Staff Systems Engineer

Orbis; United States; On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Orbis Operations is seeking a Staff Systems Engineer to support a government program in the Middle East. You will lead data integrations across Orbis data governance and analysis products, embedding with customer teams to deliver secure, real-time data sharing for mission-critical contexts.

The role requires ramping up quickly, making sound tradeoffs under pressure, and mentoring teams while driving complex solutions in dynamic environments. International travel up to 50% is required.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of systems engineering experience.
• 8+ years of federated data architecture design for defense, national security, or government environments, including canonical data model development and ICD authoring.
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or related field.
• Ability to travel internationally up to 50% of the time.
• Experience with API development, data modeling, and system integration patterns.
• Strong collaboration and communication skills across distributed, cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership on high-priority initiatives across teams to drive projects to completion.
• Navigate ambiguous problem spaces, define technical approaches, and trade off between speed, quality, and scope.
• Design and implement systems architecture that connects customer endpoints, sensors, and external systems to our platform.
• Collaborate with product, engineering, and customer stakeholders to translate business needs into working solutions.
• Identify technical risks early and develop mitigation strategies.
• Support teams by providing guidance and clearing technical obstacles.
• Communicate technical decisions and tradeoffs clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Ensure successful handoffs and knowledge transfer as projects transition to long-term ownership.

Skills

Systems engineering

Data architecture

API development

Data modeling

Cross-team collaboration

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or related field

Job description

Orbis Operations is looking for a Staff Systems Engineer support­ing a new program for a government client in the Middle East. Our team of Forward Deployed Engineers will be rapidly designing, building, deploying, and validating data integrations (sensors, C2 systems, and operational feeds) across Orbis data governance and data analysis products to enable secure, real-time data sharing in mission-critical contexts for our customer. This role will provide technical expertise, mentorship, and leadership, driving solutions to complex and ambiguous problems in the field at speed. We embed with customer teams, combining their domain expertise with our platform expertise to deliver working integrations in operational environments.

The successful candidate will work across teams and problem spaces, driving technical decisions in environments where requirements evolve quickly and the path forward isn't always clear. This role requires someone who can ramp up fast, make sound tradeoffs under pressure, and deliver results that move the business forward.

Duties/Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership on high-priority initiatives, working across teams to drive projects to completion.
• Navigate ambiguous problem spaces, define technical approaches, and make pragmatic tradeoffs between speed, quality, and scope.
• Design and implement systems architecture that connects customer endpoints, sensors, and external systems to our platform.
• Collaborate with product, engineering, and customer stakeholders to translate business needs into working solutions.
• Identify technical risks early and develop mitigation strategies.
• Support teams across the organization by providing guidance, clearing technical obstacles, and contributing where needed.
• Communicate technical decisions and tradeoffs clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Ensure successful handoffs and knowledge transfer as projects transition to long-term ownership.

Required Skills/Abilities

• 10+ years of systems engineering experience.
• 8+ years of experience in federated data architecture design for defense, national security, or government environments, including demonstrated experience with canonical data model development and ICD authoring.
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or related field
• Ability to travel internationally up to 50% of the time, including long-haul flights
• Track record of delivering results in fast-paced environments with competing priorities and evolving requirements.
• Familiarty in at least one modern typed language (e.g., TypeScript, Go, Rust, Kotlin, C#) and ability to pick up new languages quickly.
• Strong experience with API development, data modeling, and system integration patterns.
• Experience building and operating production systems with high reliability requirements.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, make sound decisions with incomplete information, and drive to resolution.
• Strong collaboration and communication skills across distributed, cross-functional teams.
• Support Orbis’ operations. As a flexible team player, support Orbis’ activities as needed.

Desired Skills/Abilities

• Experience with defense radar, video data, tactical radio ecosystems, UAV systems, C2 systems, and/or Common Operational Picture systems.
• Experience with microservices, serverless architectures, and messaging protocols.
• Familiarity with cloud platforms, security patterns, and operating in compliance-constrained environments.
• Experience deploying and operating software in field conditions (mission systems, constrained networks, high-reliability expectations).
• Experience working with government customers to deliver and support production systems.

Physical Requirements

• Mobility: Ability to travel internationally up to 50% of the time, including long-haul flights, navigating crowded airports, and traversing uneven terrain, stairs, or industrial job sites in the Middle East. Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Lifting/Carrying: Ability to lift and carry professional equipment (e.g., laptops, test devices, tools) weighing up to 25 lbs. frequently.
• Environmental Stamina: Ability to work in varying, extreme weather conditions (intense heat/sun) in the Middle East and maintain focus during long, irregular working hours across multiple time zones.
• Communication: Ability to see (with or without lenses) to read technical drawings and monitor equipment, and hear/speak to communicate in noisy environments or via remote conferencing.

Orbis Operations is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, marital status, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Orbis Operations is committed to creating an inclusive and diverse workplace where all employees are valued and respected. We encourage applications from all qualified individuals, including those from underrepresented groups.

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Orbis Operations will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities throughout the application and employment process. If you require an accommodation, please contact us at [e-mail].