Program Chief Engineer, SIP
$191,000–$253,000 year
On-site · Irvine, California, United States
Job Summary
Program Chief Engineer for the SIP portfolio responsible for system architecture, technical execution, integration strategy, fielding readiness, and sustainment of complex mission systems. Lead end-to-end delivery of hardware, software, networking, sensors, and customer-furnished equipment across multiple domains; translate ambiguous customer needs into executable technical plans, architectures, requirements, schedules, test plans, and deployment milestones; drive ATO/RMF strategy and continuous authorization activities; collaborate with internal teams, government customers, vendors, and field operations; travel to customer sites and theater locations as required; own technical recovery and risk management, and mentor engineers to raise program execution standards.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in engineering, computer science, physics, mathematics, systems engineering, aerospace, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, or a related technical field
- 8+ years of relevant experience in systems engineering, mission systems integration, defense technology, aerospace, autonomy, C2, tactical networks, cyber-physical systems, or deployed operational systems
- Demonstrated experience serving as a technical lead, chief engineer, systems lead, or equivalent owner for complex hardware/software programs
- Experience integrating complex systems of systems involving software, hardware, networking, sensors, communications, compute, autonomy, fielded equipment, and third-party systems
- Experience taking ambiguous customer or mission needs and turning them into executable technical plans, architectures, requirements, schedules, test plans, and delivery milestones
- Experience supporting deployed or operational systems, including troubleshooting, configuration management, field support, sustainment, and customer-facing technical execution
- Experience with DoD programs, government customers, operational users, or defense acquisition environments
- Experience supporting proposals, RFP responses, task orders, BOEs, technical volumes, white papers, or customer growth efforts
- Familiarity with ATO, RMF, cybersecurity authorization, system security planning, vulnerability management, continuous monitoring, or cyber compliance processes
- Strong systems engineering fundamentals, including requirements definition, architecture, interface management, verification and validation, test planning, configuration control, and risk management
- Ability to make timely technical decisions in ambiguous, fast-moving environments with incomplete information
- Strong communication skills, including the ability to brief senior leaders, customers, operators, engineers, vendors, and cross-functional stakeholders
- Ability to balance speed, mission urgency, technical risk, customer commitments, and long-term scalability
- Must be eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance
- Willingness to travel to customer sites, integration events, test events, and field/deployment locations as required
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