Senior Systems Engineer

Senior Systems Engineer

At S5, we offer a leading-edge compensation package that includes top-tier salaries, up to 25% profit sharing into a qualified retirement account, flexible PTO, and company paid medical, vision and dental premiums for you and your family. You'll join a team of innovative engineers committed to innovation and excellence. We prioritize professional growth and team cohesion through technical trainings, team dinners, retreats, and an annual fully sponsored off-site. Our culture is built to support your career development, personal well-being, and long-term success.

S5 Analytics is seeking an experienced Senior Systems Engineer to support the design, development, and integration of advanced mission systems supporting the Intelligence Community and Department of Defense. This individual will serve as the technical bridge between customers, software development teams, and system stakeholders to translate operational needs into scalable technical solutions.

The ideal candidate is comfortable working in a collaborative Agile environment, engaging directly with customers, developing system requirements, and supporting the full systems engineering lifecycle-from concept development through integration, verification, and deployment. This role requires a strong systems-thinking mindset, excellent communication skills, and experience supporting mission-critical space, intelligence, or defense programs.

This position is contingent upon contract award.

Key Responsibilities

• Collaborate with government customers, stakeholders, and cross-functional engineering teams to define system capabilities and operational requirements.
• Develop and refine system requirements, concepts of operation (CONOPS), use cases, user stories, and technical documentation.
• Support Agile development activities including backlog refinement, sprint planning, capability decomposition, and requirements traceability.
• Assist in system architecture development, interface definition, and end-to-end system integration efforts.
• Partner with software developers and test engineers throughout implementation, verification, validation, and deployment activities.
• Participate in customer meetings, technical reviews, demonstrations, and design discussions.
• Produce and maintain technical documentation using collaborative engineering tools.
• Evaluate system performance and recommend improvements that enhance reliability, efficiency, and mission effectiveness.
• Support configuration management and systems engineering best practices throughout the development lifecycle.
• Travel occasionally to customer locations in support of technical meetings and program activities of up to 25%.

Required Qualifications

• Active Top Secret/SCI security clearance.
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related technical discipline and 8+ years of relevant systems engineering experience (or equivalent combination of education and experience).
• Experience supporting DoD or Intelligence Community programs.
• Experience developing and managing system requirements, user stories, and technical documentation.
• Working knowledge of Agile development methodologies and tools such as Jira and Confluence.
• Experience supporting system integration, verification, validation, and deployment activities.
• Familiarity with requirements modeling or systems modeling tools (e.g., SysML, UML, MagicDraw/Cameo, or similar).
• Experience with configuration management tools such as Git, Subversion, or equivalent.
• Understanding of cloud computing environments including AWS and/or Azure.
• Familiarity with DevSecOps principles, CI/CD pipelines, and modern software delivery practices.
• Knowledge of open architectures, interface standards, APIs, and geospatial data concepts.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to interact effectively with technical teams and government stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting space, ISR, command and control, or intelligence mission systems.
• Familiarity with TCPED workflows or intelligence collection processes, particularly within the Intelligence Community.
• Experience with cloud-native applications, containerized environments, or Kubernetes-based deployments.
• Experience supporting Linux or UNIX-based development and integration environments.
• Understanding of user-centered design principles and human-machine interface concepts.
• Experience with statistical analysis, systems performance assessment, or operational analysis.
• Demonstrated ability to lead technical efforts, mentor engineers, and build strong customer relationships.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Proven analytical and problem-solving abilities with a continuous improvement mindset.

This position offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes significant profit-sharing opportunities, retirement plan, company-paid health, vision, and dental care benefits, flexible PTO, and bonus opportunities.

The base salary range for this position is $135,400 - $229,700 annually, based on full-time employment in the San Diego, California area. The final compensation will be determined based on several factors, including but not limited to relevant experience, qualifications, education, and market conditions.

S5 Analytics considers several factors when extending job offers, including but not limited to candidates' key skills, relevant work and/or military experience, location, training, education, and certifications.

S5 is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected factor.