Systems Architecture Engineer

Arcfield; Chantilly (VA); On-site; USD 135,000 - 235,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Insurance

Life Insurance

Paid Time Off

Holiday Pay

Disability Insurance

Retirement and Savings

Learning and Development

Wellness programs

Job summary

Arcfield is seeking an experienced Systems Architecture Engineer to support the development and integration of space-based sensing and mission capabilities for US Space Force and national security. The role requires defining architectural vision, decomposing complex systems, and guiding cross-domain integration to meet evolving mission objectives.

The ideal candidate brings systems engineering expertise, architectural judgment, and the ability to communicate complex concepts to government

Qualifications

• Experience in systems engineering, architecture, and design.
• Ability to decompose complex systems into subsystems and interfaces.
• Experience leading system integration across multiple domains.

Responsibilities

• Define and maintain high-level system architectures translating objectives into designs.
• Communicate architectural vision and technical direction for current and future capabilities.
• Decompose systems into subsystems, layers, and interfaces with clear roles.
• Lead system integration across multiple systems to ensure interoperability.
• Develop architecture views, diagrams, interfaces, baselines, and ICDs.
• Support roadmaps, risks, and modernization opportunities; guide teams.

Skills

Systems engineering

Systems architecture

MBSE

Leadership

Communication

Education

BS in engineering or related field

Tools

MagicDraw

SysML

DOORS

Job description

Responsibilities

Arcfield is seeking an experienced Systems Architecture Engineer to support the development and integration of advanced space-based sensing and mission capabilities supporting US Space Force and national security. This role is ideal for a seasoned engineer who enjoys defining technical vision, architecting complex systems, understanding how diverse capabilities work together, and developing scalable solutions that address evolving mission needs and long-term technical objectives.

The successful candidate will work as part of a multidisciplinary mission engineering team, providing technical leadership of system architecture, design, and integration activities. This individual will define and refine high-level system architectures, decompose complex systems into manageable subsystems and layers, and guide the integration of capabilities across multiple systems and systems of systems. The candidate will help ensure that individual technical solutions align with broader mission objectives, architectural vision, and roadmaps.

This role requires systems engineering experience and strong architectural judgment. The ideal candidate has the experience to see the broader system picture, identify architectural dependencies and integration challenges, and effectively communicate complex architectural concepts to technical leadership, government customers, and other stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Define, develop, and maintain high-level system architectures that translate mission objectives, operational needs, and technical requirements into cohesive system designs.
• Establish and communicate architectural vision, design principles, and technical direction to support current and future mission capabilities.
• Decompose complex systems into manageable subsystems, components, layers, and/or functional elements, and support defining their roles, relationships, dependencies, and interfaces.
• Lead and support system integration activities across multiple systems and systems of systems, ensuring architectural alignment, interoperability, and end-to-end mission functionality.
• Develop and maintain system architecture views, functional and physical diagrams, interface definitions, technical baselines, and other architectural products.
• Establish and maintain technology roadmaps and schedules, identifying architectural evolution paths, capability gaps, technical risks, and opportunities for modernization and integration.
• Provide architectural guidance and technical direction to multidisciplinary engineering teams, ensuring subsystem designs and implementation approaches remain consistent with the overall system architecture.
• Participate in and support technical reviews, architecture working groups, design discussions, and integration planning activities with government customers and technical stakeholders.
• Present architectural concepts, technical assessments, recommendations, and roadmaps to senior technical leadership and government stakeholders.

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications

• BS 10-12, MS 8-10, PhD 5-7 Years of relevant experience.
• Bachelor's degree in engineering, science, or another relevant technical discipline, or equivalent technical experience.
• Must possess and be able to maintain a TS/SCI clearance with Polygraph.
• Demonstrated experience in systems engineering, systems architecture, system design, or a closely related technical discipline.
• Experience defining system-level architectures, decomposing systems into subsystems or functional layers, and establishing relationships, interfaces, and dependencies between system elements.
• Demonstrated experience supporting or leading system integration activities across multiple systems, technical domains, or engineering organizations.
• Strong understanding of system lifecycle engineering, including requirements development, architecture, design, integration, verification, deployment, and operations.
• Ability to develop and communicate technical vision, architectural concepts, design decisions, and long-term technical direction.
• Ability to work independently, exercise sound engineering judgment, and provide technical leadership across multidisciplinary teams.

Desired Experience

• Experience developing and managing system architectures, reference architectures, functional architectures, physical architectures, and/or system-of-systems architectures.
• Experience defining system partitioning, functional decomposition, subsystem boundaries, system interfaces, and architectural dependencies.
• Experience leading or supporting integration of complex, distributed systems involving multiple technical domains, organizations, and stakeholders.
• Familiarity with space systems, sensors/RF/radar, satellite communications, ground systems, mission processing, data systems, and mission operations.
• Experience with Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE), architecture modeling, interface management, and engineering tools such as MagicDraw, SysML, DOORS, or similar platforms.
• Experience developing and maintaining architecture documentation, system diagrams, interface control documents (ICDs), technical baselines, configuration guidelines, and architectural decision records.

Equal Pay Act

This is the projected compensation range for this position. There are differentiating factors that can impact a final salary/hourly rate, including, but not limited to, Contract Wage Determination, relevant work experience, skills and competencies that align to the specified role, geographic location (For Remote Opportunities), education and certifications as well as Federal Government Contract Labor categories. In addition, Arcfield invests in its employees beyond just compensation. Arcfield ’s benefits offerings include, dependent upon position, Health Insurance, Life Insurance, Paid Time Off, Holiday Pay, Short Term and Long-Term Disability, Retirement and Savings, Learning and Development opportunities, wellness programs as well as other optional benefit elections.Min: $135,035.83Max: $234,801.11

EEO Statement

We are an equal opportunity employer and federal government contractor. We do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment as protected by law.