Senior Principal Systems Engineer

Job Summary:

Works independently as a technical project leader, applies engineering principles, procedures and techniques to perform systems engineering assignments related to the development of electronic and software intensive systems and subsystems.  Works closely with other engineering disciplines to ensure interdisciplinary communication and coordination.  Provides technical guidance, leadership and supervision.  Coordinates activities for proposals/new business.  This position typically works under limited supervision and direction.  Incumbents of this position will regularly exercise discretionary and substantial decision-making authority.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provides technical direction to systems engineering programs, team members and managers.  Outlines and communicates the most appropriate technical approach for business development activities.  Determines the technical direction and strategy for solving complex, significant or major issues.

• Identifies, investigates and resolves technical issues.

• Plans and evaluates architectural design, reviews system performance, and identifies technical risks and associated ways to mitigate those risks.

• Communicates technical advancements through briefings and technical papers to co-workers, management staff, customers, and technical community, as appropriate.

• Maintains state-of-the-art awareness in areas of technical expertise such as changes, advancements and improvements.  Applies expertise to all areas of systems engineering.

• Analyzes system design problems and performs design studies. 

• Our Secures Comms group deals primarily with data links. Expertise with RF and specifically RF used for line of site and beyond line of site communications is essential. Skills should include doing a cascade analysis on an RF system or doing link margin calculations to estimate range for a line of site RF link.

• Develops algorithms and plans, conducts and directs research and development. 

• Develops and applies advanced systems methods, theories and research techniques.

• Directs, coordinates and contributes to compilation and writing of proposal documents. 

• Prepares design proposals to reflect cost, time and alternative solutions.

• Provides functional or resource planning guidance to program, engineering and management staff.

• Interfaces with team members, management staff, customers, subcontractors and vendors.

• Solves complex and difficult engineering problems.

• Identifies systems engineering process improvements and enforces the execution of them across the organization.

• Maintains knowledge of and follows applicable policies and procedures governing work assignments.

• Serves as team lead and assumes additional technical and leadership responsibilities as needed to solve engineering problems or develop improved engineering processes.

• Four-year college degree in electrical engineering or related technical discipline, plus a minimum of twelve years of related experience, or a master’s degree with ten years of experience.  Effective written and oral communication skills.  Ability to use personal computer software such as spreadsheets and word processing programs.  Ability to use DOORS, EPDM and AllChange.  Ability to effectively interface with customers, subcontractors and vendors, and deal with employees and managers at all levels both within and outside of the engineering organization.  In depth knowledge of customer needs and competing products.  Mental ability to perform engineering problem solving and analytical tasks.  Must be able to work under project deadline pressures, and associated cost and schedule constraints.

Minimum Job Requirements:

• Four-year college degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering or related technical discipline, plus a minimum of twelve years of related experience, or a master’s degree with ten years of experience. 

• Active DOD Security Clearance

• Effective written and oral communication skills. 

• Ability to use personal computer software such as spreadsheets and word processing programs. 

• Ability to use DOORS, EPDM and AllChange. 

• Ability to effectively interface with customers, subcontractors and vendors, and deal with employees and managers at all levels both within and outside of the engineering organization. 

• In depth knowledge of customer needs and competing products. 

• Mental ability to perform engineering problem solving and analytical tasks. 

• Must be able to work under project deadline pressures, and associated cost and schedule constraints.