Communications Systems Engineer - Optical & Quantum Communicatio with Security Clearance

BOAB Ventures; Chantilly (VA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

BOAB Ventures seeks a Communications Systems Engineer with strong optical and quantum communications experience to support advanced R&D for national security programs. This SETA role focuses on systems engineering across hardware, software, and architectures for mission-critical optical and quantum systems.

You will review technologies, develop roadmaps, and prepare technical analyses and program briefings, engaging with mission users to translate operational needs into actionable requirements

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree with 9+ years of relevant experience; Master's 7+ years; or PhD/JD 4+ years.
• Experience supporting U.S. Government program management and lifecycle processes.
• Strong interpersonal, verbal, and technical writing skills.
• Ability to work effectively across multidisciplinary technical teams.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office tools.
• Active TS/SCI with CI Polygraph required.

Responsibilities

• Perform technical reviews, assessments, and risk evaluations of optical and quantum communications at multiple levels.
• Evaluate optical terminals, free-space optical links, photonic components, and quantum architectures.
• Assess gaps in high-bandwidth space links, modulation, pointing/tracking, and budgets.
• Develop roadmaps, requirements, specifications, verification approaches, and transition strategies.
• Engage with mission users to understand operational needs and evaluate capabilities.
• Prepare systems engineering documentation, analyses, and program-level briefings with findings.
• Support program activities, source selections, lifecycle documentation, and system integration planning.

Skills

TS/SCI with CI Polygraph

Systems Engineering

Optical & Quantum Communications

Technical Writing

Cross-functional Collaboration

Verbal Communication

MS Office Proficiency

Education

Bachelor's in Engineering/Physics

Master's in Engineering/Physics

PhD/JD in related field

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Job Description BOAB Ventures is seeking a Communications Systems Engineer with strong optical and quantum communications experience to support advanced research and development efforts within the national security community. This position provides Systems Engineering and Technical Assistance (SETA) supporting the development of next-generation hardware, software, and architectures for mission-critical optical and quantum communication systems.

What You'll Do

• * Perform technical reviews, assessments, and risk evaluations of optical and quantum communication technologies at the component, subsystem, system, and architecture levels.
• Evaluate technologies including optical terminals, free-space optical links, photonic components, entanglement-based communication architectures, and quantum-enhanced optical subsystems.
• Assess emerging technologies and identify technical gaps involving high-bandwidth space links, advanced modulation, pointing and tracking systems, link budgets, network performance, and secure quantum-enabled transport architectures.
• Develop and evaluate technology roadmaps, requirements, specifications, verification approaches, and transition strategies for optical and quantum system modernization.
• Engage with mission users to understand operational needs and evaluate emerging optical and quantum capabilities.
• Prepare systems engineering documentation, technical analyses, and program-level briefings with findings and recommendations.
• Support program and acquisition activities, including source selections, lifecycle documentation, and system integration planning.

Required Skills Required Qualifications

• * Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Physics, or a related discipline with 9+ years of relevant experience; Master's with 7+ years; or PhD/JD with 4+ years.
• Experience supporting U.S. Government program management and acquisition lifecycle processes and documentation.
• Strong interpersonal, verbal, and technical writing skills.
• Ability to work effectively across multidisciplinary technical teams.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office tools.
• Active TS/SCI with CI Polygraph required.

Desired Skills Preferred Qualifications

• * Master's degree in Engineering, Physics, or a related discipline.
• 12+ years of relevant experience, including at least 4 years supporting optical or quantum communication systems.
• 1+ year supporting U.S. Government R&D acquisition processes and documentation.
• Experience with space-based optical terminals, quantum optical payloads, photonic systems, or advanced quantum-enhanced communication architectures.