Senior Engineering Lead

Innovative Defense Technologies (IDT)•Arlington, VA

6d•Onsite

About The Position

Innovative Defense Technologies (IDT), a leading defense technology company, is seeking a Senior Engineering Lead to be part of our Warfare Systems team and based out of our Arlington, VA location. The Senior Engineering Lead will be responsible for leading teams in technically challenging environments including executive steering, project management, software development, data analysis, contract/fiscal management, combat systems and sensor development, as well as employee development. The Senior Engineering Lead will be equally comfortable navigating executive leaders and leading teams through the meaningful technical challenges and schedules. The Senior Engineer Lead will support Program Management and Business Area leadership across all IDT functions, to include contracts, finance, engineering, and business leadership, to ensure projects perform properly and adhere to corporate processes. The ideal candidate has experience performing across all elements of the software development life cycle (SDLC) from preliminary system analysis to test and deployment. The ideal candidate will be fiercely accountable for the delivery of well-architected and production-ready solutions that exceed the customer’s requirements. The Warfare Systems business area is one of six mission critical business units within the IDT organization and is directly responsible for building, testing, validating, and deploying the Navy’s next generation of tactical warfare and weapons systems. As the nation enters the ‘technology-first’ era of warfare, the Warfare Systems group will be responsible for enabling and accelerating the mission critical tactical capability that is delivered to the warfighter. The Warfare System Senior Engineering Lead will provide critical technical leadership to our team of software and systems engineers building tactically relevant and technically innovative solutions to ensure the highest impact to the US Navy.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent full time professional experience
Familiarity with Navy Tactical Systems, including AEGIS Weapon System, Ship Self Defense System (SSDS), or other Navy sensor and weapons systems
10+ years of full-time professional experience, including experience leading technical teams across a variety of technology platforms and programming languages such as Python, Java, C++, and modern web technology stacks
Relevant experience building and deploying cloud-native solutions within commercial cloud environments, including Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure
Experience building and deploying cloud-native applications on Kubernetes platforms, including proficiency with containerized orchestration methods and familiarity with Linux operating environments
Ability to travel up to 25% as needed
Strong sense of ownership, urgency, and initiative, with the ability to translate complex or ambiguous requirements into effective technical solutions
Proven problem-solving skills with the ability to define requirements, scope projects, and independently deliver solutions
Excellent communication skills with the ability to collaborate across technical and non-technical teams and clearly explain complex concepts to diverse audiences
Demonstrated ability to build strong cross-functional relationships across engineering, security, compliance, and other stakeholder groups
Strong attention to detail while maintaining awareness of broader organizational and technical objectives
Ability to navigate ambiguity and make sound technical and operational decisions in fast-paced environments
Excellent oral, written, and technical communication skills
Demonstrated leadership capability, including developing strategic plans of action, building and leading teams to execute against those plans, and effectively communicating progress and priorities across all levels of the organization
Must currently possess an active Secret U.S. Security Clearance.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in computer science, engineering or other technical field highly desired.
Familiar with Agentic AI methodologies and Large Language Models (LLMs)
Proven past performance leading technical teams in fast paced, challenging environments, with Navy systems and government program offices.
Familiar with Model Based System Engineering (MBSE) methodologies

Responsibilities

Work across projects ensuring consistent direction and progress with consistent solution & product capability build out.
Develop and execute the long-term technical roadmap, including the improvement of and adoption of new technologies, architectures, and development practices.
Interact with customers to elicit, refine and document technical requirements.
Drive internal cultural and process improvement to enhance team efficiency, transparency, and product quality.
Lead the full lifecycle of complex engineering projects, from initial concept and strategic planning to deployment and sustainment.
Lead, manage, and mentor a diverse team of software engineers, systems engineers, and technical staff, fostering a culture of collaboration and high performance.
Directly support the Warfare Systems Business Area lead in growing existing customer relationships and the application of ATRT Technologies to existing customers.
Operates effectively through ambiguous priorities and when the way forward is not clear.
Leads customized product reviews and technical demonstrations with customers and IDT stakeholders; Articulates value and opportunity to customers.
Present to IDT leadership on project cost, schedule, and technical progress.
Achieves outcomes to advance IDT business objectives and customer strategic objectives.