Senior Systems Engineer with Security Clearance

Astrion; Albuquerque (NM); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Astrion is seeking a Senior Systems Engineer to join AFRL RAPID Lab at Kirtland AFB in Albuquerque, NM. You will drive architecture design, requirements development, and risk management for space-system architectures, leading cross-disciplinary teams and shaping future defense capabilities.

You will mentor engineers, guide trade studies, and ensure traceability across subsystems while collaborating with government stakeholders to deliver mission-critical solutions.

Qualifications

• U.S. Citizenship is required.
• Active TS/SCI clearance before start is required.
• Bachelor's degree in engineering, computer science, or related technical field.
• Minimum 5+ years of relevant technical engineering experience.
• 2+ years of systems engineering on large-scale government programs (>$100M).
• Familiarity with MBSE tools (Cameo, MagicDraw, Enterprise Architect).
• Proficient in systems engineering tools (DOORS, Jama, Jira, Confluence).
• Ability to lead technical discussions with diverse stakeholders.
• Strong analytical skills for complex systems and requirements.
• Excellent time management and organizational skills.
• Self-motivated with strong problem-solving abilities.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the technical lead reporting to RAPID Program Manager and Technical Director.
• Lead technical interchange meetings, design reviews and stakeholder briefings.
• Collaborate with government stakeholders and other program offices.
• Mentor junior engineers and subcontractors.
• Develop and manage system-of-systems requirements with traceability.
• Oversee interface definitions, validation and verification activities.
• Identify and mitigate technical risks in software, hardware and network domains.
• Develop CONOPS and mission-level use cases.
• Support development of system architectures and trade studies.
• Assist in test plans and review results; participate in validation.

Skills

U.S. Citizenship required

Active TS/SCI clearance

Bachelor's degree in engineering or CS

5+ years relevant experience

2+ years on large government programs

MBSE tools (Cameo, MagicDraw, EA)

System engineering tools (DOORS, Jama,

Jira, Confluence

Lead technical discussions

Analytical thinking

Time management

Independent problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering, CS, or related field

Tools

Cameo

MagicDraw

Enterprise Architect

DOORS

Jama

Jira

Confluence

Job description

Overview Senior Systems Engineer LOCATION: On Site - Kirtland AFB, NM JOB STATUS: Full-time CLEARANCE: Active TS/SCI clearance CERTIFICATION: N/A TRAVEL: Astrion is seeking a Senior Systems Engineer to join the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Space Vehicles Directorate, in support of the Rapid Architecture Prototyping and Integration Development (RAPID) laboratory at Kirtland AFB in Albuquerque, NM . This is a lead technical role driving architecture design, requirements development, and risk management for advanced, system-of-systems space architectures. The RAPID Lab plays a critical role in shaping the future of resilient space systems for the U.S. Space Force.

R EQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS / SKILLS

• U.S. Citizenship required
• Active TS/SCI clearance prior to start
• Bachelor's degree in engineering , computer science , or related technical field
• Minimum 5+ years of relevant technical engineering experience
• 2+ years of systems engineering experience on large-scale ($100M+) government programs
• Familiarity with Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) tools such as Cameo, MagicDraw , or Enterprise Architect
• Proficient in systems engineering tools such as DOORS, Jama, Jira, Confluence
• Ability to lead technical discussions and communicate effectively with diverse stakeholders
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to manage complex systems and technical requirements
• Excellent time management and organizational skills
• Self-motivated and capable of independent problem solving

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS / SKILLS

• Experience with s pace systems , satellite communications , or secure ground systems
• Background in IT infrastructure and networked systems
• Familiarity with defense acquisition processes or similar government frameworks
• Experience conducting trade studies , algorithm development , or system-level modeling
• Understanding of DoDAF or SysML for archite ctural frameworks
• Prior experience working with senior government or military leadership

RESPONSIBILITIES

• S erve as the technical lead reporting to the RAPID Program Manager and Technical Director
• Lead and participate in technical interchange meetings , design reviews, and stakeholder briefings
• Collaborate with government stakeholders an d other program offices to align objectives
• Guide and mentor junior engineers and subcontractors
• Develop and manage system-of-systems-level requirements , ensuring traceability across subsystems
• Oversee interface definitions , validation , and verification act ivities
• Lead identification and mitigation of technical risks in software, hardware, and network domains
• Develop and review operational concepts (CONOPS) and mission-level use cases
• Support the development of preliminary and detailed system architectures
• Conduct system-level trade studies and support algorithm and modeling efforts
• Assist in the development of test plans and review of test results
• Participate in integration and system-level validation activities
• Apply best practices in systems engineering using tools and framewo rks to drive results
• Communicate risk posture and technical status to program and customer leadership #CJ