Ground Systems Engineer & Architect
About The Position
The Ground Systems Engineer & Architect is responsible for defining, designing, integrating, and validating secure, mission-critical ground systems supporting advanced space, ISR, and national security missions. This hands-on technical role serves as the ground systems architecture lead, translating mission requirements into scalable, resilient, and secure enterprise solutions across classified computing environments. The position is responsible for developing ground system architectures, interface definitions, COMSEC implementations, RED/BLACK network designs, and integration strategies while leading system verification, operational testing, and customer design reviews throughout the program lifecycle. Working closely with software, hardware, network, cybersecurity, and mission engineering teams, the Ground Systems Engineer & Architect ensures successful delivery of modern ground infrastructures leveraging virtualization, containerized services, DevSecOps practices, and enterprise IT technologies to enable reliable mission operations for U.S. Government and Intelligence Community customers. This position is based on-site in our Reston, VA office.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related technical discipline.
- Active TS/SCI security clearance with the ability to maintain access.
- 8-12+ years of professional experience in systems engineering, software engineering, infrastructure engineering, or ground systems engineering supporting complex government or aerospace programs.
- Experience designing, architecting, integrating, and verifying mission-critical ground systems supporting Intelligence Community (IC), DoD, space, ISR, or other national security programs, including system architecture, interface definition, requirements development, and verification planning.
- Experience developing and implementing Communications Security (COMSEC) plans, key management, and secure communications requirements.
- Strong understanding of RED/BLACK architectures, secure system boundary design, cross-domain considerations, and classified network security principles.
- Experience with IT infrastructure and network integration, including secure networking, virtualization, storage, servers, and enterprise computing environments.
- Experience developing Kubernetes/Docker containerized services.
- Strong systems engineering experience leading system integration, verification, validation, operational testing, and requirements decomposition for complex ground systems.
Nice To Haves
- Master's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Systems Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
- 15+ years of professional experience in systems engineering, software engineering, infrastructure engineering, or ground systems engineering supporting complex government or aerospace programs.
- Experience supporting ISR, SAR, or other space-based intelligence collection missions.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills with experience collaborating across multidisciplinary engineering teams and government stakeholders.
- Proficiency in one or more programming languages such as Python, C/C++
- Hands-on experience with enterprise IT hardware, including servers, networking equipment, storage appliances, and virtualization platforms.
- Experience with automated integration and test frameworks, scripting, and laboratory development.
- Familiarity with DevSecOps practices, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), and modern software deployment pipelines.
- Knowledge of satellite mission operations, TT&C systems, mission planning, or ground data processing architectures.
- Experience supporting U.S. Government, DoD, Intelligence Community, or NRO space programs.
Responsibilities
- Define and develop end-to-end architectures for mission-critical ground systems supporting space, ISR, and national security missions, ensuring scalable, resilient, and secure enterprise solutions.
- Plan and execute system integration, verification, validation, and operational test activities to ensure ground systems meet mission, performance, cybersecurity, and operational requirements.
- Develop and implement secure computing environments including COMSEC, RED/BLACK architectures, cross-domain interfaces, classified networking, Kubernetes/Docker containerized services, virtualization, storage, and enterprise IT infrastructure.
- Serve as the technical authority for ground system design, leading requirements development, interface definition, technical trade studies, and presenting technical solutions at customer reviews including SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR, and ORR.
- Collaborate across multidisciplinary engineering teams to deliver mission-ready ground capabilities using systems engineering best practices, DevSecOps, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), automation, and modern software deployment pipelines supporting U.S. Government and Intelligence Community programs.
Benefits
- Flexible Time Off, Sick, Family & Medical Leave
- Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, LTD, STD (employer funded)
- Vol Life, Critical Illness, Accidental, Hospital Indemnity, Pet Insurance (employee funded)
- 401k with 3% non-elective company contribution
- Stock Options
- Free parking
- Free lunch in office daily
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
