Senior OPIR Systems Engineer

chimera; Aurora (CO); On-site; USD 170,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

Chimera in Colorado seeks a Senior OPIR Systems Engineer to lead requirements, CONOPS, and IV&V for persistent GEOINT capabilities. You will collaborate with government and industry partners to shape design, testing, and deployment strategies.

The role requires extensive systems engineering experience, strong communication, and a current TS/SCI clearance with CI Polygraph; willingness to obtain is acceptable. This position is based in NGA-Denver's Persistence Office.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Physics; 15+ years may substitute.
• 10+ years supporting Major Systems Acquisition-level IC/DoD projects.
• Recent TCPED experience in persistent GEOINT/OPIR; IC/DoD team experience.
• Systems engineering: requirements, architecture, integration, test, verification for ISR/GEOINT systems.
• Ability to provide senior leaders with decision-quality technical analyses and recommendations.
• Strong communication and independent judgment.
• Active TS/SCI clearance with CI Polygraph or willingness to obtain.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with government, FFRDC, contractor, and international partners on OPIR and GEOINT solutions.
• Define, analyze, and document system requirements, CONOPS, and technical reports.
• Support design, development, integration, and test & verification for OPIR ground systems.
• Provide IV&V of system deliverables to ensure they meet user requirements and interfaces.
• Support source selection and proposal evaluation activities.
• Identify, assess, and manage technical risks and propose mitigations to senior stakeholders.
• Lead cross-functional teams and align stakeholder organizations.

Skills

Systems engineering

Requirements development

Architecture design

Integration and test

IVV/IV&V

Stakeholder collaboration

Communication skills

Decision-quality analyses

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Physics

Advanced degree in Systems Engineering / Aerospace / CS

Job description

Position Summary

The Senior OPIR Systems Engineer provides expert-level systems engineering and technical advisory support for persistent sensor operations and OPIR-related ground systems within NGA-Denver’s Persistence Office. This role focuses on defining requirements, developing CONOPS, and guiding design, integration, test, and verification activities for complex GEOINT capabilities. The Senior Systems Engineer works as part of an integrated team, delivering objective IV&V and risk assessments that inform acquisition decisions and operational deployment. Ideal candidates are seasoned IC/DoD systems engineers with recent TCPED/OPIR experience and strong stakeholder collaboration skills.

Key Responsibilities

• Collaborate with government, FFRDC, contractor, and international partners to develop systems engineering solutions, integration strategies, and acquisition support for OPIR and persistent GEOINT capabilities.
• Define, analyze, and document system requirements, technical specifications, Mission User CONOPS, and supporting technical reports and program documentation.
• Support design, development, integration, and test & verification activities for OPIR ground systems and associated mission applications.
• Provide independent verification and validation (IV&V) of system deliverables to ensure they meet user requirements, performance specifications, and interface documentation.
• Support source selection processes by reviewing and refining acquisition strategies and participating in proposal evaluation activities.
• Identify, assess, and manage technical risks related to performance, schedule, and budget, recommending mitigation strategies to senior stakeholders.
• Lead and contribute to cross-functional technical teams, driving alignment across multiple stakeholder organizations and enhancing enterprise OPIR capabilities.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, or a related technical field; 15+ years of directly relevant experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
• 10+ years of experience directly supporting Major Systems Acquisition-level projects in the IC or DoD.
• Direct, recent (within the past 5 years) experience as part of an integrated IC/DoD contractor/government team focused on TCPED of persistent GEOINT phenomena (OPIR strongly desired).
• Strong background in systems engineering, including requirements development, architecture design, integration, test, and verification for complex ISR/GEOINT systems.
• Demonstrated ability to provide senior leaders with decision-quality technical analyses and recommendations for resource allocation and capability development.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to convey complex technical concepts to diverse audiences and exercise independent judgment.
• Active TS//SCI clearance with current CI Polygraph, or eligibility and willingness to obtain and maintain this level of clearance.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with OPIR ground systems, GEOINT enterprise architectures, and mission management tools.
• Familiarity with NGA, NSG, and IC/DoD acquisition frameworks and processes.
• Experience leading or significantly contributing to cross-agency, multinational, or multi-organizational engineering efforts.
• Knowledge of AI/ML applications, data pipelines, and automation tools relevant to ISR data processing and analytics.
• Advanced degree in Systems Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Computer Science, or related discipline.