Lead Systems Architect/Engineer

General Dynamics Mission Systems • Manassas, VA

2d • Hybrid

About The Position

Serve as technical lead and system architect for the prototype effort. Define the prototype architecture, integration strategy, performance objectives, technical risks, and verification approach. Lead trade studies and down-select recommendations for voice recording, network switching, network security gateways or boundary-protection solutions, and related communications components. Direct development of a virtualized voice and communications-services environment, including high availability, configuration backup and recovery, and network segmentation. Lead technical evaluation of voice services, analog gateways, recording solutions, network-switching, wireless, and legacy-interface options. Ensure the solution preserves physical, hard-wired, and operational interface constraints while minimizing impacts to existing platform documentation and configuration. Plan and lead integration testing in designated laboratory environments, including mobile-device-to-handset call flows and representative operational scenarios. Develop test plans, acceptance criteria, technical findings, risk assessments, and corrective-action recommendations. Produce and defend the final technical report covering architecture, trade-study outcomes, integration-test results, cybersecurity considerations, obsolescence strategy, performance improvements, and recommended next steps. Coordinate technical activities with government customers, program management, cybersecurity stakeholders, and internal engineering disciplines. Mentor engineers and establish configuration management for prototype software, network configurations, test evidence, and design artifacts.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, or a related Science, Engineering or Mathematics field, plus a minimum of 10 years of relevant experience; or Master's degree plus a minimum of 8 years of relevant experience.
• Must be able to obtain a Department of Defense Secret security clearance within a reasonable amount of time.
• Applicants selected will be subject to a U.S. Government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information.
• U.S. citizenship is required.
• Demonstrated systems-engineering experience with architecture, interface definition, requirements decomposition, integration, test, and technical risk management.
• Deep practical experience with voice-over-IP, session-based communications, private-branch-exchange systems, network switching, virtual LANs, quality of service, power over Ethernet, and Linux-based or virtualized environments.
• Experience architecting and integrating containerized services using Kubernetes or a comparable container-orchestration platform, including high availability, service isolation, configuration management, and deployment in disconnected or resource-constrained environments.
• Experience integrating legacy analog or telephony interfaces using analog telephony gateways, interface adapters, or comparable voice-integration technologies.
• Knowledge of commercial-off-the-shelf lifecycle management, obsolescence analysis, trade studies, and hardware-refresh strategies.
• Ability to write clear, defensible technical reports and brief technical findings to government customers and senior leadership.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with naval, maritime, enterprise communications, or comparable mission systems.
• Experience with virtualization, containers, high-availability design, virtual-machine hardening, and real-time audio performance tuning.
• Familiarity with Risk Management Framework (RMF), security hardening benchmarks, secure wireless architecture, and classified-network cybersecurity engineering.
• Experience working in laboratory, waterfront, or integration-test environments.

Responsibilities

• Serve as technical lead and system architect for the prototype effort.
• Define the prototype architecture, integration strategy, performance objectives, technical risks, and verification approach.
• Lead trade studies and down-select recommendations for voice recording, network switching, network security gateways or boundary-protection solutions, and related communications components.
• Direct development of a virtualized voice and communications-services environment, including high availability, configuration backup and recovery, and network segmentation.
• Lead technical evaluation of voice services, analog gateways, recording solutions, network-switching, wireless, and legacy-interface options.
• Ensure the solution preserves physical, hard-wired, and operational interface constraints while minimizing impacts to existing platform documentation and configuration.
• Plan and lead integration testing in designated laboratory environments, including mobile-device-to-handset call flows and representative operational scenarios.
• Develop test plans, acceptance criteria, technical findings, risk assessments, and corrective-action recommendations.
• Produce and defend the final technical report covering architecture, trade-study outcomes, integration-test results, cybersecurity considerations, obsolescence strategy, performance improvements, and recommended next steps.
• Coordinate technical activities with government customers, program management, cybersecurity stakeholders, and internal engineering disciplines.
• Mentor engineers and establish configuration management for prototype software, network configurations, test evidence, and design artifacts.

Benefits

• Opportunities for continuous learning and development.
• Research oriented work, alongside award winning teams developing practical solutions for our nation’s security.
• Flexible schedules with every other Friday off work, if desired (9/80 schedule).
• Competitive benefits, including 401k matching, flex time off, paid parental leave, healthcare benefits, health & wellness programs, employee resource and social groups, and more.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior