Remote Systems Engineer

About Shift5

Shift5 is the observability platform for onboard operational technology (OT). We’re a rapidly growing scale-up that specializes in cybersecurity, predictive maintenance, and compliance for OT systems across defense, aerospace, and rail. We are a collaborative, passionate, and driven cadre of dynamic, multidisciplinary experts focused on helping our customers’ fleets run smarter and safer by accessing and democratizing the volumes of onboard OT data generated by transportation, freight fleets, defense fleets, and other critical infrastructure.

Come join us.

Shift5 is seeking a Systems Engineer to join our team. In this role, you will be the bridge between our engineering teams and our real-world deployments. You will be responsible for overseeing how our system integrates into various DoW platforms, ensuring that all our subsystems—from embedded software, hardware, and cabling to visualization applications, networking schemes, and cloud environments—meet rigorous compliance and customer requirements.

This role is hands-on and execution-oriented, focusing on systems engineering execution across one or more programs, including requirements management, system architecture, technical baseline control, and the delivery of formal systems artifacts (CDRLs/SDRLs) in support of U.S. Department of War (DoW) programs.

This position is based out of our headquarters in Rosslyn, VA, but is open to remote candidates based out of San Diego, CA, Colorado Springs, CO, Fort Hood, TX, or Ogden, UT, and requires up to 30% travel to support customer site integrations and testing.

• Platform Integration & Technical Execution: Define and design the integration of Shift5 software and hardware into customer platforms, including data interfaces, execution environments, OS-level configuration, network topology (TCP/IP, tactical radio/RF), encryption/key management, environmental qualification (MIL-STD), SWaP, cabling, and A-kit development. Identify and manage technical risks and dependencies.

• Requirements & Technical Baseline Management: Own and maintain system-level technical baselines across assigned programs. Oversee tracking, testing, and verification of compliance and customer requirements. Develop, decompose, and manage requirements documents (SRDs, SRSs, ICDs) and evaluate design updates for downstream program impact.

• CDRL & Technical Artifact Development: Lead the development, review, and delivery of formal systems engineering and Contract Data Requirements List (CDRL) artifacts for government acquisition programs, including V&V Plans, System Architecture/Design Documents, Configuration Management artifacts, and Technical Manuals.

• System Architecture & Design: Lead end-to-end, cross-discipline technical execution across software, platform, cyber, data science, and integration teams. Serve as the technical authority for system-level decisions across hardware, software, network, and platform interfaces.

• Verification, Validation & Test: Define system-level verification strategies, acceptance criteria, and testing execution. Perform system-level analyses including latency, throughput, network bandwidth allocation, platform stability, system safety, and fault tolerance (FMECA, Single-Point Failure).

• Program & Customer Engagement: Serve as a primary technical interface with customer engineering, PMOs, and certification authorities. Lead content development for formal technical reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR, TRRs) and define entry/exit criteria for milestone events.

• Mission-Critical Integration: You seamlessly bridge engineering teams and DoW platform deployments, ensuring complex hardware, software, and network subsystems meet strict airworthiness, safety, and compliance…