Lead Systems Engineer

Pay Range: $80.52hr - $85.52hr Job Overview:
The organization is seeking a Systems Engineer Lead to provide technical leadership across the full lifecycle of advanced data link and SATCOM systems, from concept development and capture through design, integration, verification, deployment, sustainment, and eventual product phase-out. This role is ideal for a systems engineering leader who thrives in complex, mission-critical environments and brings deep experience across hardware, software, and integrated system solutions.

The successful candidate will help shape technical direction, guide cross-functional engineering teams, influence key program decisions, and ensure solutions meet customer needs, mission requirements, and quality standards. The candidate will serve as a technical authority for large, complex efforts of substantial importance to the organization, driving architecture and requirements decisions, supporting customer engagement, and mentoring engineers. Work Environment:
The work environment consists of cubicles, offices, and production or lab collaboration spaces with a small team.

Essential Functions:

Lead systems engineering activities across the program lifecycle, including requirements development, architecture definition, interface management, integration, verification, validation, deployment, and sustainment. Own and maintain customer, derived, and allocated requirements across system levels, ensuring decomposition, traceability, change control, and verification closure. Lead technical baseline development, trade studies, architecture decisions, and design reviews for complex communications systems. Develop, review, and maintain technical documentation, including specifications, interface control documents, architecture artifacts, test plans, procedures, verification strategies, and technical reports.

Provide technical direction to cross-functional teams and review engineering work products across multiple disciplines. Drive technical risk and opportunity management, root-cause analysis, and corrective action planning across cost, schedule, performance, cybersecurity, and mission requirements. Partner with program leadership, customers, and engineering stakeholders to support technical planning, milestone reviews, proposals, and ongoing execution. Mentor and coach engineers across the organization, helping elevate technical capability, consistency, and engineering judgment.

Recommend and implement improvements to systems engineering processes, tools, standards, and digital engineering practices, leveraging MBSE where applicable. Travel 10-20% within CONUS to support customer meetings, technical reviews, demonstrations, and verification activities. Maintain an active Secret security clearance.

Qualifications:

The candidate should have a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related technical field and a minimum of 9+ years of prior relevant experience; or a graduate degree and a minimum of 7+ years of prior related experience; or, in lieu of a degree, a minimum of 13+ years of prior related experience. Nice-To-Haves (Hard Skills):
Preference will be given to applicants with electrical engineering degrees. Previous RAMS, Human Factors Engineering, FRACAS, Logistics Analysis including GEIA-STD-0007, and defense industry experience. Proficiency with tools such as Teamcenter, SAP, MS Office, SharePoint, Relyence, Catia Cameo, and Ansys Sherlock. Strong mathematical skills, especially in probability and statistics. Degree/Certification Requirements:
Bachelor's Degree and minimum 9+ years of prior relevant experience; or a Graduate Degree and a minimum of 7+ years of prior related experience; or, in lieu of a degree,…