Lead, Systems Engineer - Product Architecture

L3Harris is dedicated to recruiting and developing high-performing talent who are passionate about what they do. Our employees are unified in a shared dedication to our customers’ mission and quest for professional growth. L3Harris provides an inclusive, engaging environment designed to empower employees and promote work-life success.

About the role

ForceX is seeking an engineer to deliver mission-focused technical solutions from concept through deployment and sustainment. The role partners across disciplines to translate requirements into executable designs that meet performance, cost, and schedule objectives. This Systems Engineering role is focused on product and mission-system engineering, including requirements, architecture, integration, verification, and lifecycle technical execution.

This level is a subject matter expert role with comprehensive job-area knowledge and deep project management capability. The Lead, Systems Engineer – Product Architecture supports integrated product teams (IPT) in leading engineering capability development efforts from ConOps definition through verification & validation (V&V). The ideal candidate leads technical strategy for product development, defines system architecture, and leads technology roadmap planning for the VAMPIRE Counter-UAS product line. The position helps establish system direction, assess architectural options, and improve technical decision quality across the engineering team.

Role is contingent upon Program award. Travel up to 25% to support integration, test, customer engagement, and program execution. Work may be performed in a classified and/or controlled environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead product internal R&D (IRAD) development and program execution teams across Systems Engineering, Integration & Test (SEIT) organization.
• Develop and refine system architecture approaches across product & program teams.
• Provide technical authority support for system-level engineering decisions.
• Plan, support, and document formal product architecture and design reviews.
• Assess technical options and help shape the technology roadmap.
• Coordinate architecture decisions across systems, mechanical, electrical, and other engineering stakeholders.
• Identify system-level risks, assumptions, and decision points for leadership.
• Produce engineering artifacts that capture architectural rationale and review outcomes.
• Maintain controlled analytical artifacts and supporting technical documentation.
• Execute engineering work products from requirements through verification and technical documentation.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate hardware, software, and operational constraints into practical solutions.
• Conduct technical analysis, risk identification, and trade studies to support design decisions.
• Present technical status, issues, and recommendations in formal and informal reviews.
• Contribute to proposal, planning, and execution activities aligned to program milestones.
• Maintain compliance with customer, regulatory, and security requirements in product architecture.
• Perform technical planning, requirements decomposition, interface definition, and verification strategy for mission systems.
• Execute system integration, validation, and technical baselines across concept, design, fabrication, test, installation, operation, maintenance, and disposal.
• Lead or support design reviews, peer reviews, and technical interchanges.
• Produce and maintain system engineering artifacts including requirements traceability, risk registers, and verification evidence.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree and minimum 9 years of prior relevant experience.
• Graduate Degree and a minimum of 7 years of prior related experience.
• In lieu of a degree, minimum of 13 years of prior related experience.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DoD security clearance.
• 9+ years of experience in systems engineering methods across full lifecycle activities.
• 9+ years of experience with requirements management, risk management, and system integration and verification practices.

Preferred Skills

• Bachelor of Science in a STEM discipline preferred; Engineering preferred, Physics, Mathematics, and Computer Science acceptable.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in cross-functional engineering teams.
• Model-based systems engineering (MBSE) familiarity.
• Experience with multi-domain mission systems and secure architectures.
• Experience supporting government or defense technical reviews.
• Experience balancing technical, schedule, and cost constraints across system-level decisions.
• Ability to collaborate across software, hardware, mechanical, electrical, manufacturing, and program teams.
• Experience defining engineering tool chains and processes for technical development of multi-baseline product lines.
• Experience supporting bid & proposal efforts as a technical lead.
• Experience with defining product architectures for reusable baseline development.
• Experience supporting technical authority functions in complex engineering organizations.
• Experience creating roadmap recommendations tied to design maturity and integration risk.
• Familiarity with system-level trade studies and review board preparation.
• Experience balancing long-range architecture goals with near-term program execution needs.

Manages large, complex project initiatives of substantial importance with minimal oversight. Communicates across organizational boundaries to explain and influence changes to technical practices and approaches.