Space Force MUOS Communications Systems Architect

General Dynamics Mission Systems • Scottsdale, AZ

5d • Onsite

About The Position

The MUOS System Architect / Senior Advanced Systems Engineer provides program-level architecture leadership for the Space Force MUOS program, a live mission-critical communications system. This role is responsible for translating customer mission objectives, operational constraints, technical risks, and long-term sustainment needs into a coherent system architecture and technical roadmap. The position works across systems engineering, software, hardware, network management, ground transport, cyber, test, sustainment, program leadership, and customer stakeholders. This role balances near-term capability delivery with long-term flexibility, reliability, cybersecurity, supportability, verification, and mission continuity.

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 SECRET security clearance is preferred at time of hire. Candidates must be able to obtain a SECRET clearance within a reasonable amount of time from date of hire.
• Applicants selected will be subject to a U.S. Government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information.
• Due to the nature of work performed within our facilities, U.S. citizenship is required.
• Excellent understanding and application of systems engineering and system architecture principles.
• Ability to reason across mission objectives, requirements, interfaces, cyber, test, sustainment, cost, schedule, and stakeholder impacts.
• Strong ability to lead architecture decisions under ambiguity, clearly separating facts, assumptions, options, risks, and recommended paths forward.
• Strong knowledge of requirements management, system modeling, architecture documentation, and technical baseline stewardship.
• Experience with tools such as DOORS/DOORS NG, MagicDraw/Cameo, Visio, Draw.io, and Microsoft Office.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to brief customers and leadership on complex technical issues.
• Ability to build productive relationships with customers, program leadership, technical leads, and cross-functional engineering teams.
• Strong presentation, negotiation, and technical leadership skills.
• Understanding of communication systems, ground systems, network management, core networking, cybersecurity, test, and sustainment considerations.
• Ability to identify architecture-level risks from DMSMS, obsolescence, unsupported software, fragile interfaces, cyber constraints, and incomplete documentation.
• Awareness of business objectives and the role of architecture in achieving cost, schedule, mission, and customer outcomes.
• Ability to apply AI and automation thoughtfully to improve engineering execution, evidence management, and decision support.

Nice To Haves

• Creative thinker with demonstrated success leading the systems development life cycle
• Collaborative team player eager to provide technical leadership and position others for success
• Thorough knowledge of technology trends and willingness to champion new ideas and process improvements
• Strong presentation and communications skills with experience in the art of negotiation and the ability to meet challenging customer requirements with win-win solutions
• Commitment to ongoing professional development for yourself and others
• Identifies opportunities to apply AI for continuous improvement and innovation

Responsibilities

• Provides architecture leadership for MUOS enhancements, sustainment, modernization, and long-term technical planning.
• Translates customer mission objectives and future vision into a coherent technical framework for execution by engineering teams.
• Leads architecture decisions and trade studies involving requirements, interfaces, performance, cyber, verification, supportability, cost, schedule, and risk.
• Owns or supports the 5- to 10-year technical roadmap, including funded work, DMSMS/obsolescence risks, capability evolution, architecture enablers, and investment candidates.
• Guides cross-functional teams through requirements analysis, requirements management, functional analysis, system design, integration, and verification planning.
• Defines and reviews system requirements and allocations to subsystems, elements, and components.
• Performs interface definition and operational thread analysis across MUOS ground system domains.
• Identifies, analyzes, and resolves system design weaknesses and architecture risks.
• Supports system accreditation, certification, cybersecurity, and test activities by ensuring architecture impacts and evidence needs are understood.
• Evaluates impacts of new capabilities, technology refresh, DMSMS, unsupported hardware/software, cyber posture, vendor support, and sustainment constraints.
• Serves as a senior technical interface with customer stakeholders on architecture, strategy, technical risk, and future capability direction.
• Develops technical engineering products using appropriate standards, processes, procedures, and tools.
• Leads technical planning, cost/risk/supportability/effectiveness analysis, and proposal inputs for major program efforts.
• Coaches technical leads and engineers, helping raise architecture judgment across the team.
• Identifies opportunities to apply AI, automation, MBSE, and improved engineering workflows for continuous improvement and innovation.

Benefits

• An exciting career path with opportunities for continuous learning and development.
• Research oriented work, alongside award winning teams developing practical solutions for our nation’s security
• Flexible schedules with every other Friday off work, if desired (9/80 schedule)
• Competitive benefits, including 401k matching, flex time off, paid parental leave, healthcare benefits, health & wellness programs, employee resource and social groups, and more

What This Job Offers

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