Senior Systems Engineer – Weapons Systems

Quest Defense Systems & Solutions • Cedar Rapids, IA

5d • Onsite

About The Position

Quest Defense Systems & Solutions is seeking a Senior Systems Engineer to support the development and sustainment of GPS-enabled guidance and navigation solutions for next-generation weapon platforms. The role focuses on systems architecture, requirements development, integration, and verification for advanced weapons systems, including hands-on work with GPS receiver technology, resilient navigation methods, and mission-critical flight hardware. The position is performed 100% onsite at the company’s Cedar Rapids, Iowa engineering facility because of secure collaboration needs and access to specialized hardware.

The engineer will lead systems engineering activities across the product lifecycle, work with software, hardware, firmware, and test disciplines, and serve as a technical liaison to customers and internal stakeholders. The role also supports design maturation, system performance evaluation in lab and field environments, issue resolution, configuration management, and risk mitigation. The listed compensation range is $100,000–$140,000 USD, with the full package based on experience and certifications.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in a STEM discipline, such as Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, or Mathematics.
• At least 4 years of relevant engineering experience.
• Strong understanding of formal systems engineering processes and product development methodologies.
• U.S. citizenship.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. DoD Secret clearance.
• Understanding of Assured Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (A-PNT) systems, including resilient navigation concepts, anti-jam and anti-spoofing protection, and GPS integrity monitoring.
• Working knowledge of RF systems, RF propagation, filtering, antenna systems, and GPS RF front-end behavior.
• Experience interpreting MIL-STD documents, ICDs, and interface standards relevant to GPS or weapons systems.
• Familiarity with safety-critical system development and compliance processes.
• Ability to decompose system-level requirements into hardware, firmware, and software specifications.
• Experience performing system integration in mixed hardware/software environments, including lab bench setups and environmental testing.
• Ability to analyze system performance using logs, telemetry, RF captures, or navigation datasets.

Nice To Haves

• Active DoD Secret clearance or higher.
• Experience with systems engineering tools such as DOORS, JAMA, or Jira.
• Experience with Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) methodologies or tools such as SysML, Cameo, or Rhapsody.
• Familiarity with programming or scripting languages such as C, C++, or Python.
• Demonstrated ability to solve complex, multidisciplinary engineering problems.
• Ability to produce clear, complete technical documentation and communicate with diverse audiences.
• Experience integrating navigation systems, GPS receivers, or weapon guidance subsystems.
• Ability to work effectively in a high-performing, mission-focused engineering team.
• Proactive, results-driven mindset and desire to innovate and improve systems.
• Experience implementing or testing Anti-Jam solutions such as controlled-reception pattern antennas (CRPAs), null-steering, beamforming, or space-time processing.
• Knowledge of M-Code, SAASM, or other secure/encrypted GPS technologies.
• Experience with flight-critical or weapons-class safety standards, including MIL-STD-882, DO-178C, DO-254, MIL-STD-1553, or MIL-STD-1760.
• Exposure to Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) methodologies.
• Familiarity with Kalman filters, estimation theory, inertial sensors, and GPS/INS integration.
• Experience with A-PNT architectures, alternative navigation sources, or multi-sensor fusion.
• Familiarity with electronic warfare threat environments, interference characterization, or survivability analysis.
• Experience testing navigation systems in hardware-in-the-loop, signal-generator, or flight-test environments.
• Understanding of system modeling or simulation using MATLAB/Simulink, SysML, or comparable tools.
• Experience using configuration management systems, CI pipelines, or model-based test automation.

Responsibilities

• Lead systems engineering activities spanning requirements development, system architecture, interface definition, test planning, integration, and qualification for weapons-class GPS systems.
• Define and analyze system-level requirements, decompositions, and traceability within a formal systems engineering framework.
• Support integration of GPS receivers and navigation subsystems into weapon platforms in collaboration with software, hardware, firmware, and test disciplines.
• Develop system-level test plans, verification procedures, and qualification artifacts.
• Conduct technical reviews, support design maturation, and evaluate system performance in lab and field environments.
• Serve as a technical liaison for customers, internal stakeholders, and cross-functional teams.
• Support issue resolution, configuration management, and risk mitigation throughout the product lifecycle.

What This Job Offers

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