Strategic Value Partners (SVP) and Lincoln Property Management bought the 346,396-square-foot Ampersand in September for about $92 million, according to CoStar, a property listing and analysis company. "This investment underscores our confidence in the San Diego office market, where leasing momentum is outpacing many peer markets," Scott Moffat, executive vice president and San Diego market leader at Lincoln Property Management, said at the time of the sale. "This facility gave us the amenities that we were looking for to make it into a comfortable place to work, but also proximity to our customer," said Matt Norton, SPA group leader in San Diego. Much of the work that SPA does in San Diego is for the U.S. Navy, including the Naval Information Warfare Systems Command. "SPA is a national security company that brings together engineers to advance government clients and address complex mission challenges," Norton said. "It could be helping them pick the right software to buy. It could be helping them understand how they need to update their tactics. It could be helping them pick the right vendors." SPA also does some work with the U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Air Force and U.S. Department of Homeland Security. "A lot of what we do for the Navy is applicable to other services," Norton said. "Company-wide, we do work across the board." Community connections. The company has about 100 employees in San Diego, and plans to continue adding to its staff, according to Norton. "We're trying to grow as much as we can. We've got some unique capabilities that our customers like," Norton said. "We have plans to continue to grow and living in this facility is a way to support that now and in the future. We don't have a specific target. We're growing in a lot of different areas." SPA also uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) in its work and advises clients on its use for national security missions. "I think everybody's using AI at this point. What we're working on is how do you apply it safety, effectively and smartly," Norton said. When SPA leased space in Ampersand, it was just a shell. "We built a lot of infrastructure here to support a lot of the AI and software," Norton said. "We set it up to support collaboration." That includes two large conference rooms "that we're using not only for SPA's open houses and things like that, but also for our clients," Norton said, including "a lot of the creature comforts that we didn't necessarily have in our Liberty Station setting." "We've got a nice employee lounge. We've got a nice employee lounge. We've got some communal space here where people can collaborate. We have a very nice kitchen," Norton said. With floor-to-ceiling windows, the area is flooded with natural light. "It's kind of very open with that industrial look that's very popular," Norton said. "We want to make the office someplace comfortable where people want to come to work, they want to sit down with their coworkers and get a cup of coffee." Because of its history as the newspaper's home, "It's got ties to the local community, which is really nice," Norton said. "It's a great building." Systems Planning & Analysis HEADQUARTERS: Alexandria, VA CEO: Richard Sawchak BUSINESS: defense EMPLOYEES: 3,059 WEBSITE: www.spa.com CONTACT: 619-727-4020 NOTABLE: Systems Planning & Analysis (SPA) is a global, independent analytical and technical innovation firm advancing complex national security priorities across defense, intelligence, and homeland security. A native of New England, Ray Huard has been a reporter at newspapers in California, Florida and New England, including The (Jacksonville) Florida Times-Union, the Miami Herald, the Palm Beach Post in West Palm Beach, the San Diego Union-Tribune, the North County Times, and the San Diego Business Journal. He has covered a wide variety of beats including real estate, politics, science, the environment, state and city government and courts.

Alexandria's SPA announces $126 million Navy contract. Press play to listen to this content West End company will support Naval Special Warfare programs; local hiring impact remains unconfirmed. ALEXANDRIA, VA - Systems Planning & Analysis, the national security company headquartered in Alexandria, announced September 30 that it has won a $126 million contract supporting the Navy's Naval Special Warfare Program Office. According to SPA's announcement, the company will serve as prime contractor, providing engineering, technical, administrative and acquisition-management support for the Naval Sea Systems Command office and related programs. The competitively awarded agreement includes a one-year base period and four option years, with performance extending through March 2031. SPA says the award expands a relationship with the office that began in 2012. For Alexandria, a key question is what the work will mean for local employees and job seekers. The Alexandria Economic Development Partnership previously outlined SPA's headquarters expansion plans, including nearly 500 planned jobs and commitments to local hiring and vendors. That earlier expansion is separate from today's contract announcement; a connection between those hiring plans and this award has not been established. This is a developing story. The contract's exact award date, identifying number, initially obligated funding, work locations and impact on Alexandria hiring remain unconfirmed by The Zebra Press. The company's announcement does not establish that $126 million has already been funded or that new local jobs will result. Additional verified information will be added as it becomes available.