Solution Engineer, DSS, Cyber Practice

Archer; Herndon (VA); Hybrid; USD 160,000 - 250,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work arrangement

Competitive compensation

Job summary

Archer, in collaboration with MANTECH, seeks a seasoned Solutions Engineer for the Cyber Practice – Defense & Space to shape end-to-end cyber solutions for DoW and Federal Space accounts from Herndon, VA. This role leads technical capture, architecture design, and proposal strategy with high autonomy.

The ideal candidate has 10+ years in government-focused pre-sales, strong communication skills, and a proven ability to translate ambiguous requirements into differentiated technical approaches.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in CS/engineering or related field, or equivalent experience.
• 10+ years in solutions engineering, systems architecture, or pre-sales in government contracting.
• Hands-on experience building prototypes, mockups, or scripts for pre-sales.
• Proven track record leading technical solutioning for complex RFIs/RFPs in DoW, IC, or Federal Space markets.

Responsibilities

• Own the overarching cyber architecture for major RFIs, RFPs, and proactive capture efforts across DoW and Federal Space accounts.
• Act as the lead technical cyber voice on proposal teams, collaborating with Capture Managers, Business Development leads, and executive leadership.
• Partner with Cyber Practice SMEs to integrate capabilities like defensive cyber operations, cryptographic resilience, zero trust, and ICAM.
• Draft, review, and finalize technical proposal volumes, whitepapers, WBS, and BOEs.
• Lead technical color team reviews (Pink, Red, Green) and refine the solution narrative throughout the capture lifecycle.
• Utilize modern tools and AI-assisted development practices to rapidly mock up architectures and proofs-of-concept.
• Rapidly develop PoCs as a hands-on builder to validate proposed architectures.
• Travel may be required to support client meetings and demonstrations.

Skills

Solutions engineering

Systems architecture

Technical pre-sales

RFIs/RFPs

Cyber security

Client engagement

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/Engineering

Tools

GitHub Copilot

Cursor

Job description

Archer is collaborating with MANTECH to connect them with exceptional professionals for this role.

MANTECH seeks a Solutions Engineer – Cyber Practice – Defense & Space to join our team in Herndon, VA (Hybrid).

The Solutions Engineer – Cyber Practice – Defense & Space will serve as the primary technical architect and representative of our growing Cyber Practice across Department of War (DoW) and federal space accounts. Operating at the tip of the spear, this high‑autonomy technical leader will shape the technical vision on supported proposals, programs, and customer engagements, scoping and designing end‑to‑end cyber solutions even when full requirements are undefined.

Responsibilities Include But Are Not Limited To

• Own the overarching cyber architecture for major RFIs, RFPs, and proactive capture efforts across DoW and Federal Space accounts, translating ambiguous customer needs into actionable, differentiated technical approaches.
• Act as the lead technical cyber voice on proposal teams, collaborating with Capture Managers, Business Development leads, and executive leadership to shape capture strategy.
• Partner with Cyber Practice SMEs to integrate specialized capabilities—such as defensive cyber operations, cryptographic resilience, zero trust, and ICAM—into a unified solution vision.
• Draft, review, and finalize technical proposal volumes, whitepapers, Work Breakdown Structures (WBS), and basis of estimates (BOEs).
• Command technical color team reviews (Pink, Red, Green), defending technical choices and refining the solution narrative throughout the capture lifecycle.
• Utilize modern tools and AI‑assisted development practices to rapidly mock up high‑level architectures, functional concepts, or proofs‑of‑concept to validate proposal strategies.
• Rapidly develop technical demonstrations and proofs‑of‑concept (PoCs) as a hands‑on builder on occasion to validate proposed architectures.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Cybersecurity, or a related technical field (or equivalent experience).
• 10+ years of experience in solutions engineering, systems architecture, or technical pre‑sales within government contracting.
• Practical, hands‑on experience building working software prototypes, technical mockups, or scripts to support pre‑sales or proposal engineering efforts.
• Proven track record leading technical solutioning for complex RFIs/RFPs in the Department of War (DoW), Intelligence Community (IC), or Federal Space/Civilian markets.
• Demonstrated capability to navigate ambiguous requirements, take command of technical strategy, and orchestrate cross‑functional SME teams.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with demonstrated ability to translate complex technical concepts into mission‑focused proposal volumes.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience developing Work Breakdown Structures (WBS), staffing models, and technical pricing strategies for government bids.
• Broad conceptual understanding across cyber security domains, including NIST frameworks, Zero Trust Architecture, defensive operations, and security engineering in classified environments.
• Familiarity with modern AI‑assisted tools (e.g., GitHub Copilot, Cursor) to accelerate technical modeling, workflow generation, or rapid concept validation.

Clearance Requirements

• Must have a current/active TS/SCI clearance

Physical Requirements

• Constantly operates a computer and other productivity machinery.
• Must be able to remain in a stationary position for prolonged periods.
• Travel may be required to support client meetings, technical demonstrations, or proposal efforts.