Megan Knea

Adaptability in Action

For Megan Knea, career success has never been about following a rigid path, it’s been about learning when to pivot, adapt, and think outside the box. As a military spouse, flexibility isn’t a perk, it’s a necessity. And through intentional choices, continuous learning, and strong support systems, she has built a thriving, long-term career that moves with military life.

Knea’s professional journey began while she was an undergraduate at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, where an internship in Washington, D.C., near Capitol Hill, with the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation kickstarted her path in the defense industry. That opportunity led to a follow-on internship with BAE Systems and, soon after, she was offered a full-time analyst role with the company, prompting her to graduate a semester early from college. Over the next decade in the Washington, D.C. area, she worked across defense contracting companies of all sizes, steadily growing her experience while continuing her education and earning both a master’s degree and PMP certification.

As military life introduced frequent moves and evolving family responsibilities, Knea’s career path shifted in ways that would prove pivotal. “I ultimately transitioned away from analyst positions to project management based on contract availability—a blessing in disguise as this would set me up for remote work down the road, an absolute essential for frequent military moves,” she shared. 

After a permanent change of station (PCS) to Tennessee forced her government civilian, GS-13 Project Manager role to end due to relocation limitations, Knea discovered a remote opportunity at Leidos in early 2020. As her career at Leidos progressed, she learned more about Leidos QTC Health Services through fellow military spouses and was drawn to its close-knit culture and mission-driven work. Knea noted, “Networking is absolutely a critical aspect of any successful career, and I have found that my network of other Leidos military spouses has been instrumental not only in career opportunities, but also everyday support as we all work to balance career and military spouse demands.”

Today, Knea serves as a Leidos QTC Program Manager, overseeing a program that delivers occupational health exams and services for a government customer. Her pathway since joining the company has been from Project Manager to Deputy Portfolio Manager to Program Manager. In addition to her program manager duties, she has been deeply involved in Leidos’ Military Spouse Employee Resource Group, serving as Vice Chair and later Co-Chair, and has participated in Leidos’ mentor program for several years. She also has pursued certifications and advanced her career skills, carefully timing professional development around the realities of military life. She said, “I made sure to renew my AWS Cloud Certification before my husband deployed so I could spend extra hours after work focusing on the certification while he focused on our son, dog, house, etc.” Knea didn’t stop at just one certification. “I have had the opportunity to participate in internal leadership development programs as well as obtain a new certification for AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner. Leidos QTC also continues to support the maintenance of my other certifications, to include PMP, ITIL® Foundation Certificate in IT Service Management, and Certified ScrumMaster,” she shared. 

Support, both formal and informal, has been foundational to Knea’s career success. She emphasized that day-to-day leadership support has made the greatest impact and explained, “Every single manager, across several divisions and programs, has been incredibly supportive of my military spouse demands. They have always supported my requests for alternate work schedules, remote work, limited travel, etc. as needed. This has been the most critical aspect in supporting my long-term career in Leidos, for without it, I would not be able to sustain both career and military spouse demands.”

Balancing work, family, PCS moves, and deployments, especially during her husband’s current overseas deployment, requires strength and adaptability. Knea described her daily life as a military spouse as “Organized chaos, exhaustion, and resiliency. Somehow, I make it work and some days are easier than others. The great thing about Leidos QTC is the flexibility for work schedules and ability to work remotely. That truly is what enables me to balance work, family, and service-related responsibilities.”

For other military spouses wondering if a lasting career is possible, Knea provided the following insight: “Not only is it possible, you absolutely should go for it. As a spouse, we often put everyone and everything else ahead of self-care and self-goals. I find that having my own career has been instrumental in finding my own purpose and giving back to the community, separate of my role and contributions as a military spouse.” While acknowledging the challenges, she also highlighted the transferable skills military spouses bring to the workforce, with many of the skills being implemented in everyday life by balancing various roles. She reflected, “Any military spouse already has inherent skills that translate extremely well to several positions, such as business analyst, chief of staff, project manager, etc. You’d be surprised at how well qualified you are for the professional world just by surviving and thriving as a military spouse.”