Chief Project Engineer

Kratos Space Training & Cyber; Colorado Springs (CO); On-site; USD 170,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Kratos Space Training & Cyber is looking for a Chief Project Engineer in Colorado Springs, CO, to oversee SATCOM and Space Ground System projects. The successful candidate will lead engineering teams, manage the technical lifecycle of projects, and ensure effective communication with customers and subcontractors.

This role requires extensive experience in systems engineering, leadership skills, and a background in a STEM discipline. A competitive salary of $170,000–$200,000, based on experience and education, is offered.

Qualifications

• 10–15 years of experience in systems engineering with fast-paced teams.
• Experience leading technical teams across multiple disciplines.
• Proficient in coordinating requirements and architecting solutions.

Responsibilities

• Lead requirement analysis across multiple engineering efforts.
• Coordinate verification and troubleshooting of technical solutions.
• Support project acceptance test planning and execution.

Skills

Leadership

Systems Engineering

Communication

Requirement Analysis

Project Management

Education

BA/BS degree in a STEM discipline

Tools

C++

Java

Python

Job description

Readiness Delivered. At Kratos, we encourage an entrepreneurial spirit balanced with discipline. We work hard, and take care of our customers, employees, and families. Recognized as thought leaders in our industry, we are motivated by creating and delivering innovative solutions to our nation and global customers. Kratos is seeking a Chief Project Engineer in Colorado Springs, CO, for SATCOM and Space Ground System projects of varying size and complexity.

The Chief Project Engineer provides technical leadership throughout the entire engineering lifecycle; from contract award through system acceptance testing and post-delivery support, coordinating and leading multiple engineering teams and subcontractors conducting development. The Chief Project Engineer directly leads multi-functional teams of hardware, software, integration and test engineers and interfaces with other internal organizations such as Production, Quality, Customer Support and others, as well as interfaces with and overseeing subcontractors. The Chief Project Engineer is the customer’s primary interface for all technical matters relating to the project.

Responsibilities

• Lead, conduct, and coordinate requirement analysis, decomposition, and management over multiple engineering development efforts, including customer and subcontractor interaction and trade‑off options.
• Lead and coordinate the Architecture / System / Hardware / Firmware / Software design development and maturation (depending upon project size and scope) over multiple deliverable development efforts involving multiple development teams and subcontracting partners.
• Support and coordinate the verification and troubleshooting of the technical solutions provided by the various development teams, including subcontractors.
• Support, coordinate and or lead the project acceptance test planning and test execution effort.
• Articulate technical concept(s) orally and in written form to the customer, users, subcontractors, and the development team, including leadership of project formal reviews (requirements, design, and test readiness).
• Support the Project Manager in creation and status updates of project schedule and financial performance.
• Support definition, scoping, tracking, and refinement of the Integrated Master project schedule to ensure on‑time and on‑budget completion.
• Maintain technical project responsibility for assigned tasks, provide technical management of subcontractors, and work closely with company management to provide status on progress on project development tasks.
• Support and coordinate project risk and opportunity management.
• Support business development activities in support of Kratos satellite communications products.
• Represent the Company as technical advisor in high‑level meetings and briefings with Company and customer personnel.
• Prepare, deliver, and submit technical papers and perform engineering studies.
• Mentor less experienced engineers.

Required Experience

• 10–15 years of experience and leadership with a team of systems, software, and test engineers in a complex, fast‑moving environment.
• BA/BS degree in a STEM discipline.
• Leading system development that includes or integrates software development, using at least one modern programming language (e.g. C++, Java, Python).
• Experience in coordinating requirements with the customer, defining/architecting a solution to satisfy them, and developing/coordinating the test methodology to verify them.
• Experience in coordinating requirements with subcontractors, defining/architecting a solution to satisfy them, and developing the test methodology to verify them.
• Self‑motivated and comfortable leading technical teams composed of a diverse group of engineers across multiple disciplines, which can also include subcontractors.
• Experience leading and coordinating IPTs in designing, developing, integrating, testing, verifying, validating, and delivering a large System‑of‑Systems project/program for a Space‑to‑Ground or Satellite communication project.
• Experience preparing for and leading/coordinating PDRs, CDRs, SRRs, TRRs, and other similar requirements and design review meetings internally and with customers and subcontractors.
• Proven ability to work with ambiguity and loosely defined requirements and get the tasks and requirements clarified and focused for effective execution, helping the customer and subcontractor understand the requirements needed to provide a system that meets the customer's needs.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, ability to interact directly with customers, subcontractors and management.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Earned Value Management System (EVMS) expertise.
• System deployment experience, including working with a DoD customer to transition a development system to operations, is a plus.
• Experience working within the Defense and/or Aerospace industry.
• Experience in ground systems, system engineering, or software engineering.
• Experience with RF engineering of satellite ground stations including link budgeting.
• Experience with spacecraft command and control (C2) and telemetry processing.
• Experience with spacecraft Mission Unique Software (MUS).
• Experience developing customer documentation deliverables.
• Experience with Model‑Based Systems Engineering (MBSE).
• Sharp analytical abilities and capable of working effectively in a dynamic environment.
• Familiarity with aerospace design and verification processes to include requirements development, validation and verification for conceptual, preliminary, and detailed design.
• Ability to effectively manage a geographically dispersed team.

Competitive salary based on experience and education. Salary Range: $170,000–$200,000

This posting will close within 90 days from the Posting Date.