Principal Systems Engineer - Auxiliary and Training Product Line

General Dynamics Mission Systems • Pittsfield, MA

14h • Hybrid

About The Position

As a Senior Advanced Systems Engineer supporting the Auxiliary and Training product line, you will be a major contributor to the technical direction and long-range plans for the Fleet Ballistic Missile Auxiliary and Training Systems portfolio. You will report to the Auxiliary and Training product line and work across programs and product teams rather than being assigned to a single system. Our portfolio develops, maintains, and enhances simulation, test, training, and support systems serving the Ohio-class fleet and future Columbia-class submarines. These systems allow engineering teams to develop, integrate, and test Fire Control capabilities in lab environments and help prepare the fleet to operate those capabilities before they are used aboard a submarine. In this role, you will partner with product-line leadership and program, engineering, business development, and customer stakeholders to translate mission needs and business objectives into an integrated technical strategy. You will provide the analysis and systems engineering depth needed to develop and maintain product roadmaps, identify common needs and reuse opportunities across systems, assess technology and architecture alternatives, and recommend approaches that balance mission value, technical risk, affordability, schedule, supportability, and long-term product health. You will provide senior systems engineering support for emerging Auxiliary and Training demands that do not fit neatly within one program. This may include driving early concept development, mission and stakeholder analysis, architecture definition, trade studies, technical planning, rough-order-of-magnitude estimates, risk and opportunity analysis, proposal development, and transition planning. You will help product-line leadership mature ambiguous needs into clear, actionable work that can be executed by the appropriate product or program team. The position combines strategic influence with practical engineering depth. You will engage with technical details, review architectures and engineering products, challenge assumptions, resolve cross-product issues, and lead focused technical efforts when the portfolio needs experienced judgment. You will also mentor engineers and technical leads, strengthen systems engineering practices across the product line, and communicate clear decisions, priorities, risks, and recommendations to internal and customer stakeholders.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Systems Engineering, or a related Science, Engineering or Mathematics field, plus a minimum of 8 years of relevant experience; or Master's degree, plus a minimum of 6 years of relevant experience.
• Department of Defense Top Secret security clearance is preferred at time of hire.
• 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.

Nice To Haves

• Experience leading systems engineering for complex, mission-critical products across the full development life cycle.
• Experience developing product strategies, capability roadmaps, technology roadmaps, or investment plans across multiple systems or programs.
• Experience translating mission needs, customer priorities, and business objectives into architectures, requirements, technical plans, and executable development efforts.
• Experience leading concept development, alternatives analysis, trade studies, system architecture, interface definition, integration, verification, or validation.
• Experience identifying common capabilities, product-line architectures, reuse opportunities, and modernization paths across a portfolio of new and legacy systems.
• Experience performing technical planning, cost and schedule estimation, risk and opportunity management, supportability analysis, or effectiveness analysis.
• Experience shaping proposals, new business pursuits, Internal Research and Development efforts, or customer-funded studies.
• Experience leading large technical teams, major projects, or cross-functional working groups through influence and sound engineering judgment.
• Experience communicating technical strategy, roadmap priorities, investment choices, risks, and recommendations to customers and senior leadership.
• Experience with defense systems, Fleet Ballistic Missile or Fire Control programs, simulation systems, training systems, laboratory environments, or other integrated hardware and software systems.
• Experience with requirements management, model-based systems engineering, system modeling tools, digital engineering, or product-line engineering methods.
• Experience working across software, hardware, infrastructure, cybersecurity, integration, test, manufacturing, and sustainment disciplines.
• Strong understanding and application of systems engineering principles, concepts, theories, and technical standards.
• Demonstrated ability to see across individual products, connect near-term demands to long-term direction, and turn ambiguity into an executable path.
• Broad technical judgment with enough depth to evaluate complex architectures, interfaces, risks, and design decisions.
• Ability to influence product-line and program decisions through credible analysis, clear communication, and productive working relationships.
• Ability to balance mission, customer, engineering, business, cost, schedule, and sustainment considerations when making recommendations.
• Collaborative leadership style that aligns stakeholders, develops technical leaders, and positions teams for successful execution without relying on formal authority.
• Strong written, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills, including the ability to explain complex issues and negotiate practical solutions.
• Ability to move comfortably between long-range strategy and focused support for urgent technical or customer needs.
• Commitment to ongoing professional development for yourself and others.
• Identifies opportunities to apply AI for continuous improvement and innovation.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to the technical direction and long-range plans for the Fleet Ballistic Missile Auxiliary and Training Systems portfolio.
• Partner with product-line leadership and stakeholders to translate mission needs and business objectives into an integrated technical strategy.
• Provide analysis and systems engineering depth to develop and maintain product roadmaps.
• Identify common needs and reuse opportunities across systems.
• Assess technology and architecture alternatives.
• Recommend approaches that balance mission value, technical risk, affordability, schedule, supportability, and long-term product health.
• Provide senior systems engineering support for emerging Auxiliary and Training demands.
• Drive early concept development, mission and stakeholder analysis, architecture definition, trade studies, technical planning, rough-order-of-magnitude estimates, risk and opportunity analysis, proposal development, and transition planning.
• Mature ambiguous needs into clear, actionable work.
• Engage with technical details, review architectures and engineering products, challenge assumptions, and resolve cross-product issues.
• Lead focused technical efforts when the portfolio needs experienced judgment.
• Mentor engineers and technical leads.
• Strengthen systems engineering practices across the product line.
• Communicate clear decisions, priorities, risks, and recommendations to internal and customer stakeholders.

Benefits

• Flexible schedules with every other Friday off work, if desired, through a 9/80 schedule.
• Competitive benefits, including 401k matching, flex time off, paid parental leave, healthcare benefits, health and wellness programs, employee resource and social groups, and more.

What This Job Offers

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