Systems Engineer II-III

Associated Universities • CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA

5d • Onsite

About The Position

The National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) is a prestigious research facility operating advanced radio telescopes globally, including the VLA, GBT, ALMA, and VLBA. The Next Generation Very Large Array (ngVLA) project is developing a transformative observatory to provide science-ready data products. The Computing and Software System (CSS) is central to this vision, managing telescope control, data flow, processing pipelines, and user services. The ngVLA project seeks a skilled Systems Engineer with a software background to collaborate with System Architects and Subject Matter Experts. This role involves formalizing, capturing, and managing sub-system requirements, architecture, and designs, extending the project-level systems engineering and software development plans, and ensuring a rigorous design process that meets quality standards. This position is located at the NRAO facility in Charlottesville, VA.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in systems engineering, physical science, computer science, software engineering, electrical engineering, or related field or significant work experience in a similar environment.
• At least five years working as a Systems Engineer in integrated project teams, preferably in scientific R&D environments.
• Demonstrated experience with core systems engineering principles, including requirements capture, verification and validation plans, full project lifecycle planning.
• Experience of working across life cycle phases including: preliminary design, detail design, design qualification, production, construction or fabrication, and transition to operations.
• Excellent verbal and written communication, and scheduling and running effective meetings with geographically dispersed teams.
• Proactive and independent work ethic.

Nice To Haves

• INCOSE or similar certification beneficial.
• Exposure to at least two of the following technology domains is preferred: electromagnetic, RF, digital signal processing, mechanical, software engineering, and civil engineering.
• Experience with model-based systems engineering methodologies and tools.

Responsibilities

• Successfully lead all systems engineering tasks for CSS.
• Ensure requirements traceability and process alignment between CSS and the ngVLA project, including tracking the traceability of requirements down to CSS software subsystems within the ngVLA Cameo model.
• Document requirements, elaborate verification and validation (V&V) plans, update CSS design and system architecture, and create other technical documents needed for gate reviews.
• Define and maintain internal and external Interface Control Documents (ICDs) for CSS software subsystems within the ngVLA Cameo model.
• Model system and software subsystem behavior - including activity diagrams and state/mode diagrams - to document functional flows and control logic.
• Support the execution of verification and validation (V&V) activities for CSS software subsystems, working with development teams to confirm requirements are met.
• Manage the development of all Systems Engineering plans and documentation for CSS needed for successful system design reviews.
• Utilize Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) techniques - specifically Cameo Systems Modeler, SysML, and MagicDraw - to update and extend the ngVLA Cameo model, document workflows and system models, and maintain interface specifications.
• Prepare technical documentation and presentations for CSS gate reviews and assist in managing subsystem design reviews.
• Participate in the systems engineering management processes, including configuration management, baselining, change management and document management processes.

Benefits

• 13 holidays
• Annual accrual of up to 24 vacation days
• Medical, dental and vision plans
• Retirement benefit: 10 percent of a qualified participant’s base pay with no required employee contribution.

What This Job Offers

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