Systems Engineer - Senior

Parsons; Maryland; On-site; USD 148,000 - 267,000; Full time

Job summary

Parsons is seeking a Senior Systems Engineer to provide strategic systems engineering, governance, and enterprise integration support to JCWA programs within a DoD environment. You will act as a trusted advisor to leadership, guiding architecture development and cross-functional collaboration across JCWA teams.

The role requires 15 years of relevant DoD experience, proficiency with Confluence and Jira, and the ability to lead large-scale PI planning and governance initiatives while delivering

Qualifications

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience applying systems engineering principles to complex architectures.
• Proven experience in DoD/defense contracting environments.
• Deep understanding of SAFe, ARTs, and PI Planning.
• Expert-level proficiency with Atlassian Confluence and Jira.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with the Chief Architect and engineering teams to mature JCWA Systems Engineering documentation and the JCWA Next-generation Reference Design (JNeRD).
• Develop governance artifacts (Charters, MFRs, SOPs, SE Plans) supporting JCWA and JIO/JTOC.
• Establish ADR and Technical Need processes to document architecturally significant decisions.
• Assist in evaluating JCWA identity and access management initiatives.
• Maintain awareness of DoD and Army policies impacting systems engineering activities.
• Analyze policies and program performance and provide actionable recommendations to leadership.
• Coordinate PI Planning events for large teams across multiple ARTs.
• Develop planning materials, dashboards, and communication campaigns for PI Planning.
• Lead after-action reports and continuous improvement initiatives from PI Planning.
• Engineer automated workflows, dashboards, and reporting using Confluence and Jira.
• Support Lean Agile Center of Excellence operations and governance.
• Identify opportunities for process improvement and standardization across JCWA engineering functions.
• Coordinate requirements across agencies and mission partners to align with JCWA priorities.

Skills

Executive communication

Systems thinking

Leadership

Agile methodologies

Education

Bachelor's degree in Systems Engineering, Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering Science, Engineering Management

Tools

Confluence

Jira

Mattermost

Job description

In a world of possibilities, pursue one with endless opportunities. Imagine Next!At Parsons, you can imagine a career where you thrive, work with exceptional people, and be yourself. Guided by our leadership vision of valuing people, embracing agility, and fostering growth, we cultivate an innovative culture that empowers you to achieve your full potential. Unleash your talent and redefine what’s possible.

Job Description:

The Senior Systems Engineer provides strategic systems engineering, technical governance, and enterprise integration support to PAE JCWA (Joint Cyber Warfare Architecture). This highly visible SETA position serves as a trusted advisor to leadership, supporting architecture development, systems engineering governance, Agile execution, and cross-functional coordination across JCWA programs. The role requires a blend of technical expertise, strategic thinking, process discipline, and exceptional communication skills to support complex systems-of-systems development within a DoD environment.

Role

• Collaborate with the Chief Architect, Technical Development Advisory (TDA), Operational Value Stream Leads (OVSLs), and engineering teams to develop and mature JCWA Systems Engineering documentation and the JCWA Next-generation Reference Design (JNeRD).
• Develop, review, and implement governance artifacts, including Charters, Memorandums for the Record (MFRs), Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), Systems Engineering Plans, and other technical guidance documents supporting the JCWA Integration Office (JIO) and JCWA Technical Oversight Council (JTOC).
• Establish and manage Architectural Decision Record (ADR) and Technical Need (TN) processes to ensure architecturally significant decisions are documented, reviewed, approved, and aligned with the enterprise architecture strategy and "North Star" vision.
• Assist in evaluating and implementing enterprise capabilities, including JCWA Identity, Credential, and Access Management (JCWA-ICAM) initiatives.
• Maintain situational awareness of Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of the Army (DoW) policies, standards, and requirements impacting systems engineering and development activities.
• Analyze technical policies, procedures, architectures, and program performance and provide recommendations and courses of action to leadership and development teams.

Agile & Process Improvement

• Facilitate and coordinate large-scale Defensive & Enterprise Solutions Program Increment (PI) Planning events supporting more than 900 personnel across multiple Agile Release Trains (ARTs).
• Develop planning materials, communication campaigns, stakeholder engagement products, navigation guides, and informational resources that improve participation and execution during PI Planning activities.
• Lead development of After-Action Reports (AARs), lessons learned, and continuous improvement initiatives resulting from PI Planning and operational activities.
• Engineer and implement automated workflows, dashboards, and reporting capabilities utilizing Atlassian Confluence and Jira to improve transparency, requirements management, and operational effectiveness.
• Support establishment, maturation, and operation of the PEO JCWA Lean Agile Center of Excellence (LACE).
• Identify opportunities for process improvement, automation, and standardization across JCWA engineering and governance functions.

