Principal Systems Engineer

Saic; Clearfield (UT); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

SAIC is seeking a Principal Systems Engineer to lead the Sentinel program at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. You will serve as the primary technical advisor to the U.S. Air Force, guiding major technical milestones and ensuring compliance with requirements and safety standards.

You will mentor systems engineers, drive MBSE practices with tools like Cameo, Rhapsody, and DOORS, and oversee system verification/validation in a highly regulated defense environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor degree with 9+ years of professional engineering experience.
• Active U.S. Government Secret clearance.
• Expertise in MBSE processes and tools such as Cameo or Rhapsody.
• Experience in requirements management using DOORS.
• Lead planning and execution of technical milestone reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR).
• Strong understanding of verification and validation for large-scale, regulated systems.
• Trusted advisor to Government customers on engineering challenges.

Responsibilities

• Serve as primary technical advisor to the U.S. Air Force on engineering decisions for the Sentinel program.
• Develop and oversee strategy for major milestone reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR).
• Review Prime contractor designs and deliverables for compliance and safety.
• Ensure traceability with MBSE baselines using DOORS and related tools.
• Oversee system verification and validation for high-stakes programs.
• Lead issue resolution, risk mitigation, and cross-team coordination.
• Mentor systems engineers across levels to grow the organization.

Skills

MBSE

Team leadership

Requirements management

System engineering leadership

Risk management

Mentoring

Education

Bachelor of Science in Aerospace/Mechanical/Electrical Eng, Physics, or Mathematics

Tools

Cameo

Rhapsody

MATLAB

DOORS

JIRA

Confluence

Job description

Description

SAIC is seekinga Principal Systems Engineerto support the Air Force’s next-generation Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) weapon system acquisition - the Sentinel Program. Our customer is the Sentinel Program Office located at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. This is a rare opportunity to work on one of the Department of Defense's most strategic and transformative acquisition programs while serving as a trusted technical advisor to senior decision-makers. This position demands a highly experienced systems engineering leader with a proven track record of guiding large-scale engineering initiatives, managing complex systems, and driving high-stakes program success.

Responsibilities Include:

• Serve as the primary technical advisor to the U.S. Air Force on engineering and acquisition decisions for the Sentinel program.
• Develop and oversee the strategy for major technical milestone reviews (e.g., SRR, PDR, CDR), including the creation and delivery of key review materials.
• Perform extensive reviews of Prime contractor designs, mechanical drawings, and deliverables to ensure program compliance with technical requirements, Government policy, and safety standards.
• Provide expert-level oversight of requirements management and traceability, ensuring alignment with evolving technical baselines through tools like DOORS.
• Direct and oversee system verification and validation efforts for highly regulated systems with critical mission requirements.
• Serve as technical lead for complex issue resolution, risk management efforts, and mitigation strategies across multi-disciplinary teams.
• Act as a mentor and guide to systems engineers at all levels, contributing to team and organizational growth.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or Mathematics with9+ years of professional engineering experience
• Active U.S. GovernmentSecretclearance.
• Recognized expertise in Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) processes and tools such as Cameo, Rhapsody, or other similar platforms.
• Extensive experience in requirements management and traceability efforts using tools like DOORS.
• Proven leadership in planning, preparing, and executing technical milestone reviews such as SRR, PDR, and CDR.
• Advanced understanding of verification and validation processes for large-scale systems in a highly regulated environment (e.g., aerospace, defense).
• Demonstrated ability to serve as a trusted advisor to Government customers, providing solutions to critical engineering and technical challenges.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Professional Engineer (PE) license and/or INCOSE Certified Systems Engineering Professional (CSEP or ESEP).
• Mastery of systems engineering, Agile development tools, or advanced modeling tools such as MATLAB, DOORS, JIRA, and Confluence.