Lead Systems Engineer/Architect

Brightline Interactive

About The Position

We are seeking a hands-on Lead Systems Engineer / Architect to own the end-to-end systems architecture of the SpatialCore platform, from data ingestion and AI/ML fusion through real-time bi-directional data serving and edge deployment. You will architect the system that ties together existing built components with new infrastructure into a cohesive, scalable, and secure platform. You will write architecture decision records, produce system design specifications, lead design reviews, and contribute directly to the most complex integration challenges. You will set the technical standards for a rapidly growing engineering team while ensuring every architectural decision supports both defense compliance requirements and commercial scalability.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Systems Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a closely related engineering discipline
12+ years in systems engineering, software architecture, or platform engineering, with substantial experience delivering production systems at scale
5+ years in a technical leadership role — leading architecture decisions, mentoring engineers, and owning system-level design across multi-component platforms
Demonstrated experience architecting distributed systems that span edge, cloud, and hybrid deployment topologies
Proven track record integrating heterogeneous data sources and protocols into unified platforms (ETL/ELT pipelines, data normalization, format conversion)
Experience with real-time or near-real-time systems — low-latency data processing, streaming architectures, or embedded/IoT system integration
Public sector delivery experience — architecting or delivering systems for DoD, federal civilian agencies, or defense primes, with working knowledge of defense compliance frameworks
Systems design: Deep proficiency in designing scalable, fault-tolerant distributed systems using microservices, event-driven, and message-based architectures
Languages: Strong proficiency in Python and C++ required; experience with Rust, Go, highly valued
Data engineering: Experience with spatial data formats, 3D data pipelines, or geospatial data processing
Networking & protocols: Solid understanding of transport-layer protocols (UDP, TCP), multicast, and reliable messaging patterns; experience with IoT protocols (MQTT, CoAP, OPC UA, DDS) a plus
Cloud & infrastructure: Proficiency with containerization (Docker, Kubernetes), infrastructure-as-code (Terraform), and at least one major cloud platform (AWS, Azure, GCP)
Security: Working knowledge of secure system design, encryption at rest/in transit, zero-trust architecture principles, and compliance frameworks (NIST 800-171, CMMC)
DevSecOps: Experience establishing CI/CD pipelines with integrated security scanning, automated testing, and configuration management

Nice To Haves

Master's degree preferred, particularly in Systems Engineering, Software Architecture, or a related field
Background in AI/ML system integration — deploying models into production pipelines, sensor fusion, or multi-modal AI architectures
Experience with TAK ecosystem integration or tactical edge computing platforms
Familiarity with consumption-based pricing architectures (metering, usage tracking, billing integration)
Experience architecting multi-tenant SaaS platforms with per-customer isolation
Active or recent security clearance, or ability to obtain one
Relevant certifications: AWS Solutions Architect Professional, Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA), TOGAF, INCOSE CSEP, or similar

Responsibilities

Define and own the end-to-end systems architecture for SpatialCore, encompassing data ingestion, transformation, AI/ML fusion, real-time data serving, and client-side rendering
Architect the integration of existing platform components into a unified, production-grade system
Design extensible APIs and SDKs enabling third-party connector development
Architect edge deployment patterns for disconnected, intermittent, and low-bandwidth environments common in defense and industrial settings
Define data flow architectures supporting token-based consumption metering (ingestion, transformation, query/export tiers)
Establish platform scalability patterns from hundreds to tens of thousands of connected endpoints
Produce and maintain comprehensive architecture documentation: system context diagrams, component diagrams, sequence diagrams, interface specifications, and Architecture Decision Records
Establish and enforce engineering standards for configuration control, version management, and reproducible builds
Lead technical design reviews and serve as the final technical authority on architectural decisions
Define and implement the CI/CD pipeline strategy incorporating DevSecOps practices across the full software development lifecycle
Translate high-level product requirements into detailed technical specifications and executable engineering tasks
Mentor and guide engineers across the team, establishing a culture of technical rigor, thorough documentation, and disciplined execution
Architect the data normalization pipeline converting heterogeneous formats
Design real-time and near-real-time data fusion architectures integrating multiple sensor modalities and data sources
Define protocol-level integration patterns for the communications layer, including multicast, fault tolerance, and contested environment resilience
Architect bi-directional data serving patterns supporting both cloud-based and edge-deployed topologies
Design data provenance and settlement mechanisms for multi-party data exchange scenarios
Architect systems that satisfy defense compliance frameworks (CMMC, NIST SP 800-171/800-53) while remaining commercially viable
Design Trusted Execution Environment integration for hardware-backed data security
Ensure secure coding practices and threat modeling are embedded in the development process, not bolted on
Architect role-based access control, audit logging, and data handling appropriate for sensitive but unclassified environments
Design platform architecture that cleanly separates defense and commercial deployments while maximizing code reuse
Partner with the CTO on technical vision, technology roadmap, and build-vs-buy decisions
Collaborate with the Growth Team to translate customer requirements and field feedback into architectural priorities
Work to evaluate and integrate emerging technologies into the platform roadmap
Support the contracts team in technical proposal writing and solution architecture for government bids