Stakeholder Engagement & Requirements Management

• Coordinate Priority Operational Needs across Agile Release Trains and ensure alignment with PEO JCWA priorities and J3 operational requirements.
• Collaborate with PMOs, Service Cyber Components, government agencies, mission partners, and technical organizations to define, de-conflict, prioritize, and manage requirements.
• Support Functional Area Requirements Working Groups (FARWGs) by improving governance processes, increasing transparency, and facilitating stakeholder coordination.
• Develop and maintain executive dashboards and reporting solutions within Confluence to provide leadership visibility into NDAA compliance efforts, JTOC-directed initiatives, operational priorities, and program performance.
• Engage routinely with senior military and civilian leadership to provide updates, communicate risks and issues, gather mission insights, and ensure alignment between technical activities and mission objectives.
• Develop strategic communication products that communicate JCWA capabilities, technical accomplishments, operational outcomes, and mission success narratives to executive audiences.

Technical Leadership

• Provide systems engineering leadership and technical oversight for complex systems-of-systems architectures operating within large-scale DoD environments.
• Support enterprise architecture governance, systems integration activities, and technical decision-making processes across JCWA programs.
• Develop and maintain knowledge repositories, governance documentation, technical reference materials, and enterprise collaboration resources.
• Utilize expert-level knowledge of Confluence, Jira, and Atlassian integrations to improve organizational knowledge management, requirements traceability, and workflow automation.
• Maintain awareness of major JCWA issues, dependencies, and risks and provide timely recommendations and executive briefings to leadership.
• Support the PEO JCWA Executive Support Staff by developing and formalizing instructions, SOPs, MFRs, governance frameworks, and standardized operating processes that improve compliance, consistency, scalability, and mission effectiveness across JCWA programs.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Systems Engineering, Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering Science, Engineering Management, or a related discipline from an accredited college or university.
• Fifteen (15) years of relevant experience with a Bachelor's Degree,
• Demonstrated experience supporting Department of Defense (DoD) and defense contracting environments.
• Proven experience applying systems engineering principles to complex systems-of-systems architectures and enterprise-scale programs.
• Experience supporting large organizations (200–2,000 personnel) with complex technical, operational, and governance structures.
• Expert-level proficiency with Atlassian Confluence and Jira, including dashboard development, workflow automation, requirements management, and enterprise collaboration.
• Deep understanding of the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), Agile Release Trains (ARTs), and Program Increment (PI) Planning.
• Experience developing governance frameworks, technical documentation, SOPs, MFRs, Architectural Decision Records (ADRs), and systems engineering artifacts.
• Strong understanding of DoD acquisition policies, systems engineering lifecycle processes, and the Adaptive Acquisition Framework.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills with the ability to translate complex technical concepts into executive-level communications and recommendations.
• Experience supporting USCYBERCOM, cyber mission programs, enterprise architecture initiatives, or large-scale modernization efforts.
• Experience with Mattermost and Confluence
• Active TS SCI w/Polygraph

Desired Qualifications

• SAFe Certification or formal SAFe training.
• CISSP certification preferred, but not required.

Security Clearance Requirement:

An active Top Secret SCI w/Polygraph security clearance is required for this position.

This position is part of our Federal Solutions team.

The Federal Solutions segment delivers resources to our US government customers that ensure the success of missions around the globe.

Our intelligent employees drive the state of the art as they provide services and solutions in the areas of defense, security, intelligence, infrastructure, and environmental.

We promote a culture of excellence and close-knit teams that take pride in delivering, protecting, and sustaining our nation’s most critical assets, from Earth to cyberspace.

Throughout the company, our people are anticipating what’s next to deliver the solutions our customers need now.

Salary Range: $148,300.00 - $266,900.00 We value our employees and want our employees to take care of their overall wellbeing, which is why we offer best-in-class benefits such as medical, dental, vision, paid time off, 401(k), life insurance, flexible work schedules, and holidays to fit your busy lifestyle!

Parsons is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, veteran status or any other protected status.

We truly invest and care about our employee’s wellbeing and provide endless growth opportunities as the sky is the limit, so aim for the stars! Imagine next and join the Parsons quest—

Parsons is aware of fraudulent recruitment practices. To learn more about recruitment fraud and how to report it, please refer to https://www.parsons.com/fraudulent-recruitment/.