Ground Systems Engineer

KBR Careers; Chantilly (VA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401K

Medical

Dental

Vision

Life Insurance

AD&D

Flexible schedule

PTO

Job summary

KBR National Security Solutions in Chantilly, VA seeks a Senior Ground Systems Engineer to support a major U.S. Government satellite ground segment program.

You will provide SETA support focused on mission operations, control, data processing, and user interfaces within an integrated Gov/contractor team. Responsibilities include system architecture, requirements definition, interface management, and test planning across ground and space segments.

Qualifications

• U.S. citizenship required.
• Active TS/SCI clearance with polygraph.
• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, data analytics, or related STEM discipline.
• 8+ years of experience supporting satellite ground system development, integration, and test.

Responsibilities

• Advise Government on planning, engineering, and O&M of ground systems.
• Document site system architecture and impacts of updates.
• Define requirements, architecture, and trade studies for ground systems.
• Interface with spacecraft, network, and user segments to manage end-to-end interfaces.
• Support I&T planning and execution across ground and space segments.
• Evaluate designs and test results for mission compliance.
• Contribute to system documentation and briefings for leadership.
• Collaborate with partners to understand project requirements and risks.
• Deliver analyses, plans, and reports to Government.

Skills

Satellite ground systems

Systems engineering

Requirements definition

Agile/DevSecOps

Cloud technologies

Interface design

Test & integration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in STEM

Tools

JIRA

Confluence

Python

SysML

Job description

Title: Ground Systems Engineer

Belong. Connect. Grow. with KBR! KBR’s National Security Solutions team provides high-end engineering and advanced technology solutions to our customers in the intelligence and national security communities. In this position, your work will have a profound impact on the country’s most critical role – protecting our national security.

Why Join Us?

Innovative Projects: KBR’s work is at the forefront of engineering, logistics, operations, science, program management, mission IT and cybersecurity solutions. Collaborative Environment: Be part of a dynamic team that thrives on collaboration and innovation, fostering a supportive and intellectually stimulating workplace. Impactful Work: Your contributions will be pivotal in designing and optimizing defense systems that ensure national security and shape the future of space defense.

Position Summary

KBR National Security Solutions is seeking a motivated and talented Senior Ground Systems Engineer to join our team in Chantilly, Virginia and to support a major U.S. Government organization responsible for the acquisition, integration, and operation of proliferated satellite constellations. The selected candidate for this position will provide Systems Engineering and Technical Assistance (SETA) support focused on the satellite ground segment, including mission operations, command and control, data processing, dissemination, and user interfaces. The candidate will work as part of an integrated Government and contractor team delivering resilient, scalable space capabilities in support of national security missions.

Responsibilities

• Advise and assist the Government with the planning, engineering, integration, and O&M activities of ground systems.
• Analyze and document site system architecture and impacts associated with system updates and deliveries.
• Support requirements definition, architecture development, and trade studies for spacecraft ground systems.
• Interface with spacecraft, payload, network, and user segment teams to define and manage end-to-end system interfaces.
• Support integration and test (I&T) planning and execution across ground and space segments.
• Evaluate contractor designs, test results, and operational concepts for compliance with mission requirements.
• Assist in operational readiness activities, including rehearsals, exercises, and transition to sustainment.
• Contribute to system documentation, reviews, and decision briefings for Government leadership.
• Collaborate with Headquarters Directorates, site organizations, and mission partners to ensure understanding of project requirements and risks (cost, schedule, and technical).
• Document, develop and deliver analyses, recommendations, plans, reports, and briefings to the Government.
• Support the development and integration of automated test solutions and continuous improvement in software design and architecture.

Work Environment

Location: On-Site Travel Requirements: Minimal (less 25%) travel to contractor facilities, test sites, or launch locations. Working Hours: Flexible. Standard Government work hour support and surge support during integration and launch phases.

Required Qualifications

Citizenship: Applicant must be a U.S. citizen.

Clearance: Active TS/SCI clearance (with current polygraph).

