Senior Systems Engineer

AV; Germantown (MD); On-site; USD 105,000 - 148,575; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical and dental benefits

401K with company matching

Paid holiday shutdown

Job summary

AV is seeking skilled Systems Engineers in Germantown, Maryland to support design and integration of advanced systems across ground, air, and space domains. Candidates should possess a Bachelor's degree in Engineering and a minimum of 5 years of systems engineering experience in the defense or aerospace industry.

The position emphasizes collaboration across multiple engineering disciplines, making strong technical writing and communication skills essential. AV offers a robust benefits package including medical, dental, vision, and 401K matching.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of systems engineering experience in defense or aerospace.
• Hands-on experience with end-to-end development and integration.
• Proficient in communicating complex concepts effectively.

Responsibilities

• Develop and manage system requirements from customer needs.
• Conduct trade studies and technical analyses for design decisions.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure system integration.

Skills

Systems engineering experience

Requirements management

Technical writing

Collaborative work

Proficiency with requirements tools

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Physics, or related discipline

Tools

Requirements management tools

Job description

AV is seeking skilled Systems Engineers to support the design, development, integration, testing, and deployment of advanced electromechanical, opto‑mechanical, and RF systems across our diverse portfolio of defense solutions. In this role you will be a key technical contributor on programs spanning ground, air, and space domains, working at the intersection of multiple engineering disciplines to ensure system‑level success.

Responsibilities

• Develop, decompose, and manage system and subsystem requirements from customer needs through verification and validation.
• Establish and maintain bidirectional traceability between requirements, design elements, and verification methods using requirements management tools.
• Define and document system and subsystem interfaces (mechanical, electrical, optical, RF, data) through Interface Control Documents (ICDs).
• Develop system architectures, functional flows, and physical decompositions for electromechanical, opto‑mechanical, and RF systems.
• Conduct trade studies and technical analyses to support design decisions and optimize system performance against cost, schedule, and performance constraints.
• Create verification matrices and test plans that map requirements to appropriate verification methods (test, analysis, inspection, demonstration).
• Develop integration strategies and support integration activities for multi‑disciplinary systems across subsystems and suppliers.
• Support system‑level testing, verification events, and validation activities to ensure requirements are met.
• Collaborate daily with mechanical, electrical, software, optical, and RF engineers to resolve technical issues and ensure system‑level integration.
• Identify, assess, and track technical risks; develop mitigation plans in collaboration with engineering teams.
• Prepare technical specifications, reports, design documentation, and presentations for internal teams and customers.
• Participate in technical reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR) and design reviews as systems engineering representative.
• Assess impact of requirements changes and support change control processes to maintain technical and programmatic integrity.
• Support customer technical meetings, reviews, and demonstrations with clear technical communication.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of systems engineering processes, tools, templates, and best practices.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering (Aerospace, Electrical, Mechanical, Optical, Computer, Systems), Physics, or related discipline.
• 5+ years of systems engineering experience in defense, aerospace, or related industry.
• Demonstrated experience with requirements management, including elicitation, decomposition, traceability, and verification planning.
• Hands‑on experience with end‑to‑end development, integration and test activities for complex hardware‑software systems.
• Proficiency with requirements management tools.
• Strong understanding of systems engineering processes and standards across the system development lifecycle.
• Experience defining and managing technical interfaces between subsystems, disciplines, or organizations.
• Excellent technical writing and communication skills with ability to convey complex concepts to diverse audiences.
• Proven ability to work collaboratively in cross‑functional teams and matrix organizations.
• U.S. citizenship required. Active (or active within last 2 years) Secret or higher level of DoD security clearance is desired but not required; willingness to obtain a clearance if needed.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree or Ph.D. in related engineering or technical discipline.
• Experience with electromechanical, opto‑mechanical, or RF system development and integration.
• Familiarity with Model‑Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) tools and methods.
• Experience with environmental testing (TVAC, shock, vibration, EMI/EMC) and corresponding test standards.
• Hands‑on experience leading technical reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR) or serving as systems lead on programs.
• Knowledge of defense acquisition processes and DoD milestone review frameworks.

Clearance Level

No Clearance required.

Salary Range

$105,000 - $148,575

ITAR Requirement

This position requires access to information that is subject to compliance with the International Traffic Air Regulations (ITAR) and/or the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). Applicants must qualify as a U.S. person under ITAR and EAR or be approved for an export license. U.S. citizenship is required for contract fulfillment.

Benefits

AV offers an excellent benefits package including medical, dental, vision, 401K with company matching, a 9/80 work schedule, and paid holiday shutdown. For more information about our company benefit offerings please visit: http://www.avinc.com/myavbenefits.

EEO Statement

We are proud to be an EEO/AA Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability/veterans. AeroVironment, Inc. is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer and welcomes all qualified applicants. Qualified applicants will receive fair and impartial consideration without regard to race, sex, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, genetic data, sexual orientation, gender identity or other legally protected status.