Principal Systems Engineer

About this position

Attalon is a leading technology partner to the global aerospace and defense industry, specializing in the physics of light and heat. With over 500 employees in the U.S., Attalon engineers critical optical, laser, and coating technologies that enable systems to see farther, target faster, and survive the harshest environments. From high‑energy directed laser systems to satellite optics and hypersonic thermal protection, Attalon equips the warfighter with the advantage of precision.

Located along Colorado’s scenic Front Range and nestled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, Longmont offers a high quality of life, breathtaking natural beauty, and easy access to outdoor recreation, making it the perfect place to balance work and play.

This role is an on‑site position based in Longmont, CO. The Laser and Gimbal Systems Division focuses on building high‑energy lasers and precision opto‑mechanical assemblies for the defense market, supporting critical national‑security initiatives and defense innovation.

Attalon is seeking a Principal Systems Engineer to evaluate and implement solutions for the design, integration, and test of high energy lasers, precision pointing gimbaled beam directors, and integrated Directed Energy Laser Systems. The successful candidate will have expertise in requirements development, system architecture definition, specialty engineering, and verification; as well as cross‑disciplinary knowledge in areas of optical, mechanical, and electrical systems, software integration, and quantitative data analysis.

This role involves leading projects, collaborating with multidisciplinary teams, and providing technical leadership throughout the entire system lifecycle. A successful candidate will have a demonstrated breadth of systems‑engineering knowledge necessary to develop and derive requirements related to function, performance, environments, and quality attributes in the context of operational concepts and applicable military specifications and standards. The successful candidate should have modeling and/or simulation experience in radiometry, beam propagation, and electro‑optics.

• System Requirements: Define, manage, and ensure compliance with program requirements. Actively maintain a requirements database including bi‑directional traceability and verification strategy. Define CONOPS, use‑cases, and day‑in‑the‑life / lifetime use profiles.
• System Architecture: Lead system architecture design and optimization by defining and documenting interfaces, performance characteristics, and functional allocations. Conduct trade studies to balance performance, quality, cost, schedule, and risk. Develop key performance parameters, engineering budgets, and feasibility models while ensuring compliance and system reliability. Perform failure modes and effects analyses, as well as system safety and hazard assessments, to enhance operational performance and maintain reliability.
• System Modeling and Simulation: Design and execute physics‑based modeling and simulations for system performance evaluations, including radiometric analysis, beam propagation, pointing and tracking, and environmental effects. Leverage modeling and quantitative analysis to inform design decisions, assess trades, and predict system behavior under operational conditions.
• Integration, Testing, and Verification: Develop system‑level test strategies, plans, and procedures to verify performance against requirements. Oversee and participate in system integration activities and troubleshooting, ensuring system functionality across environmental and operational conditions through verification and validation testing. Analyze test results and identify root causes of failures, driving corrective actions to closure.
• Risk and Opportunity Management: Identify, analyze, and mitigate technical risks during the system lifecycle to ensure cost‑effective and timely delivery of objectives. Proactively identify opportunities for design improvement, performance enhancements, and cost/schedule efficiency.
• Systems Engineering Documentation: Drive the creation and delivery of critical systems engineering documentation,…