Senior System Engineer Special Operations

Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL); Laurel (NE); On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Education assistance

Strong retirement contributions

Work-life balance support

Job summary

Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) seeks a seasoned Systems Engineer to provide leadership in requirements analysis, concept development, risk assessment, and test & evaluation for strategic deterrent systems. You will coordinate integration efforts across technical and programmatic areas and contribute to milestones and reviews.

The role emphasizes collaboration with prime contractors and government sponsors, delivering formal engineering artifacts and technical

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, mathematics, physics, or related discipline.
• At least 5 years of systems engineering experience in design, development, or assessment of complex systems.
• Strong early concept development, requirements analysis, design, and risk evaluation.
• Experience supporting test and evaluation work: test planning, field data collection, requirements verification, and test reporting.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong critical-thinking ability.
• Proven success leading teams with industry and government sponsors.
• Willingness to travel periodically to sponsor offices and contractor sites.
• Active or eligible for DoD/DoD-cleared access; U.S. citizenship required.

Responsibilities

• Provide systems engineering leadership and technical expertise to cross-functional teams focusing on requirements analysis, concept development, risk assessment, and test and evaluation for strategic deterrent systems.
• Coordinate and, when needed, lead integration efforts to maintain alignment across system elements and programs.
• Participate in program technical reviews and acquisition milestone events, including presentations as required.
• Use engineering artifacts, data, and analysis to assess how well systems satisfy stakeholder and government requirements.
• Help develop future weapon system requirements and participate in system requirements and design reviews as needed.
• Collaborate with prime contractors and industry partners to advise on systems engineering execution assessments.
• Develop and communicate technical positions, risk assessments, and trade-offs to senior leadership.
• Deliver formal engineering artifacts and present concepts, analyses, and recommendations to sponsors and supporting contractors.

Skills

Requirements analysis

Concept development

Risk evaluation

Test planning

Communication (verbal & written)

Critical thinking

Team leadership

Travel readiness

Security clearance eligibility

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering, mathematics, physics or related field

Advanced degree in systems engineering (preferred)

Tools

Cameo Enterprise Architecture

Job description

Requirements

Must have:

• – We require a bachelors degree in engineering, mathematics, physics, or another discipline relevant to the role.
• – We require at least 5 years of relevant systems engineering experience in the design, development, or assessment of complex systems.
• – We need strong capabilities in early concept development, requirements analysis, design, and risk evaluation.
• – We require experience supporting test and evaluation work, including test planning, field data collection, requirements verification analysis, and test report writing.
• – We require excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• – We require strong critical-thinking ability.
• – We require demonstrated success working with and leading teams, including industry and government sponsors.
• – We require the ability and willingness to travel periodically, including short trips to sponsor offices and contractor sites.
• – We require an active Secret clearance, the ability to ultimately obtain Top Secret clearance, and eligibility for access to classified information, including U.S. citizenship.
• – Preferred: an advanced degree in systems engineering.
• – Preferred: strong systems engineering experience with electromagnetic systems.
• – Preferred: mission engineering experience.
• – Preferred: experience supporting Department of Defense acquisition processes.
• – Preferred: experience supporting special operations activities.
• – Preferred: experience using systems engineering software, especially model-based systems engineering tools such as Cameo Enterprise Architecture.
• – Preferred: an active Top Secret clearance.

Responsibilities:

• – We provide systems engineering leadership and technical expertise to cross-functional teams, with emphasis on requirements analysis, concept and technology development, risk assessment, and test and evaluation for strategic deterrent systems.
• – We define, coordinate, and, when needed, lead integration efforts across technical and programmatic areas to maintain alignment across system elements, organizations, and program phases.
• – We participate in program technical reviews and acquisition milestone events, including presenting when required.
• – We use tools, processes, methodologies, and prime-contractor design artifacts, test data, and analysis results to assess how well systems satisfy stakeholder and government requirements.
• – We help develop future weapon system requirements and take part in system requirements and design reviews as needed.
• – We work with prime contractors and industry partners to advise on, review, and contribute to systems engineering execution assessments.
• – We support program-level decisions by developing and communicating technical positions, risk assessments, and trade-offs to senior government and program leadership.
• – We deliver formal engineering artifacts to sponsors and supporting contractors and clearly present concepts, solutions, analysis results, reports, and technical recommendations.

Company:

We are the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), where we bring world-class expertise to some of the nations most critical defense, security, space, and science challenges. Our culture is welcoming, collaborative, and growth-oriented, with a strong focus on creativity, bold ideas, and authenticity. We offer generous benefits, including education assistance, strong retirement contributions, and support for work/life balance. Our campus is located in the Baltimore-Washington metro area, and we also provide a comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability coverage, paid time off, flexible spending accounts, retirement plans, training and development, and other possible compensation benefits such as bonuses, relocation support, locality allowance, or discretionary awards. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.