Sr Project Engineer

Sierra Nevada Corporation•Hagerstown, MD

24d•Hybrid

About The Position

SNC is seeking a Sr Project Engineer to support programs derived from the RAPCON-X airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (A-ISR) prototype. The role provides engineering leadership, integration coordination, risk-management support, and technical oversight as RAPCON-X-derived systems mature from prototype success into operational customer programs. The position also supports development and integration of SNC’s next-generation Inertial Reference System (IRS) Platform, a subsystem intended to improve navigation accuracy, mission reliability, and ISR performance. The engineer will work at the intersection of systems engineering, program execution, and rapid innovation. Responsibilities include managing project plans, schedules, and budgets; coordinating engineering and integration work; guiding technical teams and system maturation; serving as a technical customer contact; communicating program and technical status; resolving integration and performance issues; improving engineering processes; and supporting risk identification and mitigation. The role is part of SNC’s Mission Solutions and Technologies business area, which provides command/control, communications, integrated ISR, force protection, and security solutions to defense, homeland security, commercial, and international customers. The position requires a bachelor’s degree in engineering or a related field, at least 12 years of engineering experience with at least 4 years in a leadership role, advanced knowledge of engineering principles, multidisciplinary development-team experience, and a comprehensive understanding of requirements management, system design, and integration. A higher-level relevant degree may substitute for experience. The employee must be able to obtain and maintain a U.S. Top Secret security clearance; U.S. citizenship is required for the clearance. Occasional travel to customer or field locations may be required. Work is primarily in an office or hybrid environment, with occasional work in potentially hazardous project-site environments.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in engineering or a related field.
12 or more years of experience in engineering roles, including at least 4 years in a leadership role; a higher-level relevant degree may substitute for experience.
Advanced knowledge of engineering principles and practice.
Experience working on a multidisciplinary design and development team.
Comprehensive understanding of requirements management, system design, and integration.
Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Top Secret security clearance.
U.S. citizenship is required for the security clearance.

Nice To Haves

6–8 years of relevant leadership and/or project management experience.
Master’s degree.
Experience leading a multidisciplinary design and development team and communicating with program management and customers.
Familiarity with preparing and developing project estimates, technical proposals, and program cost and schedule management.
Past experience leading baseline definition and maturation in a complex development setting, including highly integrated trade studies and analysis of alternatives.
Ability to read and interpret technical drawings and schematics, parts lists, specifications, instructions, and test procedures.
Experience or certification in an International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) standard.
Background in the aerospace and defense industry.

Responsibilities

Develop and manage detailed project plans, schedules, and budgets for programs stemming from the RAPCON-X prototype.
Coordinate cross-functional engineering and integration activities supporting next-generation IRS Platform development and prototype-to-production transitions.
Provide technical guidance to engineering teams maturing RAPCON-X-derived capabilities into operational program baselines.
Oversee engineering analysis, system integration, and design maturity of next-generation IRS subsystems.
Serve as a key technical point of contact for external customers engaged in follow-on RAPCON-X programs.
Translate customer requirements into actionable engineering tasks and communicate system decisions, progress, and impacts.
Prepare technical and program status reports, including progress updates, risk assessments, and system integration insights.
Communicate complex technical information to internal stakeholders and external program partners.
Identify design-integration, prototype-maturation, or system-performance issues; develop resolution plans, coordinate investigations, and implement mitigation strategies.
Identify opportunities to improve engineering processes and strengthen execution across RAPCON-X-derived programs.
Implement best practices in system design, integration, modeling, and engineering workflow optimization.
Support risk identification, documentation, and mitigation planning across multidisciplinary teams.
Track technical risks affecting schedule, cost, and performance as systems progress from prototype to production maturity.