Systems Engineer

QinetiQ US•Fort Belvoir, VA

20d•$140,000 - $190,000

About The Position

QinetiQ US is seeking an experienced Senior Systems Engineer to serve as a Test and Evaluation (T&E) Lead supporting the U.S. Army C5ISR Center Javelin Seeker effort. The role provides programmatic and technical oversight of contractor-executed verification, qualification, integration, and developmental test activities across the full acquisition life cycle. It ensures test planning, readiness, execution, and reporting align with system requirements, program risk, and Army acquisition decision needs. The Systems Engineer will advise government and industry stakeholders on T&E strategy, review contractor-developed test documentation, assess readiness and test results, and provide independent technical assessments of system progress and qualification status. The position is suited to candidates with acquisition-level test and qualification experience for complex defense systems, particularly EO/IR systems, seekers, sensors, or other hardware-intensive integrated systems.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Systems Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Optical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Physics, or a related technical discipline.
At least 8 years of systems engineering, test and evaluation, integration and test, or qualification experience supporting defense acquisition programs.
Demonstrated experience supporting acquisition-level verification, qualification, developmental test, or system evaluation activities across the full acquisition life cycle.
Experience providing government, SETA, program office, or lead engineering oversight of contractor-performed test activities.
Experience developing, reviewing, or assessing test plans, procedures, readiness documentation, verification documentation, and test reports for complex defense systems.
Experience with requirements development, verification planning, requirements traceability, and technical review processes.
Experience supporting development, integration, qualification, or T&E of missile systems, seekers, sensors, EO/IR payloads, or other complex hardware-intensive defense systems.
Strong analytical, technical writing, and briefing skills.
Ability to communicate effectively with government, contractor, and cross-functional engineering stakeholders.
Active DoD Secret or higher-level clearance.

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting U.S. Army or DoD test and evaluation activities, including coordination with government test organizations, ranges, or laboratories such as ATEC, RTC, DEVCOM, or PEO Missiles and Space stakeholders.
Experience with developmental test, qualification test, system verification, verification cross-reference matrices, and test readiness reviews.
Experience with missile seekers, optical/IR sensors, guidance systems, hardware-in-the-loop (HWIL) environments, or integrated sensor systems.
Familiarity with MATLAB, Python, telemetry reduction tools, or other technical data analysis environments.
Prior experience supporting Javelin, Tactical Aviation and Ground Munitions (TAGM), PEO Missiles and Space, or related missile or sensor programs.
DAWIA Practitioner or equivalent certification in Test and Evaluation or Engineering, or PMP certification.

Responsibilities

Provide systems engineering and programmatic oversight of contractor-executed test and evaluation activities in support of component qualification and acquisition decision milestones.
Develop, review, update, and staff T&E strategies, test plans, verification approaches, and qualification documentation aligned with system requirements and program objectives.
Ensure traceability between system requirements, verification methods, qualification events, and test results.
Support T&E planning across the full acquisition life cycle, including requirements development, design maturation, integration, verification, qualification, and formal program reviews.
Lead or support Test and Evaluation Working Integrated Product Teams (T&E WIPTs), Test Readiness Reviews (TRRs), and other technical reviews.
Review contractor-developed test procedures, readiness artifacts, safety documentation, data packages, and test reports for technical rigor, completeness, and contractual compliance.
Coordinate with government organizations, test centers, laboratories, and contractor teams to support test planning, scheduling, resource alignment, and execution.
Support independent technical assessment of test adequacy, qualification status, system performance, and program risk.
Evaluate test discrepancies, root cause analyses, corrective action plans, and regression or retest activities.
Prepare technical briefings, system assessment inputs, verification status updates, and leadership recommendations for government decision-makers.
Support assessment of EO/IR subsystem and integrated sensor performance through functional, environmental, interface, and system-level verification activities.