Senior SETA Systems Engineer — Space/Defense

KBR Careers; Chantilly (VA); On-site; USD 175,000 - 220,000; Full time

Job summary

KBR in Chantilly, VA is seeking a Senior Systems Engineer (SETA) to support government programs with independent technical assessments and engineering oversight. You will guide multi‑disciplinary teams across the full lifecycle of space systems to ensure mission alignment and compliance.

The role requires 12+ years in systems engineering, an active TS/SCI clearance, and experience with DoDAF/MBSE. On‑site work in Virginia, with a focus on resilient, future‑ready space capabilities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Systems Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering.
• 12+ years of systems engineering experience in space, counterspace, or ISR with DoD/IC.
• Active TS/SCI security clearance with polygraph eligibility.
• Experience with DoDAF, MBSE tools, or similar engineering frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Provide SETA support to government program managers with independent technical assessments and acquisition support for space programs.
• Lead development, integration, and optimization of space system architectures aligned with mission objectives.
• Oversee requirements development, verification, validation, and configuration management across complex multi‑domain systems.
• Conduct evaluations, design trade studies, and risk assessments to inform decision‑making.
• Direct end‑to‑end lifecycle engineering activities from concept to sustainment.
• Coordinate with intelligence analysts and mission partners to align capabilities with evolving threats.
• Assess contractor performance and artifacts to ensure compliance with DoD/IC standards.
• Support integration of space domain awareness and ISR into enterprise architectures.

Skills

Systems engineering

DoD/IC experience

DoDAF

MBSE tools

Systems integration

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Master's degree in engineering

Tools

MBSE tools

DoDAF

Job description

KBR in Chantilly, VA is seeking a Senior Systems Engineer (SETA) to support government programs with independent technical assessments and engineering oversight. You will guide multi‑disciplinary teams across the full lifecycle of space systems to ensure mission alignment and compliance.

The role requires 12+ years in systems engineering, an active TS/SCI clearance, and experience with DoDAF/MBSE. On‑site work in Virginia, with a focus on resilient, future‑ready space capabilities.