Ground Architecture Senior Systems Engineer

Arcfield; Chantilly (VA); On-site; USD 129,000 - 311,000; Full time

Job summary

Arcfield is seeking an experienced Ground Architecture Senior Systems Engineer to lead mission-architecture development and systems engineering for IC/DoD customers. You will guide MBSE processes, model-based architecture products, and cross-program integration while acting as a trusted advisor to government stakeholders.

You will oversee architecture evaluations, trade studies, and AI/ML-enabled capability assessments, leveraging MATLAB, STK, and AFSIM to analyze performance and mission

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Systems Engineering or related field with 12–15 years of experience
• Must possess TS/SCI with Poly clearance
• Experience leading complex mission systems and enterprise architectures
• Extensive SDLC experience and engineering V-model knowledge
• Expert MBSE using Cameo, SysML, and/or UAF
• Experience leading requirements, architecture definition, interface management, and risk assessments
• Modeling/simulation using MATLAB, STK, AFSIM or similar tools
• Experience defining/integrating AI/ML capabilities in complex environments
• Strong ability to communicate with senior government leaders
• Experience leading multidisciplinary teams; familiarity with Jira/Confluence

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership for systems engineering, mission engineering, enterprise architecture, and system-of-systems integration.
• Lead definition and evolution of architectures across complex mission portfolios.
• Establish MBSE approaches, modeling standards, and model-based products (Cameo, SysML, UAF).
• Develop technical roadmaps, architecture strategies, and capability assessments.
• Govern decomposition, traceability, validation, and requirements across programs.
• Lead architecture trade studies; evaluate performance, interoperability, and risk.
• Define strategies for AI/ML-enabled capabilities in enterprise and mission systems.
• Direct modeling/simulation analyses using MATLAB, STK, AFSIM.
• Oversee integration, verification, validation, and test planning; baselines.
• Lead architecture reviews and senior-level briefings; coordinate groups.
• Mentor engineers and promote digital engineering rigor.
• Author technical docs including executive briefs and white papers.

Skills

Technical leadership

MBSE

SysML

Cameo

UAF

MATLAB

STK

AFSIM

AI/ML

Agile/SAFe

Jira

Confluence

Clearance TS/SCI with Poly

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Systems Engineering or related field

Master’s degree

PhD

Tools

Jira

Confluence

Job description

Responsibilities

Are you looking for an opportunity to influence and make a difference in the delivery of mission capabilities? What if you could find a position that builds upon your expertise in mission data modeling, capability integration and analytics, and communication skills? That's why we need you, an experienced professional, to support the Chief Architecture engineering group in our customer organization in evaluating and guiding future system architectures that enable activity-based intelligence through automated and accelerated mission delivery to our multi-agency Intelligence Community (IC) and DoD customers using the latest open source-tools, trends, and data modeling techniques.

Our Chief Architecture engineering team is responsible for leading and coordinating ground enterprise lifecycle systems engineering activities including requirements, CONOPS, and architecture development in the remote sensing domain for current and future systems. Arcfield is seeking a Ground Architecture Senior Systems Engineer to provide strategic technical leadership for our architecture team. This individual will serve as a trusted technical advisor to government and contractor stakeholders, leading enterprise and mission architecture development, systems engineering integration, AI-enabled capability assessments, and modeling and simulation efforts for complex, high-priority mission systems.

Responsibilities:

• Provide technical leadership for systems engineering, mission engineering, enterprise architecture, and system-of-systems integration activities supporting the CA Office.
• Lead the definition and evolution of mission, operational, functional, logical, physical, and technical architectures across complex mission portfolios.
• Establish and govern MBSE approaches, modeling standards, and model-based architecture products using Cameo Systems Modeler or Cameo Enterprise Architecture, SysML, and UAF.
• Lead development of technical roadmaps, architecture strategies, mission-thread analyses, capability assessments, and investment recommendations.
• Guide the decomposition, traceability, validation, and management of mission and system requirements across multiple integrated programs and stakeholders.
• Lead architecture trade studies and evaluate performance, interoperability, affordability, technical maturity, operational risk, and integration impacts.
• Define strategies for integrating AI/ML-enabled capabilities into enterprise and mission systems, including data architecture, system interfaces, security, model validation, mission assurance, and lifecycle sustainment considerations.
• Direct modeling and simulation analyses using MATLAB, STK, AFSIM, and comparable tools to evaluate system performance, operational concepts, and future architecture alternatives.
• Provide technical oversight of integration, verification, validation, test planning, configuration management, and technical baseline decisions.
• Lead and facilitate architecture reviews, technical interchange meetings, senior-level customer briefings, and cross-program engineering working groups.
• Mentor systems engineers and promote consistent engineering rigor, digital engineering practices, and mission-focused technical decision-making across the organization.
• Author and review high-impact technical documentation, including executive briefings, white papers, technical assessments, and decision packages.

Qualifications

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in Systems Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field, plus 12–15 years of relevant professional experience; master’s degree with 10–13 years; or PhD with 10+ years.
• Must possess and be able to maintain a TS/SCI with Poly
• Demonstrated technical leadership experience supporting complex mission systems, enterprise architectures, system-of-systems integration, or major acquisition programs.
• Extensive systems engineering experience spanning the full system development life cycle and engineering "V" model.
• Expert-level experience developing and governing MBSE architecture products using Cameo Systems Modeler, SysML, and/or UAF.
• Experience leading requirements development, architecture definition, interface management, technical baseline management, trade studies, and risk assessments.
• Demonstrated experience leading modeling and simulation analyses using MATLAB, STK, AFSIM, or comparable tools.
• Proven experience defining, assessing, or integrating AI/ML-enabled capabilities into complex operational, intelligence, defense, or enterprise environments.
• Ability to communicate complex technical concepts and recommendations effectively to senior government leaders, program managers, engineers, and mission stakeholders.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary teams, influencing technical strategy, and resolving complex integration and architecture challenges.
• Working knowledge of Agile/SAFe methodologies and tools such as Jira and Confluence.

Desired:

• Master’s degree or PhD in Systems Engineering, Engineering Management, Computer Science, Data Science, Aerospace Engineering, or another related technical discipline.
• INCOSE Expert Systems Engineering Professional (ESEP), Certified Systems Engineering Professional (CSEP), OMG SysML certification, Cameo certification, or comparable credentials.
• Prior experience supporting a Chief Architect office, senior government technical leadership organization, SETA, SEIT, or intelligence-community acquisition program.
• Experience establishing digital engineering strategies, architecture governance processes, or enterprise MBSE standards.
• Experience with cloud-based mission architectures, data platforms, AI/ML operations, model assurance, or secure deployment of AI-enabled capabilities.
• Experience supporting space, intelligence, cyber, GEOINT, SIGINT, OPIR, radar, electro-optical, or other high-consequence national-security missions.

Equal Pay Act

This is the projected compensation range for this position. There are differentiating factors that can impact a final salary/hourly rate, including, but not limited to, Contract Wage Determination, relevant work experience, skills and competencies that align to the specified role, geographic location (For Remote Opportunities), education and certifications as well as Federal Government Contract Labor categories. In addition, Arcfield invests in its employees beyond just compensation. Arcfield ’s benefits offerings include, dependent upon position, Health Insurance, Life Insurance, Paid Time Off, Holiday Pay, Short Term and Long-Term Disability, Retirement and Savings, Learning and Development opportunities, wellness programs as well as other optional benefit elections.Min: $129,307.95Max: $310,725.06

EEO Statement

We are an equal opportunity employer and federal government contractor. We do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment as protected by law.