Senior Level Systems Engineer

centil-jobs; Lafayette (CO); On-site; USD 130,000 - 185,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous PTO

Floating holidays

Home office reimbursement

Discretionary bonus program

401K with company contributions

Healthcare coverage

Life and disability insurance

Employee assistance program

Job summary

Centil, a Sabel Systems company, is seeking a Senior Systems Engineer in Boulder, CO to design, implement, and maintain critical defense systems using classic and MBSE approaches. You’ll enhance project collaboration, promote flexible processes, and support mission design, interface definition, and baseline management.

The role requires 8+ years in Systems Engineering, a Secret clearance, and strong communication skills.

Qualifications

• U.S. Government Security Clearance (Secret) or higher required.
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Mathematics, Physical Sciences, or Computer Science.
• Minimum of eight years in Systems Engineering.
• Experience across lifecycle phases and cross-functional teams.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; able to present to stakeholders.
• Willing to live near or move to Boulder, CO.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to all system lifecycle phases: CONOPS, requirements, architecture, design, integration, test, operations, and maintenance.
• Maintain system artifacts: requirements, ICDs, use cases, diagrams, test plans.
• Lead or participate in Technical Interchange Meetings with external stakeholders.
• Collaborate across cross-functional teams and vendors to resolve issues.
• Mentor junior engineers and potentially lead the team.

Skills

8+ years Systems Engineering

US Government Security Clearance (SC)

Experience with multi-disciplinary TEA

Mentoring juniors

Strong communication skills

Agile workflow experience

Leadership / team leadership

Ability to interface with stakeholders

Education

Bachelor of Science in Engineering, Mathematics, Physical Sciences, Computer Science

Tools

Jira

Confluence

MBSE (CAMEO)

OPIR

Job description

***To be considered for this role, you must be a US Citizen with an active US government security clearance. Additionally, you must either live near or be willing to move to the Boulder, CO area.***

About Centil

Centil, a Sabel Systems company, is a mission-focused engineering team supporting some of the highest-priority space defense programs in the U.S. Space Force portfolio, including missile defense and missile warning systems for Space Systems Command. Our work spans DevSecOps, CI/CD product development, and space-domain systems engineering, and our people are embedded directly in the programs they support.

In January 2026, Sabel Systems acquired Centil to expand its Advanced Engineering Services capabilities. For our team, that means access to a broader portfolio of programs, deeper corporate resources, and new career pathways - while preserving the technical ownership and small-team culture that defines how we work. It's an exciting time to join Centil: we're growing, the mission portfolio is expanding, and we're building the team that will define what comes next. If you are interested in learning more about Centil or our team, check out our website at www.centil.io.

About the role

This position is for a Senior Systems Engineer in Boulder, CO. You will be working closely with a talented team to assist in the design, implementation, and maintenance of critical defense systems through classic and modern Systems Engineering techniques. Additionally, we are tasked with improving the overall project management discipline of our clients by increasing collaboration and innovation and introducing techniques that promote adaptability and flexibility in the face of unpredictable circumstances, and that optimize return on investment expenditures.

This person should have training and experience in Systems Engineering practices to support the mission design work, interface definition, and baseline management. We consider experience with Model-Based System Engineering (MBSE) and Overhead Persistent Infrared (OPIR) missions to be significant bonuses for this role.

This role will be full-time onsite in Boulder, CO.

What you'll do

• Contribute to all phases of a system lifecycle including: CONOPS, requirements, architecture, design, development, integration, test, operations, and maintenance
• Maintain and develop system artifacts, including requirements, architecture designs, ICDs, use cases, system flow diagrams, and test plans
• Conduct and/or support Technical Interchange Meetings with external stakeholders
• Work across cross-functional development teams, government teams, and/or vendors to drive problem resolution and collaboration
• Support additional activities, such as special studies
• Interface with the customer, leveraging strong interpersonal skills and attention to detail
• In some cases, mentor junior and mid-level engineers and fill a leadership role within the team

Required Qualifications

• US Government Security Clearance (Secret at minimum)
• Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering, Mathematics, Physical Sciences, Computer Science (relevant experience may be considered in lieu of education)
• Minimum of eight (8) years of experience in Systems Engineering
• Experience with multiple stages of the program lifecycle (design, integration, test, operations, maintenance)
• Experience working in multi-disciplinary design and development teams
• Experience with technical risk identification and management strategies
• Ability to communicate technical information via oral presentation and written format
• Live near or be willing to move to the Boulder, CO area since the work must be performed in the office

Preferred/Bonus Qualifications

• Experience with Jira and Confluence
• Experience with Overhead Persistent Infrared (OPIR)
• Experience with Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE), especially using CAMEO
• Experience working within an agile workflow

Other Company Requirements

In addition to job-specific requirements, Centil believes it is important for all employees to possess the following skills/characteristics:

• Strong communication (written and verbal) and presentation skills. Ability to passionately deliver high-level messaging to various types of audiences--this will eventually include senior leaders.
• Ability to explain technical concepts clearly to non-technical personnel
• Self-motivated individual who actively and independently seeks out opportunities for learning and development
• Collaborates well; enjoys working as part of a team

Expected Salary Range

Depending on experience, degree and skillset most candidates will earn between $130,000 and $185,000 per year.

Please note that the salary range is a general guideline only. We consider many factors when determining salaries including, but are not limited to, scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate’s work experience, education, training, certifications, key skills, and mission/customer familiarity. We combine these factors with market and business considerations to extend a job offer.

Benefits

Centil offers a comprehensive benefits package including the following.

• Generous PTO for vacation, personal, or sick days
• Ten (10) paid holidays per year: 8 fixed holidays, plus 2 additional Floating Holidays per year (taken at Employee's discretion)
• Flex time and the ability to create your own schedule
• Discretionary bi-annual bonus plan, based on individual and company performance
• 401K retirement plan with immediately vested company contributions, no matching required
• Healthcare coverage plan through an Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangement (ICHRA)
• Employer-paid Life, Long-Term Disability, and Accidental Death and Dismemberment insurances
• Access to optional, employee-paid Life, Accident, Critical Illness, and Hospital Indemnity insurances
• Access to a Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
• Paid training and conference attendance
• Additional benefits, as needed, for significant life events: parental leave, bereavement leave, jury duty pay, military leave pay
• One-time home office reimbursement
• Phone plan reimbursement
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) services, supporting emotional health and well-being of employees and their families

Centil is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, protected veteran status or any other status protected by applicable law.