Senior Optical & Quantum Communications Systems Engineer

BOAB Ventures; Chantilly (VA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

BOAB Ventures seeks a Communications Systems Engineer with strong optical and quantum communications experience to support advanced R&D for national security programs. This SETA role focuses on systems engineering across hardware, software, and architectures for mission-critical optical and quantum systems.

You will review technologies, develop roadmaps, and prepare technical analyses and program briefings, engaging with mission users to translate operational needs into actionable requirements

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree with 9+ years of relevant experience; Master's 7+ years; or PhD/JD 4+ years.
• Experience supporting U.S. Government program management and lifecycle processes.
• Strong interpersonal, verbal, and technical writing skills.
• Ability to work effectively across multidisciplinary technical teams.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office tools.
• Active TS/SCI with CI Polygraph required.

Responsibilities

• Perform technical reviews, assessments, and risk evaluations of optical and quantum communications at multiple levels.
• Evaluate optical terminals, free-space optical links, photonic components, and quantum architectures.
• Assess gaps in high-bandwidth space links, modulation, pointing/tracking, and budgets.
• Develop roadmaps, requirements, specifications, verification approaches, and transition strategies.
• Engage with mission users to understand operational needs and evaluate capabilities.
• Prepare systems engineering documentation, analyses, and program-level briefings with findings.
• Support program activities, source selections, lifecycle documentation, and system integration planning.

Skills

TS/SCI with CI Polygraph

Systems Engineering

Optical & Quantum Communications

Technical Writing

Cross-functional Collaboration

Verbal Communication

MS Office Proficiency

Education

Bachelor's in Engineering/Physics

Master's in Engineering/Physics

PhD/JD in related field

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

BOAB Ventures seeks a Communications Systems Engineer with strong optical and quantum communications experience to support advanced R&D for national security programs. This SETA role focuses on systems engineering across hardware, software, and architectures for mission-critical optical and quantum systems.

You will review technologies, develop roadmaps, and prepare technical analyses and program briefings, engaging with mission users to translate operational needs into actionable requirements