Chief Engineer / Technical Integration Lead

About the role

ActioNet is seeking a Chief Engineer / Technical Integration Lead to serve as the technical anchor for a Navy tactical systems modernization program in San Diego, CA (hybrid; on‑site as required at a Government facility). This hands‑on architect role combines enterprise integration architecture with deep tactical data link (TDL) and C4I expertise. You will own the program’s core technical products: current‑state assessment of a Government test and integration environment; prioritized mission use case backlog; C4I/JADC2 and TDL integration architecture concept; and the integration prototype plan that moves the program from planning into demonstration. You will act as the senior technical voice to the Government customer, integrate specialist inputs (cybersecurity, networking, infrastructure, mission SMEs), and provide governance ensuring all lines of effort align to a common integration architecture.

Responsibilities

• Translate the customer’s FY27 priorities across SME and software support, workforce development, and lab modernization into a sequenced technical integration baseline.
• Identify interfaces, dependencies, risks, and test criteria for prioritized network, compute, tactical data link, and C4I upgrades; coordinate technical inputs with the respective line‑of‑effort leads.
• Lead the technical assessment of an existing Navy test and integration environment: combat systems (virtual and physical), tactical data links, networks, virtualization, storage, and enterprise architecture, including integration constraints and modernization priorities.
• Develop the C4I/JADC2 (including IAMD) and TDL integration architecture concept: protocols, interfaces, data flows, integration pathways, dependencies, test objectives, and interoperability criteria.
• Apply direct tactical data link expertise (e.g., Link 16 network design and participation groups, J‑series message implementation, TDL test and stimulation approaches, integration of TDLs into modular and virtualized test environments).
• Build and maintain the prioritized mission use case backlog spanning C4I/JADC2, TDL, AI/ML, HCI/DevSecOps, cybersecurity, and network modernization candidates.
• Author the Prototype Integration Plan: environment assumptions, technical integration steps, demonstration scope, test objectives, dependencies, risks, and success criteria — and lead its execution in the follow‑on integration prototype phase.
• Integrate specialist inputs (cybersecurity/IL5/Zero Trust, network engineering, infrastructure architecture, vendor‑platform SMEs) into unified, decision‑ready architecture products.
• Provide cross‑program technical governance: ensure infrastructure, digital transformation, and training lines of effort align to the common integration architecture.
• Serve as the senior technical interface to Government engineers and stakeholders in technical exchanges, design reviews, and milestone demonstrations.
• Support development of follow‑on scope: Phase 2 roadmap and ROM, technology recommendations, and prototype demonstration readiness.

Required Qualifications

• 12+ years of systems engineering/integration experience in Navy or DoD mission system environments, including senior or lead architect responsibility.
• Direct, hands‑on tactical data link experience (Link 16 or equivalent TDL family): network design, message implementation, integration, or test — not merely adjac