Senior OPIR Systems Engineer

Chimera Enterprises International, Inc (Chimera); Aurora (CO); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Chimera Enterprises International, Inc (Chimera) seeks a Senior OPIR Systems Engineer to provide expert-level systems engineering and advisory support for persistent sensor operations and OPIR ground systems within NGA-Denver’s Persistence Office.

You will define requirements, develop CONOPS, guide design, integration, test, and verification activities, and deliver IV&V assessments to inform acquisition decisions and deployment.

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 experience on TCPED of persistent GEOINT/OPIR phenomena within an IC/DoD team.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with government, FFRDC, contractor, and international partners to develop systems engineering solutions and acquisition support for OPIR and GEOINT capabilities.
• Define, analyze, and document system requirements, technical specifications, CONOPS, and supporting reports and program documentation.
• Support design, development, integration, and test & verification activities for OPIR ground systems and mission applications.
• Provide IV&V of system deliverables to ensure alignment with requirements and interfaces.
• Support source selection by reviewing acquisition strategies and participating in proposals evaluation.

Skills

Systems engineering

Requirements analysis

Architecture design

Integration

Test & verification

IV&V

Acquisition support

Stakeholder communication

Clearance (TS/SCI)

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering/CS/Physics or related field; 15+ years experience (degree optional with experience)

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 experiencemay be considered in lieu of a degree.
• 10+ years of experiencedirectly 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.
• ActiveTS//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.