Principal Systems Engineer, Product Architecture

Principal Systems Engineer, Product Architecture

Performance Drone Works (PDW) is building the next generation of tactical robotic systems used across defense, national security, and public safety missions. We are building a new center of engineering excellence to design our new category of tactical robotic systems and the industrial capacity to deliver them, bringing decisive airpower into the hands of every operator. We are not here to make promises;

we are here to deliver real systems with real capabilities for real missions.
You will join a team of operators, engineers, and builders who solve hard problems with humility and focus. We design and produce multi-mission aerial systems that operators trust to perform in real-world conditions, reliably, repeatedly, and  approach is grounded in operator-centered design, rapid iteration from field use, and U.S.

-based manufacturing. Weoperateby a clear set of values:
Mission First, Aim Farther, Own It, Win Together. This is how we build advantage and how we help protect our service members, our communities, and our country.

Now, we re entering a new phase of growth and are looking for a Principal Systems Engineer Product Architecture to define the technical foundation of our next generation of unmanned systems. As the technical bridge between Product Management and Engineering, you will transform operational needs into scalable product architectures, system requirements, and engineering execution. Working across aircraft, payloads, autonomy, networking, embedded software, and mission systems, you will establish the technical baseline that enables PDW to rapidly develop, field, and evolve mission-critical capabilities for the warfighter.

What You ll Do

• Own the technical architecture, system requirements, and engineering baseline for PDW s portfolio of unmanned aircraft systems, payloads, mission systems, and supporting infrastructure.
• Partner with Product Management, customers, and operational stakeholders to translate mission needs and product strategy into complete, verifiable, and traceable system requirements.
• Lead Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) activities by developing and maintaining digital system models, architecture products, and engineering artifacts using SysML.
• Develop and manage system, subsystem, and interface requirements spanning aircraft, payloads, tactical radios, networking, autonomy, embedded software, and ground control systems.
• Conduct architecture trade studies that balance mission effectiveness, technical risk, manufacturability, scalability, cost, schedule, and long-term product evolution.
• Own the product digital thread by maintaining end-to-end traceability from customer need through product requirements, system architecture, design, verification, flight test, and production configuration.
• Author and maintain system specifications, Interface Control Documents (ICDs), requirements traceability matrices, verification plans, and technical review packages.
• Lead technical planning and support system integration, laboratory testing, flight testing, verification, validation, and customer demonstrations.

Requirements

• Bachelor s degree in Systems Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related engineering discipline. Master s degree preferred.
• 10+ years of experience developing complex aerospace, defense, robotics, autonomous systems, or unmanned aircraft platforms from concept through production.
• Demonstrated expertise applying Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) methodologies using SysML and industry-standard digital engineering tools.
• Proven experience developing product architectures, system requirements, interface definitions, verification strategies, and technical baselines for multidisciplinary systems.
• Experience developing or integrating small, unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS), mission payloads, tactical communications, RF systems, networking, autonomy, or embedded systems.
• Proficiency with systems engineering tools such as Cameo Systems Modeler, or equivalent platforms.
• Strong understanding of systems integration, networking architectures, payload integration, verification and validation, configuration management, and the engineering product lifecycle.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional technical decisions while influencing engineering direction without direct organizational authority.
• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills with the ability to communicate effectively with engineering teams, executive leadership, customers, and government stakeholders.
• Must be eligible to obtain andmaintaina U.S. Secret security clearance or higher, as required.

Preferred

• Experience with DoD Digital Engineering initiatives, Modular Open Systems Architecture (MOSA), Open Mission Systems (OMS), FACE, or other open architecture standards.
• Experience developing, fielding, or sustaining military unmanned systems or autonomous products for U.S. Government customers.

Physical…