IT Systems Engineer Technical Specialist

Arcfield•Chantilly, VA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Considered a recognized authority within the company, this role tackles unusually complex technical problems and provides highly innovative solutions. The engineer determines and pursues courses of action necessary to obtain desired results, using a holistic approach to design, develop, evaluate, and modify end-to-end systems and system-oriented products throughout their entire life cycle. This includes generating quantifiable requirements based on customer descriptions, system planning, and acquisition logistics, ensuring compliance with client requirements and government standards through formal verification methods. The role involves translating high-level product development strategies into system requirement specifications and collaborating with other engineering disciplines to develop lower-level detailed implementation requirements. It also establishes and coordinates the development of standards, practices, and procedures related to overall product development, designs interfaces, and integrates system elements to function as a whole. Performance is assessed using evaluation criteria and technical performance measures. The position serves as a customer liaison and provides support for business development activities, including understanding and shaping requirements. Participation in system conceptual design and documentation of design concepts is expected. The engineer will translate high-level product development strategies into system requirement specifications and work with multi-disciplined engineering teams to develop lower-level detailed requirements. Involvement in design reviews of components (hardware and software) to ensure applicability to the current system and traceability of requirements through compliance verification and validation is also a key aspect. The role includes generating system-level requirements verification procedures and customer acceptance test procedures, reviewing test plans/procedures to ensure they meet contractual objectives, and participating in the testing process to validate requirements. This program, in its second year of a seven-year contract, provides SETA (Systems Engineering Technical Advisor) & SE&I (Systems Engineering & Integration) services to an important Intelligence Community (IC) customer, focusing on critical space domain missions and supporting IT infrastructure. The contract support is integral to the customer's core team, overseeing all aspects of the systems engineering life cycle, starting with concept of operations (conops) development. This involves direct engagement with users who depend on these systems, capturing their requirements, and collaborating closely with developers to deliver essential capabilities. The role includes setting up and running tests to ensure cutting-edge capabilities meet stringent requirements and supporting transition to operations. Once operational, teams work closely with users to ensure critical operations are successful and provide vital information for policy-maker decisions. The program also supports client acquisition strategy, future technology development, and modernization efforts. Located in Chantilly, VA, this opportunity supports a continually evolving, critical mission system for the IC. In a SETA capacity, the position requires close collaboration with the government customer, development and O&M contractors, and both internal and external users to ensure new capabilities meet user requirements and are successfully transitioned into operations. A significant aspect involves utilizing overhead systems and space domain technologies to accomplish the mission. The role demands an end-to-end understanding of the system and contributions to new capability development through proper system configuration and testing for successful operations. When new capabilities or configurations are needed, expertise will be used to help mission partners achieve optimal solutions. As system familiarity grows, assignments will involve increasingly complex tasks in an acquisition support role. Projects will vary, from user engagement and training to leading end-to-end testing to prove concepts or confirm new enhancements meet user needs. Tasks will span the entire systems engineering life cycle, from initial conops discussions with users through capability development and deployment into operations. Capturing the baseline architecture of systems, traditionally document-based, is also expected, with a transition towards Digital Engineering as products and processes are integrated into the customer's provided digital engineering ecosystem.

Requirements

Must possess and have the ability to maintain an active TS/SCI with Poly.
10 to 12 years with BS or 8 to 10 years with MS and 5 to 7 years with PhD.
Technical BS in Engineering, Computer Science or related technical degree. (4 years of relevant experience on a HW/SW systems development/acquisition program can be substituted for BS).
5 to 7 year experience with space and ground IT communications systems with a mid-level understanding of RF communications theory.
The ability to work well within a team of engineers.
Demonstrated success in working with government customers.

Nice To Haves

Experience with Commercial/Government acquisition of satellite/ground segment hardware/software or satellite based communications field set hardware/software.
BS in Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, Aerospace Engineering or Computer Science.
Prior experience as a SETA with the Chantilly IC customer work with requirements and other related readiness processes.
Prior experience with ground IT segment support of satellite communications systems.
Prior experience with HW/SW systems engineering and integration, testing, verification & validation of requirements.
Familiarity with the concepts of digital engineering to capture the system baseline architecture.

Responsibilities

Designs, develops, evaluates and modifies end-to-end systems and system-oriented products through their entire life cycle.
Generates quantifiable requirements based on customer description, system planning and design, and acquisition logistics.
Ensures requirements comply with client requirements and government standards through formal verification methods.
Translates high level product development strategies into system requirement specifications.
Works with other engineering disciplines to develop lower-level detailed implementation requirements.
Establishes and coordinates development of standards, practices, and procedures as related to the overall product development.
Designs interfaces and brings system elements together so they work as a whole.
Assesses performance using evaluation criteria and technical performance measures.
Customer liaison and support for business development activities and to understand and shape requirements.
Participates in system conceptual design and documentation of the design concepts.
Works with multi-disciplined engineering teams to develop lower-level detailed requirements.
Participates in design reviews of components (hardware and software) to ensure applicability to the current system and traceability of requirements through compliance verification and validation.
Generates system level requirements verification procedures and customer acceptance test procedures.
Reviews test plans/procedures and ensures they meet the objectives of the contractual requirements.
Participates in the testing process to validate requirements.
Works closely with the government customer, the development and O&M contractors and both internal and external users to ensure new capabilities meet user requirements and are successfully transitioned into operations.
Provide end-to-end understanding of the system and contribute to the development of new capabilities by helping to properly configure and test the system for successful operations.
Use expertise to help mission partners achieve the right solutions when new capabilities and/or configurations are necessary.
Capture the baseline architecture of our systems, transitioning toward Digital Engineering.
Engage with users, capture requirements, and work closely with developers to deliver capabilities.
Support transition to operations and work closely with users to make sure critical operations are successful.
Support client acquisition strategy, future technology development and modernization efforts.