Systems Engineer - Hypersonic Missile Program

Reliability & Performance Technologies ( R&P ); Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance contributions

401(k) matching

Competitive compensation package

Job summary

Reliability & Performance Technologies ( R&P ) is seeking an experienced Systems Engineer in Washington, DC. This role supports hypersonic missile flight systems for the Department of Navy and requires knowledge of engineering principles and program management.

The ideal candidate will have a relevant bachelor's or master's degree, an active Secret clearance, and proficiency in Microsoft Office. The position entails engineering oversight and collaboration on critical weapon system capabilities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or master's degree in a relevant field with significant engineering experience.
• Active Secret level DoD security clearance required.
• Must be a US Citizen.

Responsibilities

• Provide professional engineering oversight of contractors and labs.
• Translate operational needs into technical specifications.
• Coordinate Test & Evaluation plans and evaluate performance.
• Manage the program's risk management process.
• Prepare programmatic and technical briefings for leadership.

Skills

Technical Domain Mastery

Systems Engineering Application

Requirements Management

Acquisition Program Management

Schedule Analysis

Financial Execution

Stakeholder Collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in relevant field + 10 years experience OR Master's degree + 8 years experience

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, PowerPoint, Word)

Job description

R&P is seeking an experienced journeyman Systems Engineer in Washington, DC to provide Engineering Support Services for the Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) Program under the Department of Navy. This role will support hypersonic missile flight systems and requires comprehensive professional knowledge of engineering principles, systems engineering processes, and technical program management to execute and achieve the cost, schedule, and performance objectives for the development and delivery of critical weapon system capabilities. This position requires onsite work at the Washington Navy Yard with occasional telework authorized.

Required Skills

• Technical Domain Mastery: Comprehensive professional knowledge of engineering or physical science principles (e.g., aerodynamics, propulsion, avionics, physics, or structures) to effectively evaluate and manage complex weapon system development.
• Systems Engineering Application: Proven ability to apply technical management processes across the acquisition lifecycle, including the direct oversight of engineering design, integration, and verification activities.
• Requirements Management: Proficiency in defining, analyzing, and managing technical requirements from inception through system validation, ensuring traceability to operational needs.
• Acquisition Program Management: Working knowledge of the DoD acquisition process and the Adaptive Acquisition Framework (AAF), with the demonstrated ability to balance cost, schedule, and technical performance on assigned projects.
• Schedule Analysis: Skill in utilizing project management tools to develop and analyze Integrated Master Schedules (IMS), identify critical paths, and implement effective schedule recovery plans.
• Financial Execution: Practical experience with the DoD PPBE process, budget formulation, funds execution, and evaluating contractor cost performance.
• Stakeholder Collaboration: Strong written and oral communication skills required to lead multidisciplinary Integrated Product Teams (IPTs) and brief technical and programmatic status to senior leadership and fleet representatives.

Responsibilities

• Provide professional engineering and scientific oversight of contractors, laboratories, and warfare centers.
• Translate operational needs into rigorous technical specifications and manage the requirements baseline for assigned areas of responsibility.
• Apply physical science and engineering principles (e.g., aerodynamics, structural mechanics, or physics) to evaluate contractor design deliverables, conduct trade studies, and resolve conventional to complex integration issues.
• Coordinate and execute Test & Evaluation (T&E) plans, analyzing empirical data to verify system performance against the technical baseline.
• Execute the program's risk management process by identifying technical risks and actively driving mitigation plans for assigned projects.
• Develop, maintain, and analyze the Integrated Master Schedule (IMS) for assigned areas of responsibility, mapping critical tasks, engineering dependencies, and durations.
• Conduct critical path analysis to forecast potential delays (technical, manufacturing, etc.) and develop mitigation strategies with the technical team.
• Prepare and present programmatic and technical briefings to program leadership and external stakeholders to report progress and ensure alignment on milestones and deliverables.
• Support the annual task planning cycle for assigned areas of responsibilities, developing detailed cost estimates to support the PPBE cycle.
• Translate technical requirements into procurement packages (e.g., drafting Statements of Work and CDRLs) and execute the approved budgets.
• Monitor financial performance and contractor Earned Value Management (EVM) data, analyzing spending variances and reporting project financial health to leadership and the Business Financial Manager (BFM).

Qualifications

• Must have one of the following: a) A bachelor's degree in a relevant field and at least 10 years of professional/internship engineering experience, OR b) A master's degree in a relevant field and at least 8 years of professional experience.
• Must have an active Secret level DoD security clearance.
• Must be a US Citizen.
• Must have knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, PowerPoint, and Word).

Preferred

• Navy military veteran and/or some NAVSEA, PEO IWS, or systems engineering experience with missile weapon systems.
• Understanding of the following topics is highly preferred: Electrical and Mechanical Design, Navigation, Guidance, and Control, Telemetry and Instrumentation, Flight Software, Re-entry Hardware, and Flight Termination Systems, Requirement Definition, Allocation, and Verification, Mechanical, Electrical, and Software Interfaces.
• Experience with Missile Thermal Protection Systems (TPS) is highly preferred. Candidate should be specialized in engineering and design of materials to protect missile structures and payloads from extreme aerothermodynamic heating, particularly during high-speed hypersonic flight or re‑entry.

EEO Statement

R&P Technologies provides equal opportunity for all persons and prohibits discrimination in employment because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability (including pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions), veteran or marital status, or any other factor prohibited by law. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including, but not limited to, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leave, compensation, and training. R&P maintains an affirmative action plan to establish fair access to employment opportunities and to create a work community that is an accurate reflection of the qualified workforce. Due to security clearance requirements, U.S. citizenship is required for most positions.

Salary

R&P offers a highly competitive compensation package that includes contributions towards health insurance, 401(k) matching, and other non-salary benefits. Exact salary will be commensurate with experience and qualifications.