Meet AMP’s assistant product manager

Maj. Ryan Nehus, an assistant product manager in the Integrated Personnel and Pay System –Army (IPPS-A) Increment II portfolio, is excited to start developing a new military payroll system for the Army. 

In July, Army Contracting Command - Aberdeen Proving Ground awarded a seven-year contract worth up to $370 million to develop an Army Military Payroll (AMP) solution leveraging Agile software development methodology and PeopleSoft’s global payroll application. Five companies submitted bids in a full and open competition that incorporated a technical demo into the evaluation process. 

“AMP will provide an incremental delivery to Soldiers aligned with the IPPS-A production baseline architecture and processes,” Nehus said. “AMP will be integrated into the IPPS-A baseline. We won’t have two separate systems.”

A former signal officer with 15 years of Army service under his belt, Nehus joined the Acquisition Corps in 2017 because he wanted to be a good steward of taxpayers’ money. “In my first acquisition assignment, I had the opportunity to enhance the tactical communications equipment I used when I was a signal officer,” Nehus said. “Improving Soldiers’ user experience is rewarding.”

Nehus, a native Marylander and today’s #PEOEISTeammateTuesday, answered questions about AMP and his life. 

What benefits will AMP deliver to Soldiers?
The current Army military payroll system produces disconnected human resources and pay system processes. This results in manual documentations and pay errors. 

AMP will advance process automation to reduce Soldiers’ pay errors. It’s also more cost-effective than the current Army payroll system because it will off-ramp multiple legacy systems and eliminate interfaces.

What have you been working on recently that you are proud of?
The AMP team was launched in April. We invested time in Agile training. Being part of a team that embraces continuous improvement makes me proud. With guidance, training and mentorship from IPPS-A leaders, we get a little bit better every day. 

What soft skills do you need on your team to roll out AMP?
I need people who are willing to integrate with an existing team. We have AMP, and we have the IPPS-A baseline. I don't need people gatekeeping information that makes the integration of AMP harder. I want people to talk to each other and be open to different ideas. 

Describe the AMP culture. 
Don't mess up. Supporting more than 1 million Soldiers, AMP will be the world’s third-largest payroll solution. Only Amazon and Walmart are larger.  

We have to get this right. We are taking an Agile approach so we can spread risk out. If we mess anything up, it's just one small piece and not the whole thing.

What three words would your friends use to describe you? 
Loyal, patient and honest.

What can someone learn from your daily routine?
Always challenge yourself. I used to hate pull-ups because I could barely do one. I decided to challenge myself, and I now enjoy them. I can do 17 pull-ups; my goal is to get to 20.

What is something you learned the hard way?
Being a father never gets easier. I have four daughters and one son. When they are younger, kids need a parent, not a best friend. 

Name one thing you can't do without in a day.
Prayer. 

What do you enjoy doing when you're not working?
I enjoy bikepacking. I bikepack with a hammock, food and a sleeping bag. I head out on a trail, try to bike as many miles as possible and sleep when I want to. In 2023, I biked across Missouri, which has the longest rail trail in America. I covered 265 miles in three and a half days. I didn't listen to any music because I wanted to be in silence. I find that spending time in silence is the best time for prayer. The first day, I biked 75 miles, but I didn’t eat enough so my legs were suffering. Each day, I tried to get the miles in and just enough rest.

You figure out a lot of things when you're by yourself. It was a mental challenge.

I also enjoy tent camping with my family. We have camped in my brother’s backyard, as well as at camping grounds in Virginia and western Maryland. We don’t pull into trailer parks next to a bunch of other people — we try to be a little more remote. I own a bunch of tents — probably too many — but I love them all. 

Describe your leadership style.
I am a servant leader. If you need something from me, tell me what it is, and I will try to try to get it for you.

I am not searching to task people out but am always asking, “How can I help? How can I make the situation better as a leader instead of stressing people out?” Good leaders lift up the team.

I treat people with dignity and respect and listen to them. 

If you could thank one person for the role they played in your life, who would it be and why?
My wife. I met her at the Maryland State Fair. She’s my best friend and guide in our faith. 

Who inspires you?
Saint Maximilian Kolbe’s willingness to sacrifice himself inspires me. In 1939, the Nazis imprisoned Kolbe in an Auschwitz death camp. In 1941, Kolbe offered to take the place of a man condemned to die as a punishment for a prisoner escape from the camp. Kolbe’s offer was accepted. He died two weeks later. In the process, he ministered to nine others dying from starvation.