Communications Systems Engineer

VTG Defense; Chantilly (VA); On-site; USD 165,000 - 195,000; Full time

Job summary

VTG Defense in Chantilly, VA seeks a Communications Systems Engineer to support SETA efforts for IC/DoW customers, focusing on optical and quantum communications systems engineering and programmatic support.

The role involves technical reviews, design evaluation, roadmap development, and coordination with mission users to align emerging optical/quantum capabilities with customer needs. A strong technical background and collaboration across teams are essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, physics, or related discipline with 9+ years of experience; Master's with 7+ years; PhD or JD with 4+ years.
• 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.
• Master's degree in engineering, physics, or related discipline is desired.
• 12+ years of relevant experience, including at least 4 years in optical or quantum communication systems.
• Experience with spacebased optical terminals, quantum optical payloads, photonic systems, or advanced quantum-enabled architectures is desired.

Responsibilities

• Perform technical reviews, assessments, and risk evaluations of optical and quantum communication system development efforts across components, subsystems, systems, and architectures.
• Evaluate designs and technologies including optical terminals, free-space optical links, photonic components, entanglement-based architectures, and quantum-enabled subsystems.
• Assess emerging technologies and gaps related to high-bandwidth space links, advanced modulation, pointing/tracking, 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/quantum capabilities.
• Prepare system engineering documentation, analyses, and program-level briefings to communicate findings and strategic recommendations.
• Support programmatic and acquisition activities, including source selections, lifecycle documentation, and system integration planning.

Skills

USG program management

Interpersonal communication

Technical writing

Team collaboration

Microsoft Office

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering/physics or related

Master's degree in engineering/physics or related

PhD or JD

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Overview

VTG is seeking an Communications Systems Engineer, located in Chantilly, Va.

What will you do?

VTG is seeking a Communications Systems Engineer with strong optical and quantum communications engineering experience to support specialized analysis, engineering, design, and operations for Intelligence Community (IC) and Department of War (DoW) customers. We support development of nextgeneration and farfuture national security systems across Defense, Intelligence, and Space Communities.

We are hiring a Communications Systems Engineer to provide systems engineering and technical advisory (SETA) support to an IC Research & Development (R&D) customer developing advanced hardware, software, and architectural solutions for missioncritical optical and quantum communication systems.

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, freespace optical links, photonic components, entanglementbased communication architectures, and quantumenhanced optical subsystems.
• Assess emerging technologies and identify gaps related to highbandwidth space links, advanced modulation formats, pointing/tracking systems, link budgets, networking performance, and secure quantumenabled 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 programlevel briefings to communicate findings and strategic recommendations.
• Provide support to programmatic and acquisition activities, including source selections, lifecycle documentation, and system integration planning.

Do you have what it takes?

Required Qualifications:

• 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.

Desired Qualifications:

• 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 spacebased optical terminals, quantum optical payloads, photonic systems, or advanced quantumenhanced communication architectures

Pay Range: VTG's estimated starting pay range is $165,000 - $195,000 annually, which is a general guideline for the geographic location. When extending an offer, VTG also considers work experience, education, skill level, market considerations and may possibly include contractual requirements which may cause an offer to fall outside of this range.