Systems Architect, Air Traffic Control for IP-based Voice Communication Systems - Maryland

Rohde & Schwarz; Columbia (MD); Hybrid; USD 153,000 - 204,000; Full time

Job summary

Rohde & Schwarz is seeking an experienced Systems Architect to lead end‑to‑end VoIP architecture for critical ATC environments. You will define specifications, certify architectures, and drive security, deployment, and regulatory alignment across North America and Europe.

Ideal candidates have 10+ years in safety‑critical communications, strong SIP/RTP/SNMP expertise, and proven leadership of cross‑border teams.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of hands‑on experience designing, integrating, and certifying large‑scale VoIP or real‑time systems.
• 3+ years in a senior technical‑lead or system‑architect role on multi‑million projects
• Proven ability to deliver end‑to‑end ICAO/DO‑178C certified solutions
• Strong knowledge of SIP, RTP, SNMP in ATC environments
• Comfort with autonomy and international collaboration

Responsibilities

• Define and own end‑to‑end ATC VoIP architecture for FAA ATC Towers.
• Create, review, and certify SSA and SCD for every release.
• Translate stakeholder requirements into modular, configuration‑driven designs.
• Drive integration of SIP/RTP/SRTP, QoS, and network protocols into a single VoIP backbone.
• Serve as senior technical liaison to customers and regulators; influence roadmap priorities.
• Mentor a team of 4–6 engineers; establish architecture review boards and CI/CD guidelines.
• Maintain a real‑time configuration baseline repository with automated rollback within 15 minutes.
• Collaborate with cybersecurity to embed end‑to‑end encryption and achieve SOC‑2/ISO‑27001.
• Publish two technical white‑papers or patents per year on ATC VoIP innovations.
• Coordinate know‑how exchange with Europe and North America teams.

Skills

VoIP architecture

Leadership

Customer focus

Autonomy

Strong communication

Education

B.S./M.S. in EE/CS/Telecommunications

Tools

SIP

RTP

SNMP

CentOS/Oracle Linux

TLS/SRTP security

Job description

We are seeking experienced Systems Architects to support a large government program. Strong candidates will have experience with IP-based voice communication systems in critical infrastructure fields, be goal oriented, and customer focused. The work location for this position is our North American headquarters in Columbia, MD or our new production facility in Frederick, MD. The position sits on a team that works in the office most days, but some remote work is allowed. US citizenship is required for this position.

Your tasks

• Define and own the end-to-end ATC VoIP architecture for FAA ATC Towers
• Create, review, and certify System Specification & Architecture (SSA) and System Configuration Documents (SCD) for every release.
• Translate complex stakeholder requirements into modular, configuration‑driven design artefacts that reduce engineering effort
• Drive the integration of SIP/RTP, SRTP, QoS, and network‑time protocols into a single, resilient VoIP backbone.
• Serve as the senior technical liaison to customers, NATO/ICAO regulators, and internal product teams, influence roadmap priorities
• Mentor a team of 4-6 senior engineers, establishing architecture review boards and CI/CD best‑practice guidelines
• Maintain a real‑time configuration‑baseline repository that supports automated rollback within 15 minutes for any field issue.
• Collaborate with cybersecurity teams to embed end‑to‑end encryption (SRTP, TLS) and achieve SOC-2 / ISO-27001 compliance.
• Publish two technical white‑papers, patents, or open‑source contributions per year on ATC VoIP innovations.
• Work closely with the system engineering teams based in Europe and North America for know‑how exchange and roadmap development.

Your Qualifications

• B.S. or M.S. in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Telecommunications or relevant engineering degree.
• 10+ years of hands‑on experience designing, integrating, and certifying large‑scale, safety‑critical Voice‑over‑IP (VoIP) or similar real‑time communication systems.
• 3+ years in a senior technical‑lead or system‑architect role on projects with >$10M budgets and international deployment (e.g., FAA‑ATC, aerospace, defense).
• Demonstrated track‑record delivering end‑to‑end solutions that meet ICAO, Eurocontrol, DO‑178C, or equivalent certification standards.
• Solid understanding and experience in IP based voice communication systems, including knowledge on protocols such as SIP, RTP, SNMP in Air Traffic Control environments.
• Linux OS (CentOS or Oracle) knowledge and networking skills and cybersecurity.
• Proficient in relevant business tools including MS Word, Excel, Visio, PowerPoint, SysML.
• Excellent understanding of industry’s best practices and standards (i.e. ED‑137 protocol).
• Ability to operate with considerable autonomy and minimal supervision.
• Ability to lead small project teams and lead them to success, including teams with sub‑contractors.
• Ability to travel throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe, up to 30%.
• Excellent written communication – able to produce clear, audit‑ready SSA/SCD and technical proposals.
• Strong verbal presentation skills for C‑level briefings, demos at trade shows, and customer training sessions (English fluency required; a second language (e.g., French, German) is a plus).
• Proactive, highly organized, analytical and self‑managed.
• Comfortable working in an international team and without formal direction.
• In order to be considered, candidates must reside in the US and be a US citizen capable of receiving a Public Trust and/or US Government security clearance.

Interested? We are looking forward to receiving your application!

The total compensation for this position is $153K-$204K. Total compensation includes base salary, variable pay (when applicable) plus benefits. The range is determined by the position, geographic location and level. Individual pay within the range is determined by several factors including location, education or training, relevant work history, sales incentive structure and job‑related skills.

Rohde & Schwarz is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age or any other characteristic protected by law.

Rohde & Schwarz is a global technology company with approximately 14,000 employees and three divisions: Test & Measurement, Technology Systems and Networks & Cybersecurity. For 90 years, the company has been developing cutting‑edge technology, pushing the boundaries of what is technically possible and enabling customers from various sectors such as business, government and public authorities to maintain their technological sovereignty.