Principal Missile Systems Engineer (SME)

Iron Will Ventures; Crane (IN); On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Iron Will Ventures in Crane, Indiana, is seeking a Principal Missile Systems Engineer (SME) to provide senior engineering leadership for missile, strategic weapon, and advanced system programs at NSWC Crane. On-site duties require deep expertise in electrical systems, design and integration across complex weapon platforms.

You will collaborate with government, laboratories, and industry to analyze complex issues, develop requirements, and mentor engineers while delivering independent assessments

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or related technical field required.
• Extensive engineering experience in missile/defense systems.
• Active DoD Secret clearance or transferable DOE Q clearance.
• Experience in system/subsystem design, development, integration, qualification and test.
• Strong understanding of electrical systems and system integration.
• Experience managing or developing system requirements and traceability.
• Experience supporting formal reviews (engineering, design, qualification, production).
• Ability to analyze complex issues and provide technically sound recommendations.
• Experience with cross-agency collaboration (government, industry, labs).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Serve as senior technical advisor for missile and weapon system development, integration, qualification, and test.
• Provide expertise across missile subsystems, with emphasis on electrical systems, avionics, RF/communications, power, and interfaces.
• Support design, development, integration, qualification, production, sustainment, and test activities.
• Develop and review system requirements, interfaces, architectures, and electrical designs.
• Perform requirements analysis, allocation, verification, and traceability across levels.
• Assess electrical and physical interfaces, wiring, grounding, power distribution, RF interfaces, and system integration.
• Participate in system requirements reviews, design reviews, qualification reviews, and test readiness reviews.
• Provide independent technical assessments of designs, approaches, tests, and risks.
• Develop/test plans and engineering analyses to verify performance.
• Support government IPTs, working groups, and technical interchange meetings.
• Prepare briefings, white papers, and engineering recommendations for leadership.
• Mentor junior engineers and contribute to IWV's technical capability.

Skills

Systems engineering

Missile systems knowledge

Electrical systems

Requirements analysis

Technical leadership

Cross-disciplinary collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering

Tools

IBM DOORS

Job description

Title: Principal Missile Systems Engineer (SME)
Location: Crane, IN (on-site)
Customer: NSWC Crane
Employment: Full-time, exempt
Clearance: Active Secret required; DOE Q transferable
Level: Principal / Senior Technical SME
Target Start: November 2026

Iron Will Ventures (IWV) is seeking a Principal Missile Systems Engineer (SME) in Crane, Indiana, to provide senior-level engineering and technical expertise in support of missile, strategic weapon, and advanced weapon system programs at NSWC Crane.

The successful candidate will bring a strong background in electrical and systems engineering, weapon system design and integration, requirements development, qualification, and test. This position will work closely with government, laboratory, and industry engineering teams to assess complex technical issues, support system and subsystem integration, evaluate requirements and interfaces, and provide independent technical recommendations throughout the system lifecycle.

This is a senior technical role for an engineer capable of working across disciplines and organizations while providing both hands-on engineering expertise and system-level technical leadership.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as a senior technical advisor supporting missile, strategic weapon, and advanced weapon system development, integration, qualification, and test.
• Provide engineering expertise across missile systems and subsystems, with emphasis on electrical systems, avionics, RF/communications, power, guidance/navigation, and system interfaces.
• Support system and subsystem design, development, integration, qualification, production, sustainment, and test activities.
• Develop, analyze, and review system requirements, interface definitions, architectures, electrical designs, and other technical products.
• Perform requirements analysis, allocation, verification, and traceability across system and subsystem levels.
• Assess electrical and physical interfaces, including wiring, grounding, power distribution, RF interfaces, and associated system integration considerations.
• Participate in and support system requirements reviews, design reviews, qualification reviews, test readiness reviews, and other formal technical reviews.
• Provide independent technical assessments of system designs, integration approaches, qualification activities, test results, and technical risks.
• Develop and review test plans and engineering analyses to verify system and component performance.
• Support government IPTs, engineering working groups, and technical interchange meetings involving government, industry, laboratories, and other stakeholders.
• Prepare technical briefings, white papers, engineering assessments, and recommendations for government program leadership.
• Mentor junior and mid-career engineers and contribute to the continued development of IWV's technical capability at Crane.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technology, Systems Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Extensive engineering and technical experience supporting missile, weapon, aerospace, nuclear enterprise, or other complex defense systems.
• Active DoD Secret clearance or active DOE Q clearance with ability to transfer.
• Demonstrated experience with system or subsystem design, development, integration, qualification, and test.
• Strong understanding of electrical systems, electronics, interfaces, and system integration.
• Experience developing, analyzing, or managing system requirements and requirements traceability.
• Experience supporting formal engineering, design, qualification, or production reviews.
• Ability to independently analyze complex technical issues and provide technically sound recommendations.
• Experience working across government, industry, laboratory, and multidisciplinary engineering organizations.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Strategic, ballistic, hypersonic, or other advanced missile and weapon system experience.
• Experience with Navy strategic weapon systems or other strategic deterrence programs.
• Experience with missile avionics, navigation, electrical systems, RF/communications, power distribution, or system interfaces.
• Experience with IBM DOORS or similar requirements management tools.
• Experience with weapon system qualification, certification, environmental testing, or requirements verification.
• Nuclear surety or nuclear weapon system certification experience.
• RF engineering and communications systems experience.
• Experience developing or reviewing electrical schematics, interface control documentation, wiring diagrams, or system block diagrams.
• IPC, NAVSEA 2M, or similar electronics workmanship and repair certifications.
• National laboratory, Warfare Center, FFRDC, SETA/A&AS, or similar government technical support experience.
• Prior military technical or operational experience.

Clearance, Location, and Work Conditions

• Position is primarily on-site at NSWC Crane in Crane, Indiana.
• U.S. citizenship is required.
• Active Secret clearance or transferable DOE Q clearance required.
• Travel of up to approximately 15% may be required to support test activities, design agents, laboratories, technical meetings, and customer reviews.
• Work may include laboratory, integration, and test environments and interaction with missile and weapon system hardware.

About Iron Will Ventures

Iron Will Ventures is a mission-focused national security company supporting advanced testing, technical analysis, range integration, and resilient industrial ecosystems. Guided by the philosophy of “I Will,” we help scale the defense industrial base and accelerate the delivery of hypersonic, missile defense, and other critical national-security capabilities.

Why Iron Will Ventures

Iron Will brings together experienced test professionals, engineers, analysts, and program leaders who have spent their careers executing complex national-security programs. Our role is not simply to observe the process. We help our customers plan the test, integrate the mission, identify the problems, drive them to resolution, execute successfully, and learn from the results.

Out Test; Out Analyze; Out Build.

Iron Will Ventures Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. We value diverse and do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected status.