TS/SCI Cleared

James Stroup

Head of Growth for AQNav at SandboxAQ — a Google X spin-out applying AI and quantum sensing to GPS-denied navigation. 16+ years turning advanced R&D into fielded, operational capability across spacecraft systems, SIGINT/ISR, nuclear treaty monitoring, and quantum technologies.

$8.2M
Qualified pipeline generated in 8 months, plus a $1.8M sole-source contract win
ENSCO Avionics
$5.4M
R&D operating budget growth through new mission partnerships
AFTAC
250%
Increase in project throughput after introducing SAFe and MBSE practices
AFTAC
$10M+
Delivered SIGINT/ISR programs for DHS, FBI, USCPD, and all military branches
Rohde & Schwarz
Billions/sec
Real-time AI/ML analytics platform for globally distributed sensors — highlighted at Georgetown Nuclear Security Summit
AFTAC
Head of Growth, AQNav
SandboxAQ (Google X spin-out)
2025 — Present · Melbourne, FL
Leading go-to-market for quantum-enabled, GPS-denied navigation. Connecting resilient PNT technology with military operators, defense agencies, and commercial partners.
Senior Director, Advanced Systems & Software
Bascom Hunter
2022 — 2025
Built and led a new portfolio spanning RF Systems (SIGINT/ELINT) and neuromorphic processor market offerings. Progressed from Director to Senior Director across three promotions in under three years.
Senior Staff Scientist / Principal Investigator
ENSCO Avionics
2022
Generated $8.2M in qualified pipeline and won a $1.8M sole-source contract. Improved ML precision from 60.1% to 92.8% on an underperforming 2.5-year effort. Built a CEO-ranked #2 real-time sensor analytics platform.
Chief, Exploitation & Development → R&D Portfolio Manager
Air Force Technical Applications Center (AFTAC)
2019 — 2022
Led matrixed teams building AI/ML prototypes for nuclear treaty monitoring operations. Built a real-time analytics platform processing billions of samples/sec. Grew operating budget by $5.4M. Founded a multi-agency ML working group. Served as SME on a $36M source-selection board.
Senior Development Engineer
United States Air Force
2016 — 2019 · Cape Canaveral, FL
Developed state-of-the-art signal processing and data acquisition architectures. Aided SpaceX in redesigning the Dragon capsule's S-Band telemetry receiver. Deployed $2M+ in custom RF monitoring equipment.
Systems Engineer, SIGINT/ISR
Rohde & Schwarz
2012 — 2015 · Orlando, FL
Led design of signal monitoring programs leveraging software-defined radios and correlative interferometry arrays. $10M+ in delivered revenue for DHS, FBI, USCPD, and all military branches.
Lead Spacecraft Systems Engineer
United States Air Force
2010 — 2012
Lead government engineer for testing and launch of GPS IIF/III, WGS, SBIRS, and X-37B satellites. Won USAF Scientist/Engineer of the Year.

Education

M.S., Space Systems Operations
Naval Postgraduate School
B.S., Electrical Engineering
Florida Institute of Technology

Certifications

Project Management Professional (PMP)
DAWIA Engineering Level III
DAWIA S&T Management Level II
Open-Source Nuclear Detection System (OSNDS)
Developmental architecture for accelerating ML adoption in critical nuclear monitoring operations. Highlighted at Georgetown University's 2020 Nuclear Security Summit as an emerging technology.
Georgetown Summit
NPSAT1: Assessment of Risk for Human Casualty from Atmospheric Reentry
Research on orbital debris risk assessment and compliance with DoD and NASA guidelines for limiting debris fragment surface strikes.
Publication

Let's talk.

Building something in resilient PNT, defense AI, or quantum tech?