Advanced Capabilities Engineer - DIA Programs Lead

Responsibilities Advanced Capabilities Engineer – DIA Programs Lead Within Peraton's Space and Mission Solutions sector, there is an immediate need for a cleared Advanced Capabilities Engineer (ACE) to serve as the primary technical proposal lead for Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) opportunities. This is a full-time, on-site position based in Reston, VA with ability to have a regular presence at DIA facilities and program offices as required.

As an ACE, you sit at the intersection of technical strategy and proposal execution. You are not a pure technologist, and you are not a pure proposal writer — you are the person who translates deep DIA mission understanding into winning technical approaches. This role is designed for a systems engineer or technical architect who has led or significantly contributed to technical volumes on competitive DIA proposals — and who is ready to step into a role where that skill is the primary contribution.

You will work closely with the DIA Mission Domain Expert, the CTO Office's Next-Gen Technology Engineers, and the Growth Organization to ensure Peraton's DIA pursuits are technically differentiated from the first day of capture through final proposal submission.

What you’ll do:

Lead the development of technical volumes and technical approaches for DIA proposals, owning the content from outline through final submission

Engage with DIA program offices and technical directorates during pre-RFP phases to build understanding of requirements, evaluation criteria, and mission priorities

Collaborate with the DIA Mission Domain Expert to translate customer relationships and mission insight into technically differentiated proposal strategies

Work with Next-Gen Technology Engineers in AI/data fusion, networking, and cloud to incorporate emerging capabilities into DIA technical solutions — with particular emphasis on analytics modernization and emergent technology insertion

Conduct competitive analysis and develop differentiation strategies that highlight Peraton's unique technical value for DIA pursuits, including recompete defense strategies for incumbent work Support bid/no-bid assessments by providing technically grounded Pwin analysis and honest evaluation of Peraton's competitive position

Participate in color team reviews — both as author and as reviewer — providing and receiving substantive technical feedback

Maintain awareness of DIA acquisition pipeline, technology priorities, and program office activity to inform pursuit strategy, with particular focus on MARS/MIDB data architecture, network management, and analytics modernization efforts

Mentor junior engineers and proposal contributors on technical writing, solution architecture, and proposal best practices

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

A minimum of 8+ years of experience with a BS/BA in Systems Engineering, Computer Science, Information Technology, Data Science, or related field; OR 6+ years with MS/MA; OR 3+ years with PhD. 4 years of additional work experience may be considered in lieu of a Bachelor's degree

Direct experience supporting DIA programs — you understand DIA's organizational structure, acquisition processes, and mission priorities from having worked within that environment

Demonstrated experience leading or significantly contributing to technical volumes on competitive DIA proposals — you have owned sections, not just reviewed them Strong systems engineering, data architecture background or analytics background — ability to architect solutions, develop concepts of operations, and translate requirements into technically differentiated approaches

Experience with one or more of the following DIA mission areas: intelligence analytics and data exploitation, network management and enterprise IT…