Systems Engineer SME

Unity Compass; Alexandria (VA); Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 215,000; Full time

Job summary

Unity Compass is seeking a highly experienced Systems Engineer (Subject Matter Expert) to provide strategic technical leadership for geospatial intelligence initiatives. You will define system architecture, guide integration strategies, and support next-generation geospatial solutions across multiple programs supporting national security objectives.

You will collaborate with senior leadership and mission partners to steer technical decisions, architecture design, and system implementation,

Qualifications

• US citizenship is required per contract.
• Bachelor’s degree in Systems Engineering, Computer Science, or related field with 12–15 years of relevant experience, or Master’s with 10–13 years.
• Deep expertise in systems engineering, enterprise architecture, and mission-critical integration in an IC/DoD environment.
• Proven experience advising senior leadership and delivering enterprise-level technical recommendations.
• Experience with GEOINT-focused agencies or programs.
• Proficiency with MBSE (Cameo), DoDAF/UAF, SysML.
• Excellent analytical, communication, and leadership skills.

Responsibilities

• Advise Customer leadership on enterprise system architecture decisions.
• Lead development and assessment of enterprise SE processes and modernization efforts.
• Guide requirements, architecture products, CONOPS, and system design.
• Perform IV&V to ensure compliance with standards.
• Conduct enterprise trade studies, risk analyses, capability gaps.
• Collaborate with government partners and contractors for interoperability.
• Support evaluations, readiness reviews, and milestone reviews.
• Mentor senior and junior engineers to promote rigor and accountability.

Skills

MBSE (Cameo)

SysML

DoDAF

UAF

Systems Engineering

Enterprise Architecture

Leadership

Stakeholder Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Systems Engineering, Computer Science, or related field

Master’s degree

Tools

Cameo MBSE

DoDAF/UAF modeling

Job description

• [e-mail]
• Job Type: On-site
• Pay Range: $110,000 - $215,000
• Clearance Required: Top Secret/SCI

Job Overview:

We are seeking a highly experienced Systems Engineer (Subject Matter Expert) to provide strategic technical leadership and enterprise-level guidance in support of complex geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) initiatives. This position plays a key role in advancing mission capabilities by defining system architecture, shaping integration strategies, and supporting the development of next-generation geospatial solutions.

As a Systems Engineering SME, you will collaborate with senior leadership and mission partners to guide technical decisions, architecture design, and system implementation across multiple programs supporting national security objectives. The ideal candidate combines deep technical expertise with strong strategic insight to influence enterprise-level engineering direction.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Serve as a key technical advisor to the Customer’s leadership, contributing to strategic planning and enterprise systems architecture decisions.
• Lead the development and assessment of enterprise systems engineering processes, frameworks, and modernization efforts.
• Develop, review, and provide guidance on system and interface requirements, architecture products, CONOPS, and system design.
• Perform independent verification and validation (IV&V) of technical solutions to ensure compliance with the Customer’s and IC-wide standards.
• Conduct enterprise-level trade studies, risk assessments, and capability gap analyses.
• Collaborate with government stakeholders, mission partners, and contractor teams to ensure enterprise interoperability and data integration.
• Support technical evaluations, readiness assessments, and milestone reviews across the Customer’s programs.
• Mentor senior and junior engineers, promoting engineering rigor and a culture of innovation and accountability.

Basic Qualifications:

• US citizenship is required per contract.
• Bachelor’s degree in Systems Engineering, Computer Science, or related field and 12-15 years of prior relevant experience or Master’s with 10-13 years of prior relevant experience.
• Deep expertise in systems engineering principles, enterprise architecture, and mission-critical system integration in an IC or DoD environment.
• Proven experience advising senior leadership and delivering technical recommendations at the enterprise level.
• Demonstrated experience supporting Customer or other GEOINT-focused agencies or programs.
• Proficiency with Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) tools (Cameo), architecture frameworks (DoDAF, UAF), and modeling languages (SysML).
• Exceptional analytical, communication, and leadership skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Doctorate in a technical field or advanced certifications (e.g., Expert Systems Engineering Professional (ESEP), INCOSE Certified Systems Engineering Professional (ESEP), CISSP, Security+ certification, or similar credentials.
• Working knowledge of cloud-native architectures, AWS (C2S), microservices, and data interoperability standards.
• Experience with similar Customer enterprise engineering efforts.
• Familiarity with IC governance models, compliance policies, and GEOINT workflows.
• Experience bridging the gap between strategic vision and technical execution in mission-critical environments.