Demo

Chief Engineer

Red River
Washington, DC Full Time
POSTED ON 5/5/2026
AVAILABLE BEFORE 6/8/2026
Red River is a mission focused technology company delivering enterprise IT, systems integration, cybersecurity, and mission support capabilities to the Department of War and Federal customers.

We are seeking a Chief Engineer to serve as the technical authority across a large scale Navy program integrating maritime systems, hardware production, manufacturing, and SAFe aligned software delivery for naval combat systems.

This role drives architecture, engineering design, integration, and production scalability, modernization to accelerate pace to fielding and deliver mission ready capability.

The Opportunity

The Chief Engineer will lead end to end technical execution across a multi-disciplinary environment that includes:

  • Maritime compute infrastructure and Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) software integration
  • Continuous lifecycle management and system design updates
  • Hardware production and manufacturing at scale
  • SAFe aligned software delivery and automation
  • Procurement and supply chain coordination
  • System integration, test, certification, and deployment


This individual must bridge engineering design, shipboard integration realities, and production throughput to deliver operational capability to the fleet.

Key Responsibilities

  • Define and own system architecture across hardware, software, data, and network domains.
  • Serve as the technical lead for system design, integration, and performance.
  • Coordinate with other contract holders for a System of Systems integration to ensure continuity for all connected systems.
  • Lead integration of IaaS and PaaS elements and ensure interoperability with the Navy’s Integrated Combat System applications in afloat environments.
  • Drive production scalability by aligning engineering with manufacturing throughput and reducing cycle time
  • Ensure designs are optimized for manufacturability, integration, and repeatable delivery
  • Institute Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) and integration with TDP artifacts as the authoritative technical baseline.
  • Prescribe Test and Evaluation standards and metrics for:
  • Developmental Test & Evaluation (DT&E)
  • Operational Test & Evaluation (OT&E)
  • Progression, Regression, & Replication Testing
  • Establish engineering governance, requirements management, change management, and technical assurance
  • Serve as primary engineering interface to:
  • Navy IWS Stakeholders and Program Offices
  • Industry partners and shipbuilders / modernization yards
  • Decompose complex systems into executable and trackable delivery elements
  • Lead lifecycle sustainment, reliability, and performance analysis
  • Qualify and quantify technical risk, and measures of compliance with Department of War and Navy Cybersecurity standards
  • Drive multi-vendor teams toward delivery outcomes
  • Serve as the primary technical advisor to Department of War, Navy and other stakeholders from higher and adjacent programs.


Required Qualifications

  • 12 years supporting Department of War, Intelligence Community, or Federal programs
  • Demonstrated expertise with US Navy modernization programs and transition to production throughput or pace to fielding
  • Active Secret clearance
  • Bachelor’s degree in a STEM field
  • Experience leading complex, multi-disciplinary engineering programs
  • Strong systems engineering background including requirements management and technical assurance
  • Experience integrating hardware and software development, procurement, manufacturing, assembly and testing.


Preferred Qualifications

  • Direct experience with US Navy and US Coast Guard equipment including shipboard shock isolated compute infrastructure (OEM servers, networking and storage) for integration with naval combat systems
  • Prior Surface Navy design agent, system integration, and/or hardware production program experience
  • Experience on programs valued annually at $100M or greater
  • ASNE Naval Engineering Certificate
  • INCOSE Certified Systems Engineering Professional (CSEP)
  • Experience with shipboard integration or test environments, including WESERBs
  • Experience bringing commercial best practices into Federal environments
  • SAFe Program Consultant (SPC) or other SAFe certification


Basic Qualifications:

  • U.S. Citizenship Required


Red River offers a competitive salary, excellent benefits and an exceptional work environment. You can review our benefit offerings here. If you are ready to join a growing company, please submit your resume and cover letter (optional).

EOE M/F/DISABLED/Vet

Red River is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment. Discrimination or harassment based upon any protected characteristics as defined by state or federal law is wholly inconsistent with our company values and will not be tolerated.

In order to ensure reasonable accommodation for individuals protected by Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Act of 1974, and Title I of the American’s with Disabilities Act of 1990, applicants that require accommodation in the job application process may contact accommodation@redriver.com. PLEASE NOTE: This contact channel is reserved for use by individuals with disabilities who require special accommodations in order to submit an expression of interest in a position within Red River.

Red River does not accept unsolicited resumes from individual recruiters or third-party recruiting agencies in response to job postings or otherwise. Placement fees will not be paid to any recruiter unless Red River has an active agreement in place with the recruiter and such a request has been made by the Red River Talent Acquisition team and such candidate was submitted to the Red River Talent Acquisition Team via our Applicant Tracking System. Any unsolicited resumes or other data submitted to Red River in violation of this policy may be used by Red River without obligation to pay any fees of any kind to the recruiter.

Salary : $100

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