Senior Systems Engineer

Gormat; Corridor North (MD); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

PAE is seeking a Senior Systems Engineer to provide strategic systems engineering, governance, and enterprise integration support for the Joint Cyber Warfare Architecture (JCWA). This highly visible role collaborates with the Chief Architect and program leadership to advance architecture development and SAFe/PI planning across JCWA programs.

You will lead governance work, document ADRs, MFRs, SOPs, and reference designs, while shaping DoD policy alignment and executive communications.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field.
• 15+ years of experience with a Bachelor's degree.
• DoD/defense contracting experience.
• Experience with complex systems-of-systems architectures.
• Proficiency with Confluence and Jira for dashboards and automation.
• Excellent written and verbal communication for executive audiences.
• Active TS SCI with CI Polygraph.

Responsibilities

• Develop and mature JCWA Systems Engineering documents and the JNeRD reference design.
• Governance artifacts: Charters, MFRs, SOPs, ADRs for JIO/JTOC.
• Lead ADR/TN processes and enterprise architecture alignment.
• Support JCWA ICAM initiatives and policy awareness.
• Coordinate PI Planning and large-scale agile events.
• Create executive dashboards and Confluence reporting for leadership.

Skills

Security clearance TS/SCI

Executive communication

Agile/SAFe knowledge

DoD programs experience

Leadership

Requirements management

Education

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

Tools

Confluence

Jira

Mattermost

Atlassian integrations

Job description

The Senior Systems Engineer provides strategic systems engineering, technical governance, and enterprise integration support to PAE JCWA (Joint Cyber Warfare Architecture). This highly visible SETA position serves as a trusted advisor to leadership, supporting architecture development, systems engineering governance, Agile execution, and cross-functional coordination across JCWA programs. The role requires a blend of technical expertise, strategic thinking, process discipline, and exceptional communication skills to support complex systems-of-systems development within a DoD environment.

Role

• Collaborate with the Chief Architect, Technical Development Advisory (TDA), Operational Value Stream Leads (OVSLs), and engineering teams to develop and mature JCWA Systems Engineering documentation and the JCWA Next-generation Reference Design (JNeRD).
• Develop, review, and implement governance artifacts, including Charters, Memorandums for the Record (MFRs), Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), Systems Engineering Plans, and other technical guidance documents supporting the JCWA Integration Office (JIO) and JCWA Technical Oversight Council (JTOC).
• Establish and manage Architectural Decision Record (ADR) and Technical Need (TN) processes to ensure architecturally significant decisions are documented, reviewed, approved, and aligned with the enterprise architecture strategy and "North Star" vision.
• Assist in evaluating and implementing enterprise capabilities, including JCWA Identity, Credential, and Access Management (JCWA-ICAM) initiatives.
• Maintain situational awareness of Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of the Army (DoW) policies, standards, and requirements impacting systems engineering and development activities.
• Analyze technical policies, procedures, architectures, and program performance and provide recommendations and courses of action to leadership and development teams.

Agile & Process Improvement

• Facilitate and coordinate large-scale Defensive & Enterprise Solutions Program Increment (PI) Planning events supporting more than 900 personnel across multiple Agile Release Trains (ARTs).
• Develop planning materials, communication campaigns, stakeholder engagement products, navigation guides, and informational resources that improve participation and execution during PI Planning activities.
• Lead development of After-Action Reports (AARs), lessons learned, and continuous improvement initiatives resulting from PI Planning and operational activities.
• Engineer and implement automated workflows, dashboards, and reporting capabilities utilizing Atlassian Confluence and Jira to improve transparency, requirements management, and operational effectiveness.
• Support establishment, maturation, and operation of the PEO JCWA Lean Agile Center of Excellence (LACE).
• Identify opportunities for process improvement, automation, and standardization across JCWA engineering and governance functions.

Stakeholder Engagement & Requirements Management

• Coordinate Priority Operational Needs across Agile Release Trains and ensure alignment with PEO JCWA priorities and J3 operational requirements.
• Collaborate with PMOs, Service Cyber Components, government agencies, mission partners, and technical organizations to define, de-conflict, prioritize, and manage requirements.
• Support Functional Area Requirements Working Groups (FARWGs) by improving governance processes, increasing transparency, and facilitating stakeholder coordination.
• Develop and maintain executive dashboards and reporting solutions within Confluence to provide leadership visibility into NDAA compliance efforts, JTOC-directed initiatives, operational priorities, and program performance.
• Engage routinely with senior military and civilian leadership to provide updates, communicate risks and issues, gather mission insights, and ensure alignment between technical activities and mission objectives.
• Develop strategic communication products that communicate JCWA capabilities, technical accomplishments, operational outcomes, and mission success narratives to executive audiences.

Technical Leadership

• Provide systems engineering leadership and technical oversight for complex systems-of-systems architectures operating within large-scale DoD environments.
• Support enterprise architecture governance, systems integration activities, and technical decision-making processes across JCWA programs.
• Develop and maintain knowledge repositories, governance documentation, technical reference materials, and enterprise collaboration resources.
• Utilize expert-level knowledge of Confluence, Jira, and Atlassian integrations to improve organizational knowledge management, requirements traceability, and workflow automation.
• Maintain awareness of major JCWA issues, dependencies, and risks and provide timely recommendations and executive briefings to leadership.
• Support the PEO JCWA Executive Support Staff by developing and formalizing instructions, SOPs, MFRs, governance frameworks, and standardized operating processes that improve compliance, consistency, scalability, and mission effectiveness across JCWA programs.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Systems Engineering, Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering Science, Engineering Management, or a related discipline from an accredited college or university.
• Fifteen (15) years of relevant experience with a Bachelor's Degree,
• Demonstrated experience supporting Department of Defense (DoD) and defense contracting environments.
• Proven experience applying systems engineering principles to complex systems-of-systems architectures and enterprise-scale programs.
• Experience supporting large organizations (200-2,000 personnel) with complex technical, operational, and governance structures.
• Expert-level proficiency with Atlassian Confluence and Jira, including dashboard development, workflow automation, requirements management, and enterprise collaboration.
• Deep understanding of the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), Agile Release Trains (ARTs), and Program Increment (PI) Planning.
• Experience developing governance frameworks, technical documentation, SOPs, MFRs, Architectural Decision Records (ADRs), and systems engineering artifacts.
• Strong understanding of DoD acquisition policies, systems engineering lifecycle processes, and the Adaptive Acquisition Framework.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills with the ability to translate complex technical concepts into executive-level communications and recommendations.
• Experience supporting USCYBERCOM, cyber mission programs, enterprise architecture initiatives, or large-scale modernization efforts.
• Experience with Mattermost and Confluence
• Active TS SCI w/ CI Polygraph ( poly must be current , under 7 years)

Desired Qualifications

• SAFe Certification or formal SAFe training.
• CISSP certification preferred, but not required.

TS/SCI with polygraph is required.