Senior Missile Defense Architect / Technical Element Lead

nou Systems, Inc.; Fort Belvoir (VA); On-site; USD 175,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Medical plan with HSA

ESOP

401(k) retirement plan

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

nou Systems, Inc. in Fort Belvoir, VA is seeking a Senior Missile Defense Architect/Technical Element Lead to shape the future MDS architecture and lead contract activities within MDA’s Chief Architect organization.

The role requires 12+ years in missile defense or large DoW programs, and active TS/SCI clearance with SAP eligibility. The position involves program leadership, customer engagement, and coordinating across teams, including subcontractors, to deliver high-quality analyses, papers,

Qualifications

• Active Top Secret clearance with SCI and SAP eligibility.
• Master’s degree in a STEM field (or bachelor’s degree in a STEM field with 20+ years of experience).
• 12+ years working on a missile defense-related or other complex, large DoW program/project.
• Experience conducting or overseeing architecture assessments of alternatives.
• Experience as a project lead, managing cost, schedule, and technical performance on DoW or similarly complex programs.
• Strong customer engagement and communication skills.
• Experience producing or contributing to executive-level briefings and reports.

Responsibilities

• Lead teams and tasks, applying rigorous engineering judgment to complex technical problems.
• Oversee contract activities within MDA’s Chief Architect organization and coordinate across all team members, including subcontractors, to ensure consistent contract messaging and high-quality deliverables.
• Coordinate closely with the Contract Technical Lead (CTL) and provide timely feedback on all required deliverables, including the Monthly Status Report (MSR).
• Maintain close relationships with customer leadership, understand their needs, flow down those needs to our team, and anticipate and resolve technical and programmatic issues.
• Provide a system-level perspective on integrating new and non-traditional sensors and weapons into the MDS.
• Lead and conduct architecture analyses, assessments of alternatives, and comparative trade studies.
• Prepare assessments, recommendations, papers, briefings, and reports.
• Identify technologies across the DoW that could strengthen the missile defense and defeat mission and provide the technical and programmatic expertise needed to integrate them.
• Formulate and recommend strategies for achieving the desired Missile Defense System architecture in a Capability Development Roadmap.
• Investigate Other Government Agency (OGA) programs and technologies that complement the MDA mission and identify opportunities for research collaboration or capability integration.

Skills

Top Secret clearance

Customer engagement

Executive briefings

Engineering judgment

Leadership

Cost/schedule/technical performance

Education

Master’s degree in STEM

Bachelor’s degree in STEM + 20+ years experience

Tools

MATLAB

Python

Job description

nou Systems, Inc. in Fort Belvoir, VA is seeking a Senior Missile Defense Architect/Technical Element Lead to shape the future MDS architecture and lead contract activities within MDA’s Chief Architect organization.

The role requires 12+ years in missile defense or large DoW programs, and active TS/SCI clearance with SAP eligibility. The position involves program leadership, customer engagement, and coordinating across teams, including subcontractors, to deliver high-quality analyses, papers,