Senior Tactical Communications Systems Engineer

The Marlin Alliance, Inc.; San Diego (CA); Hybrid; USD 130,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

The Marlin Alliance, Inc. is seeking a Senior Communications Systems Engineer to serve as a key technical resource on its Interoperability and Systems Team in San Diego, CA. Hybrid work: 3 days on-site at Pt. Loma and 2 days remote.

The role requires active DoD Secret clearance and 8–10 years in DoD systems engineering, with expertise in tactical communications, SDRs, and C4ISR. You will help shape standards, architectures, and interoperability across joint programs.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in a relevant engineering field.
• 8–10 years of DoD systems engineering experience.
• Experience with SDRs, military waveforms, or C4ISR systems.
• System-of-systems interoperability analysis.
• Knowledge of cybersecurity principles in DoD contexts.
• Familiarity with open architecture frameworks for communications systems.
• U.S. citizenship with active DoD Secret clearance.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a technical SME on tactical communications standards, waveforms, SDR architectures, and systems integration.
• Analyze complex system-of-systems interoperability challenges and propose effective technical solutions.
• Represent the DoD client in technical working groups, industry consortia, and stakeholder engagements.
• Contribute to development, review, and modernization of specifications, interface standards, and reference implementations.
• Develop technical analyses, architectural assessments, and integration guides for government decision-making.
• Apply modern digital engineering practices to accelerate analysis and model complex interactions.
• Mentor junior engineers and foster knowledge exchange within the team.

Skills

DoD tactical communications

SDR architectures

Interoperability analysis

System-of-systems engineering

Cybersecurity principles

Open architecture concepts

Technical advisory

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical/Computer/Systems Engineering or related field

Master’s degree (desired)

Tools

MOSA concepts

MBSE

Data serialization formats

Job description

The Marlin Alliance, Inc. is seeking a Senior Communications Systems Engineer to serve as a key technical resource on its Interoperability and Systems Team in San Diego, CA. Hybrid work: 3 days on-site at Pt. Loma and 2 days remote.

The role requires active DoD Secret clearance and 8–10 years in DoD systems engineering, with expertise in tactical communications, SDRs, and C4ISR. You will help shape standards, architectures, and interoperability across joint programs.