Space Systems Engineer

VTG • Chantilly, VA

3d • Onsite

About The Position

VTG is seeking a Communications Systems Engineer with strong optical and quantum communications engineering experience. This role provides systems engineering and technical advisory (SETA) support to an IC Research & Development (R&D) customer developing advanced hardware, software, and architectural solutions for mission-critical optical and quantum communication systems.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, physics, or related discipline and nine (9) years or more experience; Masters and seven (7) years or more experience ; PhD or JD and four (4) years or more experience
• Experience with USG program management and acquisition lifecycle processes and documentation.
• Strong interpersonal, verbal, and technical writing communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively within multidisciplinary teams.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office tools.
• Must be a U.S. Citizen with an active TS/SCI clearance with Poly

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree in engineering, physics, or related discipline.
• 12+ years of relevant experience, including at least 4 years in optical or quantum communication systems.
• 1+ year of experience supporting USG R&D acquisition processes and documentation.
• Experience with space-based optical terminals, quantum optical payloads, photonic systems, or advanced quantum-enhanced communication architectures

Responsibilities

• Perform technical reviews, assessments, and risk evaluations of optical and quantum communication system development efforts at the component, subsystem, system, and architecture levels.
• Evaluate designs and technologies including optical terminals, free-space optical links, photonic components, entanglement-based communication architectures, and quantum-enhanced optical subsystems.
• Assess emerging technologies and identify gaps related to high-bandwidth space links, advanced modulation formats, pointing/tracking systems, link budgets, networking performance, and secure quantum-enabled transport architectures.
• Support development of technology roadmaps, requirements, specifications, verification approaches, and transition strategies for optical and quantum system modernization.
• Conduct technical outreach with mission users to capture needs and evaluate applicability of emerging optical and quantum capabilities.
• Prepare system engineering documentation, technical analyses, and program-level briefings to communicate findings and strategic recommendations.
• Provide support to programmatic and acquisition activities, including source selections, lifecycle documentation, and system integration planning.

What This Job Offers

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