Senior Missile Defense Architect/Technical Element Lead

Nou Systems•Fort Belvoir, VA

About The Position

nou Systems, Inc. is seeking a Senior Missile Defense Architect / Technical Element Lead to join its Engineering Services Division in Fort Belvoir, Virginia. The role supports the Missile Defense Agency’s mission to develop and deploy a layered Missile Defense System (MDS) protecting the United States, deployed forces, allies, and friends from missile attacks throughout all phases of flight. The successful candidate will help shape future MDS architecture by assessing emerging technologies from the Department of War/Defense and other government agencies, defining how nontraditional sensors, weapons, and non-kinetic effects can integrate into the system, and developing recommendations to inform MDA leadership decisions. The position also leads contract activities within MDA’s Chief Architect organization and serves as a key point of contact for customer leadership. nou Systems is an engineering and technology company founded in 2012, working in areas including missile defense, test and evaluation, mission engineering, cybersecurity, test range modernization, biotechnology, and space control. The company describes its culture as collaborative and supportive, with opportunities for advancement and career development.

Requirements

Active Top Secret clearance with SCI and SAP eligibility.
Master’s degree in a STEM field, or a bachelor’s degree in a STEM field with 20 or more years of experience.
At least 12 years working on a missile defense-related or other complex, large Department of War program or project.
Experience conducting or overseeing architecture assessments of alternatives.
Experience as a project lead managing cost, schedule, and technical performance on Department of War or similarly complex programs.
Strong customer engagement and communication skills.
Experience producing or contributing to executive-level briefings and reports.
U.S. citizenship.

Nice To Haves

Active TS/SCI clearance with SAP eligibility.
Knowledge of one or more Missile Defense System elements, such as infrared or radio-frequency sensor systems, interceptors, space systems, communications, missile tracking systems, or Battle Management, Command, Control, and Communications.
Expertise in critical technology areas relevant to current or future missile defense elements, such as directed energy, hypersonics, integrated sensing, cyber, electronic warfare and other non-kinetic effects, advanced computing, artificial intelligence/machine learning, space technology, microelectronics, integrated network systems-of-systems, or advanced materials.
Experience conducting complex analytical studies and developing or adapting analysis tools, including reusable, well-documented MATLAB or Python utilities.
Experience assessing advanced concepts and technologies and evaluating threat intelligence as it relates to new technology.
Experience working with Other Government Agency defense programs.
Experience defining test program objectives and conducting mission planning.

Responsibilities

Lead teams and tasks, applying rigorous engineering judgment to complex technical problems.
Oversee contract activities within MDA’s Chief Architect organization and coordinate with team members, including subcontractors, to ensure consistent contract messaging and high-quality deliverables.
Coordinate with the Contract Technical Lead and provide timely feedback on required deliverables, including the Monthly Status Report.
Maintain relationships with customer leadership, understand and communicate customer needs to the team, and anticipate and resolve technical and programmatic issues.
Provide a system-level perspective on integrating new and nontraditional sensors and weapons into the Missile Defense System.
Lead and conduct architecture analyses, assessments of alternatives, and comparative trade studies.
Prepare assessments, recommendations, papers, briefings, and reports.
Identify Department of War technologies that could strengthen missile defense and defeat missions, and provide expertise needed to integrate them.
Formulate and recommend strategies for achieving the desired Missile Defense System architecture in a Capability Development Roadmap.
Investigate Other Government Agency programs and technologies that complement the MDA mission and identify opportunities for research collaboration or capability integration.