Weather Domain, SME

Responsibilities

The Weather Domain Subject Matter Expert (SME) serves as the senior technical authority for the FAA Weather Domain
, leading a team of Architects and Systems Engineers to define the FAA vision for weather modernization and translate it into actionable Enterprise Architecture
, capability roadmaps, and implementation‑ready designs.

This role requires deep expertise with FAA weather systems and technologies, including (but not limited to)
NEXRAD, TDWR, LLWAS, ITWS, WARP, CCFP
, and Aviation Weather Cameras
. The SME ensures weather architectures are resilient, interoperable, safety‑oriented, and integrated with NAS automation, surveillance, communications, and operational constraints—while enabling consistent, high‑quality weather products and decision support.

• Serve as the principal Weather Domain advisor to FAA leadership and program stakeholders for weather modernization strategy, enterprise architecture, and technical governance.
• Lead an integrated team of Architects and Systems Engineers to develop weather domain architectures, reference designs, and transition strategies aligned to FAA priorities and NAS operational needs.
• Define the Weather Domain Vision‑to‑Execution blueprint, including target‑state architecture, transition states, and migration sequencing that preserves operational continuity and reduces safety/operational risk.
• Own the weather enterprise design across sensing, product generation, fusion, and dissemination—ensuring coherent integration of radar/wind shear/camera and derived products into downstream NAS consumers.
• Drive weather data architecture and interoperability, including interface definitions, distribution patterns, data quality controls, latency/update requirements, and alignment with enterprise services.
• Establish and chair domain‑level architecture governance, including design reviews, reference patterns, standards profiles, interface control discipline, and technical debt management across weather capabilities.
• Coordinate cross‑domain integration with automation, surveillance, telecommunications, cybersecurity, infrastructure/platform, and test & evaluation teams to ensure weather designs are secure, deployable, supportable, and verifiable.
• Lead technical trade studies and modernization planning, evaluating sensor/product strategies, fusion and dissemination approaches, resiliency patterns, and lifecycle sustainment considerations.
• Guide operational suitability and sustainment alignment, ensuring architecture accounts for site constraints, maintenance windows, monitoring/observability, spares/logistics, and continuity‑of‑operations needs.
• Mentor and develop senior technical staff, building consistent engineering rigor, traceability, and architectural coherence across a complex, multi‑stakeholder environment.

• Minimum of 16 years with BS/BA or Minimum of 14 years with MS/MA
• Bachelor's degree in Systems Engineering, Meteorology/Atmospheric Science, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Aerospace/Aviation Engineering, or a related discipline (or equivalent experience).
• 12+ years of experience in enterprise/system architecture, weather systems engineering, sensor integration, or technical leadership on large‑scale, mission‑critical programs (aviation, defense, or similarly regulated environments).
• Hands‑on FAA Weather Domain experience is required, including strong familiarity with one or more of:
  • Weather radars: NEXRAD and/or TDWR
  • Hazard detection/alerts: LLWAS, ITWS
  • Weather processing/distribution: WARP and/or related FAA weather product pipelines
  • Forecast products: CCFP
  • Situational awareness feeds:
    Aviation Weather Cameras
• Demonstrated experience leading technical teams (architects/engineers) delivering enterprise architecture and domain designs across multiple stakeholders.
• Strong systems engineering foundation: requirements development, interface definition/ICDs, configuration management, design reviews, and verification/validation planning.
• Working knowledge of mission/safety‑critical engineering considerations (availability, latency, integrity, operational continuity, graceful degradation).
• Ability to…