Education: Bachelor’s degree in computer science, data analytics, or a related STEM technical discipline.

Specific contract requirements regarding education and experience will prevail.

Relevant Experience: Demonstrated 8+ years of experience supporting satellite ground system development, integration, and test.

Knowledge of Government customer’s space and ground domain mission and technical capabilities.

Systems engineering background; understanding of systems development life cycle from concept, requirements, engineering design, integration and test, deployment, maintenance, through decommissioning.

Experience in requirements definition, system architectures, systems analysis and design, interface and data architectures, validation, and verification.

Ability to take initiative, proactively address customer requirements with no supervision, and expertly define solutions for broad, abstract topics.

Familiarity with model-based systems engineering and digital engineering concepts and tools, Agile / DevSecOps development methodology, and cloud technologies.

Ability to work with standard business management tools and financial systems, MS Office, and project management software.

Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain trusted client relationships.

Knowledge of U.S. Government contracting and federal acquisition regulations, spacecraft lifecycle milestones and review processes, and success in operating within this environment.

Ability to work in a team environment as well as independently.

Strong oral and written communication skills with demonstrated ability to communicate technical issues clearly to all levels of Government leadership.

Desired Qualifications

Education: Master’s or Ph.D. degree in a related STEM technical discipline.

Relevant Ground Experience: Demonstrated 10+ years of experience supporting ground system development, integration, and test is preferred.

Breadth of Experience: Experience working across multiple satellite ground programs or production lines is preferred.

Experience in initiating, planning, executing, monitoring, and controlling DoD or Intelligence Community projects or programs.

Deep knowledge of satellite Tasking, Collection, Processing, Exploitation, and Dissemination (TCPED) architectures.

Demonstrated experience in defining, developing, configuration managing, auditing and verifying large-scale ground system architectures.

Familiarity with JIRA and Confluence.

Familiarity with modeling languages such as Python, SysML, and UAFML.

Experience with cloud-based technologies and automation to optimize platform performance and reliability.

KBR Benefits

• 401K plan with company match
• medical
• dental
• vision
• life insurance
• AD&D
• flexible spending account
• disability
• paid time off
• or flexible work schedule

We support career advancement through professional training and development.

KBR is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, veteran status, genetic information, union status and/or beliefs, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

Belong, Connect and Grow at KBR At KBR, we are passionate about our people and our Zero Harm culture. These inform all that we do and are at the heart of our commitment to, and ongoing journey toward being a People First company. That commitment is central to our team of team’s philosophy and fosters an environment where everyone can Belong, Connect and Grow.

We Deliver – Together. KBR is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, veteran status, genetic information, union status and/or beliefs, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

KBR — Delivering Solutions, Changing the World. KBR brings together the best and brightest to deliver science, technology and engineering solutions that help governments and companies around the world accomplish their most critical missions and objectives. In everything we do, we are guided by our ONE KBR Values: We Value Our People – We create diverse, inclusive environments in which each person can feel safe, respected and valued, and where everyone has opportunities to grow and reach their full potential. We Deliver – We are uncompromising in our commitment to deliver innovative, high‑quality, technology‑led solutions for our customers and exceptional, sustainable value for all our stakeholders. We Are People of Integrity – We value honesty, trust, courage, fairness, prudence and tenacity. We believe doing what’s right for the planet, the communities where we work, and our people is good for business. We Empower – We empower our people with a shared purpose, the right tools and the supportive culture they need to be proactive decision‑makers, to be adaptive to change, and to succeed. We Are a Team of Teams – We have a will to succeed, but we value the achievements of our team of teams over individual accomplishments. Our collective focus makes us a better, stronger, more effective company. We have also embedded environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles in every business operation and corporate function. Not only are we committed to operating safely, sustainably and equitably, but we are also committed to using our capabilities and expertise to help our customers accomplish their sustainability goals. Worldwide, KBR employs a diverse workforce approximately 29,000 people strong, with customers in more than 80 countries and operations in 40 countries. At KBR, We Deliver.

At KBR, We Deliver.