Systems Engineer-IT Sr Stf - E5

About the role

This position is with Advanced Development Programs (ADP), known as the historic Skunk Works. We are looking for world-class talent to join the 75+ year tradition of creating advanced aircraft and technology. The candidate will join an ADP effort as a Ground Systems Engineer supporting customer programs. Ground Station Engineer for an Advanced Integration Course, responsible for training pilots on aircraft simulators. Interacts with development and test teams for operational integration at customer locations.

Responsibilities

• Perform technical planning, system integration, verification and validation, cost and risk, and supportability and effectiveness analyses for total systems.
• Handle information technology related responsibilities including design, development, and analysis of computer systems or programs based on user or system design specifications.
• Apply systems analysis techniques and procedures, consulting with users to determine hardware, software, or system functional specifications.
• Conduct analyses at all levels of total system product: concept, design, fabrication, test, installation, operation, maintenance and disposal.
• Ensure logical and systematic conversion of customer or product requirements into total systems solutions that acknowledge technical, schedule, and cost constraints.
• Perform functional analysis, timeline analysis, detail trade studies, requirements allocation and interface definition studies to translate customer requirements into hardware and software specifications.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Data Science, Computer Science, Business Information Systems, or equivalent aviation experience/combined education.
• Active Top Secret security clearance investigation within the last 5 years.
• Completed DoD IAT Level II certification (Security+, CySA+, or CCNA).
• IT experience of any combination in Windows/Linux, Database, Networking, or COMSEC.
• Experience in enterprise‑wide strategies for software‑hardware integration across multiple programs, influencing architecture standards and compliance frameworks.
• Prior management and experience in ground systems lifecycle (design, deployment, hardening, de‑commission) of mission‑critical Windows and Linux platforms, cloud‑hybrid resources, and high‑availability database clusters.

Skills

• Deep Systems‑Engineering Expertise – Mastery of Windows Server, Linux, virtualization (VMware, Hyper‑V), and container orchestration (Kubernetes) in secure, defense‑grade environments.
• Avionics & Flight‑Test Domain Authority – Proven track record supporting flight test complexities, real‑time telemetry, and high‑speed data acquisition systems.
• Enterprise Storage Architecture – Design and manage SAN/NAS, object storage, and data‑replication strategies for mission‑critical workloads.
• Expert RF & Fiber‑Optic Knowledge – Ability to evaluate RF propagation, spectrum allocation, and fiber‑optic link design for ground‑system test ranges.
• Network Architecture Mastery – End‑to‑end design of Cisco/Juniper networks, including MPLS, SD‑WAN, and network‑function virtualization.
• Simulation Expert - Diagnose and fix complex simulation issues, tune performance, and implement custom scripting.
• Leadership & Mentorship – Demonstrate experience leading multi‑disciplinary engineering teams, providing technical mentorship, and interface with senior leadership.
• Operational Resilience – Experience establishing N‑1/N‑2 redundancy, disaster‑recovery plans, and compliance with DoD/NSA security baselines.

Pay