Senior Systems Engineer

Sherpa 6 • Springfield, VA

1d • $110,000 - $150,000 • Remote

About The Position

Sherpa 6 is seeking a motivated, senior level Cross-Functional Systems Engineer to support systems engineering processes, program governance, and administrative coordination across proposal development and program execution efforts. This position is intentionally process, procedure, and staff coordination focused, with some hands-on technical engineering products required. It is well-suited for an experienced systems engineer who is looking to transition from direct technical execution coordination; engineering oversight; resource allocation; requirements identification, tracking, and resolution; and cross-functional coordination. The scope of the work includes coordination of everything from new technology integration to software developers, hardware and software integrators, and program strategy and execution. In this role, you will work closely with Program Office Leadership, Solution Architects, Program Execution teams, military, civilian, and contractor personal to ensure that systems engineering processes, documentation, and controls are consistently applied across programs and active projects. You will serve as a key integrator between technical teams, program management, and leadership, ensuring alignment between contract scope, technical assumptions, risk posture, and execution realities. The Cross-Functional Systems Engineer will primarily apply systems engineering discipline using structured processes and tools to: Document requirements and trace them to efforts and capabilities Identify, track, and mitigate program risk Identify and actively manage scope creep Ensure technical architecture and documentation consistency Build and brief products to support decision making at the leadership and program staff level While a strong technical background is required to understand and evaluate technical trade space in support of decisions, this role does not involve day-to-day coding, configuration, or system build activities. Instead, it emphasizes engineering oversight, staff coordination, documentation management, and process enforcement. This position requires exceptional communication skills, comfort operating in a staff environment, and the ability to manage multiple stakeholders, priorities, and artifacts simultaneously. The role will initially support one to two key program initiatives and expand in scope as capacity and program needs evolve.

Requirements

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with a strong emphasis on clear documentation and staff coordination.
• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or a related technical field with a minimum of 10 years of experience in systems engineering, software engineering, or a related discipline. Or a Master’s degree in engineering or a related technical field with a minimum of 5 years of experience in systems engineering, software engineering, or a related discipline.
• Demonstrated experience applying systems engineering processes in a governance, oversight, or staff capacity.
• Strong background in software-oriented systems engineering with demonstrated experience evaluating designs, managing risks, and making recommendations based on tradeoff analyses you performed.
• Familiarity with Army systems and operational environments (e.g., Nett Warrior, Tactical Networks, ancillary system integration, MDMP, sustainment, and training).
• Experience with requirements management and program support tools (e.g., Jira, Jama, risk registers, and related PM processes).
• Experience coordinating with DoD or federal customers, particularly in a staff coordination and decision support role.
• Ability to translate user needs and technical discussions into structured documentation and actionable program artifacts.
• Must be a US citizen
• Must pass a background check and drug screening

Nice To Haves

• Experience supporting defense acquisition programs (ACAT II / III) from a systems engineering staff or program support perspective.
• Experience working within DoD program management and contracting environments (DAWIA PM, PMP, or equivalent).
• Application of disciplined systems engineering processes (INCOSE, CMMI).
• Familiarity with RMF, CSfC, and cybersecurity processes at an oversight and coordination level.
• Experience supporting architecture frameworks (DoDAF/UAF) and maintaining program-level engineering artifacts.
• Experience working in environments involving AI/ML, UAS, enterprise mobility, or tactical networks (oversight and integration focus).

Responsibilities

• Support Program Office Leadership, Program Execution teams, military, civilian, and contractor personal by shaping technical approaches, compliance matrices, and requirements traceability, with an emphasis on documentation accuracy, product building and process rigor.
• Provide staff-level systems engineering leadership project execution, including: Requirements management and traceability Operational View (OV) development and maintenance Interface Control Document (ICD) development, control, and change management Risk, configuration, and verification/validation process oversight
• Develop, maintain, and control system architecture artifacts, engineering documentation, and program baselines to support governance and decision-making.
• Act as a liaison between technical teams, program management, and leadership, ensuring clarity of scope, assumptions, risks, and dependencies.
• Support technical reviews, milestone events, and customer engagements from a process, documentation, and compliance perspective.
• Monitor and support adherence to systems engineering processes, standards, and best practices across programs.
• Mentor junior engineers and contribute to process improvement and standardization initiatives across the organization.

Benefits

• We offer a competitive benefits package, covering the cost of medical for you and your family; we also offer dental, vision, health and wellness benefits and a generous retirement savings plan.
• We believe that our employees can manage their workload and their personal life, therefore we extend a generous PTO policy.
• This allows our employees to balance their lives as they see fit.

What This Job Offers

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