Senior Principal Systems Engineer

Saic; Colorado Springs (CO); On-site; USD 160,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

SAIC in Colorado Springs seeks a Senior Principal Systems Engineer to lead architecture development and requirements management across Space, Intelligence, and Cyber domains, in an Agile, on-site environment. You will create artifacts, support SRR/ PDR /CDR, and ensure rapid design reviews and effective communications with leadership and stakeholders.

This role requires TS/SCI clearance and a strong track record in complex system programs.

Qualifications

• 14+ years of overall experience in technical roles, with a focus on systems engineering.
• 7+ years of systems engineering experience including rapid development and lifecycle processes.
• Experience analyzing requirements and maintaining requirements traceability.

Responsibilities

• Support development of system architectures and trade studies to meet mission objectives.
• Design and evaluate use cases, CONOPS, and interfaces aligned with requirements.
• Communicate complex concepts clearly to non-technical stakeholders.
• Create and maintain system design documents, requirements matrices, ICDs, and diagrams.
• Lead SRR, PDR, CDR, and TRR milestones to assess design maturity.
• Collaborate with Agile Scrum teams for multiple concurrent projects.
• Decompose high-level requirements into actionable, traceable deliverables.
• Apply expertise across Space, Intelligence, and Cybersecurity domains.

Skills

Requirements management

System architecture

Agile Scrum

DoDAF familiarity

Non-technical communication

TS/SCI clearance

Education

Bachelor's degree in Systems Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Computer Science

Master's degree

PhD or JD

Tools

JIRA

Confluence

Job description

Description

We are seeking a highly skilledSenior Principal Systems Engineerto support the HOPE 2.0 initiative in Colorado Springs, CO. In this role, you will be instrumental in developing system architectures, creating use cases, managing and analyzing requirements, and supporting multiple fast-paced projects across the Space, Intelligence, and Cybermission areas. You will work onsite with diverse, cross‑functional teams in a collaborative Agile environment, focusing on rapid development cycles and streamlined design reviews, ensuring the swift delivery of mission‑critical solutions to operational environments. The candidate must also excel at communicating complex technical concepts to non‑technical stakeholders and creating high‑quality artifacts to effectively convey technical and programmatic objectives.

Responsibilities

• Working with the HOPE 2.0 Solution Architect, support the development of system architectures, performing trade studies and decisions that meet mission objectives.
• Design and evaluate use cases, CONOPS, and system interfaces, aligning solutions with technical and operational requirements.
• Communicate complex technical concepts, designs, and solutions in a clear and effective manner to non‑technical stakeholders, ensuring alignment and understanding across various levels of the organization.
• Create and maintain high‑quality technical artifacts, such as system design documents, requirements traceability matrices, interface control documents, architecture diagrams, and workflows.
• Facilitate and participate in Streamlined SRR, PDR, CDR, and TRR milestone events to assess technical design maturity and mission alignment while ensuring streamlined processes to meet rapid development timelines.
• Collaborate with diverse Agile Scrum teams to support multiple concurrent projects, ensuring seamless cross‑team communication and system integration at all phases of the development lifecycle.
• Effectively manage the decomposition of high‑level requirements into actionable, traceable, and tested system deliverables.
• Apply multidisciplinary expertise across Space, Intelligence, and Cybersecurity domains to address technical challenges and enable mission success.
• Leverage Agile methodologies to enable rapid prototyping and iterative development, ensuring cost‑effectiveness and mission relevance.
• Support the creation of presentations, reports, and technical briefs for senior leadership, stakeholders, and external review panels.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Systems Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field and fourteen (14) years or more experience; Masters and twelve (12) years or more experience; PhD or JD and nine (9) years or more experience.
• A minimum of 7+ years of experience in systems engineering with a focus on rapid development, architecture creation, requirements management, and system lifecycle processes.
• Demonstrated experience in analyzing and managing requirements and requirements traceability.
• Demonstrated experience conducting and supporting PDRs, CDRs, and other technical design reviews.
• Proven ability to clearly articulate and explain technical concepts to non‑technical audiences, ensuring mutual understanding and stakeholder buy‑in.
• Successful track record working within Agile Scrum teams, delivering high‑quality solutions in short development cycles.
• Expertise in creating technical artifacts such as architecture documents, interface control documents, and requirements specifications.
• Familiarity with guidelines for documentation such as DoDAF.
• Authorization to work in the U.S. with an active TS/SCI clearance.
• Willingness and ability to work onsite daily in Colorado Springs, CO, for close collaboration with development teams.

Preferred Qualifications

• INCOSE Systems Engineering Professional (ASEP/CSEP) certification highly desired.
• Strong background in rapidly delivering technical solutions for highly dynamic mission objectives and evolving requirements.
• Familiarity with Agile software development tools (e.g., JIRA, Confluence) and modern DevSecOps frameworks to support continuous integration and delivery environments.
• Solid understanding of emerging tools, trends, and best practices relevant to Space, Intelligence, and Cybersecurity.

Target salary range: $160,001 - $200,000. The estimate displayed represents the typical salary range for this position based on experience and other factors.