Sr. C2 Systems Integration Engineer

Horizon Global Partners; Fairfax (VA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Horizon Global Partners seeks a C2 Systems Integrator with a strong operational C2 background to lead development, delivery, training and sustainment of command-and-control systems for warfighters in real-world and training contexts.

This role bridges operators and engineers, ensuring requirements are understood and translated into executable work, tested realistically, and delivered as trusted capabilities on secure platforms.

Qualifications

• Prior operational USAF or equivalent C2 background with hands-on experience.
• Experience translating operator needs into engineering requirements.
• Familiarity with secure IT infrastructure and mission software.

Responsibilities

• Lead development, delivery, training and sustainment of C2 systems.
• Translate operator needs into executable engineering work and testable specs.
• Coordinate with operational commands, user groups, and requirements boards.
• Plan and oversee integration of sensors, data links, and radios.

Skills

USAF experience

C2 system leadership

Joint/coalition ops

Systems integration

RMF/ATO familiarity

Security clearance

Brief senior leaders

Education

Bachelor's degree in technical field

Tools

AWACS environment

CRC/AOC experience

Job description

We are seeking a C2 expert who has executed the C2 mission from the operator's chair. The ideal candidate is a former or retired USAF Air Battle Manager (or equivalent C2 battle management operator) with hands-on experience in airborne, ground-based, and operations-center C2 environments such as AWACS, the Control and Reporting Center (CRC), and the Air Operations Center (AOC), and who has since built a track record in leadership, systems integration, test, or training.

This individual will lead the development, delivery, training and sustainment of command-and-control systems. The role bridges two worlds: the operators who depend on these systems in real-world and operations, and the engineers who build and sustain the underlying platform. The C2 Systems Integrator ensures that operational requirements are understood, translated into executable engineering work, tested realistically, and delivered in a form that warfighters can trust and train on.

Why an Operational C2 Background

The hardest problems on a C2 program are rarely purely technical. They are questions such as: What does a controller actually need to see, and how fast? What happens to the tactical picture when systems are degraded or fail mid-mission? How will a coalition partner receive and trust this data? How do we prove to an operational test team, and to the people who will sit the console, that the system is safe to field? A candidate with real battle management experience brings the credibility, vocabulary, and instincts to answer those questions, and to challenge engineering and schedule decisions that look fine on paper but would not survive contact with an operational unit.

The System Under Management

The System Integrator owns integrated delivery and sustainment of the following elements of the C2 System:

• Secure Computing Environment — The IT infrastructure and Services that support the system.
• Mission Software — Operational and tactical level command and control software such as MSCT, ADSI, C2 Core, Voice Communications Systems.
• Integration — Sensors, tactical data links, and radios/communications devices.

Key Responsibilities

Operational Requirements and Mission Alignment

• Serve as the program's operational voice: translate operator needs, tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs), and mission-thread requirements into clear, testable engineering requirements.
• Define and defend mission-critical availability, latency, and data-integrity expectations for the track, display, and other mission application functions.
• Develop and maintain mission-thread and dependency views showing how a failure in any infrastructure service affects operational users.
• Represent the program in discussions with operational commands, user working groups, and requirements boards.

Joint and Coalition Operations

• Ensure the system supports Joint and coalition employment, including interoperability, data sharing, and releasability considerations across Service and mission-partner boundaries.
• Coordinate with Joint and Allied stakeholders, interoperability certification bodies, and foreign disclosure and security authorities as applicable to fielding and data exchange.
• Plan and track participation in Joint and coalition exercises, interoperability events, and integration demonstrations, including readiness of the underlying infrastructure.

Operational Test and Evaluation (OT&E) and Training

• Plan, coordinate, and support test events, define test objectives, measures of effectiveness and suitability, entry/exit criteria, and data collection.
• Manage deficiency reporting, root-cause analysis, and corrective-action tracking from test and exercise events through resolution and regression testing.
• Develop and deliver operator and administrator training, including curricula, training environments, user guides, and quick-reference materials; support transition of new capabilities into formal training pipelines.
• Plan realistic training and test environments (for example isolated or simulated environments) that mirror operational configurations without risking the production baseline.

Program Planning and Delivery

• Develop and maintain the integrated master plan and schedule covering hardware installation, cluster validation, service stand-up, application integration, security accreditation, test, training, fielding, and sustainment.
• Own the risk, issue, and dependency registers; chair or support the Change Control Board; and maintain configuration baselines and as-built documentation.
• Plan and coordinate maintenance windows, patch cycles, firmware updates, and failover/disaster recovery exercises so that they do not conflict with operational commitments.

Security, Compliance, and Governance

• Partner with the ISSO/cybersecurity team on Risk Management Framework (RMF) activities, STIG compliance, vulnerability remediation, and Authorization to Operate (ATO) milestones.
• Schedule and govern controlled events such as offline root CA bring-up, certificate issuance ceremonies, and smart card enrollment campaigns.
• Manage budgets, forecasts, and cost/schedule performance reporting; prepare contract deliverables and program reviews for the government customer.
• Manage vendor and subcontractor relationships, including hardware support, software licensing, and application providers.

Required Qualifications

• Prior operational experience as a USAF Air Battle Manager (13B) or equivalent C2 battle management operator, with direct experience in at least one of: E-3 AWACS, Control and Reporting Center (CRC), Sector Operations Center (SOC) or Air Operations Center (AOC).
• Demonstrated experience with Joint and coalition operations, such as multinational exercises, combined air operations, or Joint force integration.
• Bachelor's degree in a technical or related field and 8+ years of combined operational, program management, or systems integration experience (military service counts toward this requirement).
• Experience managing or contributing to the acquisition, fielding, or sustainment of C2 or other mission-critical systems.
• Working understanding of enterprise IT infrastructure concepts sufficient to sequence work and communicate with engineers.
• Familiarity with DoD RMF/ATO processes, change control, and configuration management.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; ability to brief senior military, government, and industry leaders.
• Active DoD Secret clearance at the time of application.

Preferred Qualifications

• Operational test and evaluation (OT&E) experience, including test planning, execution, and reporting for C2 or battle management systems.
• Training experience, such as instructor, evaluator, or training developer roles, including simulator-based and distributed mission training environments.
• Weapons-school or weapons-officer-level tactical expertise, or equivalent senior evaluator experience.
• Experience with C2 data links and tactical data exchange, track management, and common operational picture concepts.
• Experience with Joint interoperability certification and coalition mission-partner environments.
• PMP, PMI-ACP, ITIL, or equivalent certification; DAWIA certification or defense acquisition experience.

Work Environment / Physical Requirements

• Primarily performed in an office and secure facility environment; may require access to operations floors, radar and communication sites, test sites, or data center spaces.
• Occasional after-hours or weekend availability to support program deadlines.
• OCONUS Travel to operational units, exercise and test locations, and customer or vendor sites as required (25%).