Systems Engineer Defense Programs (Individual Contributor, No Management)

Help engineer operational defense systems that protect U.S. Navy ships and allies around the world. This is an individual contributor role focused on engineering. It's not a software development role, and it's not a people management role. It's for engineers who enjoy understanding complex systems, solving difficult technical problems, and seeing their work become operational.

We're looking for systems engineers who enjoy requirements engineering, systems integration, verification & validation, and solving complex technical problems on operational defense systems.

Whether you're an early-career engineer looking to build a strong systems engineering foundation or an experienced engineer who still enjoys being hands-on, we'd enjoy talking with you.

You'll join a long-tenured engineering team embedded with a major defense prime supporting one of the Navy's most sophisticated operational combat systems. You'll become part of a specialized engineering organization that has supported this customer for nearly two decades. The engineers are treated as integral members of the team rather than as outside contractors, and the company has earned an exceptional reputation for stability, technical excellence, and investing in its engineers. Many members of the team have been there for years because they enjoy the work, the people, and the opportunity to continue growing technically.

If you enjoy figuring out why something doesn't work, tracing it back to the requirements, collaborating across disciplines, and solving complex technical problems, we'd love to talk.

You'll work alongside experienced engineers in an environment where technical collaboration, mentorship, and long-term relationships matter.

Prior experience supporting naval combat systems is welcome but not required.

About the Role

You'll work across multiple phases of the systems engineering lifecycle supporting operational defense programs. Depending on your experience, your responsibilities may include:

• Requirements development, decomposition, allocation, and traceability
• Verification & Validation (V&V)
• Systems Integration and Test
• Environmental Test & Evaluation (ET&E)
• Technical investigations and root cause analysis
• Defect analysis and troubleshooting
• Working closely with software, hardware, and systems engineering teams
• Collaborating with senior technical leaders on complex operational defense programs

Qualifications

While 4 10 years of systems engineering experience is typical, we're also interested in exceptional early-career engineers who are eager to learn, as well as experienced engineers who want to remain hands-on and continue solving challenging technical problems.

• Bachelor's degree in Systems Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics, or another technical discipline
• U.S. Citizenship
• Active Secret clearance, recently lapsed clearance eligible for reinstatement, or the ability to obtain one through sponsorship
• Strong candidates with less experience or more senior candidates who are focused on quality of work and quality of life (and who are eager to return to being hands-on rather than managing) are encouraged to apply.

Required Skills

We're particularly interested in engineers with experience in several of the following:

• Systems Engineering
• Requirements Engineering
• Requirements decomposition
• Requirements traceability
• Verification & Validation (V&V)
• Systems Integration
• Integration & Test
• Environmental Test & Evaluation (ET&E)
• IBM Rational DOORS or DOORS Next Generation
• Root cause analysis
• Technical investigations
• Ability to read C or Python to investigate system behavior (you do not need to be a software developer)
• Requirements management
• Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) tools such as Cameo, MagicDraw, or Rhapsody

Preferred Skills

Experience supporting one or more of the following is a plus (not required):

• Naval combat systems
• Missile defense programs
• Integrated weapon systems
• Shipboard systems
• Automated testing
• MATLAB
• Cameo or other MBSE tools
• Containerized environments

This role is ideal for engineers who enjoy understanding complex systems, collaborating across disciplines, and seeing their work become part of operational defense capabilities.

Whether you're building your systems engineering career or you're an experienced engineer looking to continue doing the technical work you enjoy most, you'll work alongside talented engineers, tackle challenging problems, and continue growing in an environment known for its stability, mentorship, and long-term investment in its people.

If you're looking to keep solving technical problems rather than spend your days managing people, and you're excited by the opportunity to work alongside talented engineers on systems that truly matter, we'd love to learn about you.

Featured benefits

401(k), Dental insurance, Vision insurance, Medical insurance, Disability insurance, Tuition assistance, Medical insurance, Vision insurance, Dental insurance, 401(k), Disability insurance, Medical insurance, Vision insurance, Dental insurance, 401(k), Tuition assistance, Medical insurance, Vision insurance, Dental insurance, 401(k), Tuition assistance, Disability insurance, Medical insurance, Vision insurance, Dental insurance, 401(k), Tuition assistance

Salary : $100,000 - $140,000