Senior Systems Engineer / Product Owner

Zachary Piper Solutions is seeking a Senior Systems Engineer / Product Owner to support the development and modernization of mission-critical, cloud-based software systems in Gaithersburg, MD . The Senior Systems Engineer / Product Owner will lead Agile product ownership activities, translate complex technical and operational requirements into actionable development priorities, and collaborate with engineering teams to deliver secure, scalable, and reliable software solutions. This position is hybrid, requiring three days onsite per week, and requires the ability to obtain and maintain a Public Trust clearance!

Responsibilities of the Senior Systems Engineer / Product Owner:

• Serve as the Product Owner for one or more Agile development teams, managing and prioritizing the product backlog to align with technical requirements, stakeholder priorities, and delivery objectives
• Translate complex business, operational, and systems engineering requirements into actionable Agile features, user stories, and acceptance criteria
• Review technical requirements, system specifications, and applicable engineering standards to identify functional needs, constraints, and verification requirements
• Decompose high-level system capabilities into detailed, testable requirements that development teams can implement
• Maintain requirements traceability across source documentation, Agile features, user stories, testing activities, and verification evidence
• Collaborate with customer stakeholders, Product Management, systems engineers, software developers, and DevSecOps teams to define and refine solution requirements
• Lead backlog refinement, sprint planning, and Program Increment (PI) planning activities within a Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) environment
• Define team PI objectives, establish development priorities, resolve scope questions, and accept completed work
• Develop and review technical documentation including use cases, user interface specifications, system requirements, and interface definitions
• Support system architecture discussions, technical design decisions, and implementation planning for cloud-based applications
• Coordinate with Release Train Engineers, Product Management, engineering teams, and testing organizations to manage dependencies and integration milestones
• Document design decisions, performance trade-offs, technical risks, and compliance considerations throughout the software development lifecycle
• Participate in structured technical reviews, requirements inspections, and system verification activities
• Support the development and modernization of real-time, safety-critical software systems
• Leverage AI-assisted development tools and modern engineering practices to improve software delivery, requirements analysis, and system reliability
• Ensure delivered solutions align with stakeholder expectations, operational workflows, technical requirements, and applicable compliance standards

Qualifications for the Senior Systems Engineer / Product Owner:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related technical discipline with 8+ years of relevant experience; Master's degree with 6+ years of experience; equivalent professional experience may be considered
• Hands-on experience serving as an Agile Product Owner, including managing product backlogs, prioritizing user stories, defining acceptance criteria, and accepting completed work
• Strong experience translating complex technical and operational requirements into actionable, testable Agile features and user stories
• Experience working within Agile and Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) software development environments
• Experience participating in Program Increment (PI) planning, backlog refinement, and cross-team coordination
• Strong understanding of systems engineering principles, requirements management, verification, validation, and requirements traceability
• Experience designing or supporting cloud-based systems and enterprise software architectures
• Practical experience writing, testing, debugging, or maintaining software applications or scripts
• Experience collaborating with software development, systems engineering, DevSecOps, and testing teams
• Experience engaging stakeholders to gather requirements, manage expectations, and deliver technical solutions
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and technical documentation skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to communicate complex technical concepts to business and engineering stakeholders
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Public Trust clearance

Preferred Qualifications:

• SAFe Product Owner / Product Manager (POPM) certification
• Experience with AI-assisted development tools such as Claude Code, OpenAI Codex, or similar technologies
• Experience with Java, Python, React, or other modern programming and scripting languages
• Experience with DevSecOps practices, CI/CD pipelines, and automated software delivery
• Experience with hybrid cloud architectures, data mesh technologies, and microservices-based platforms
• Familiarity with Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) concepts and systems engineering integration
• Experience developing or supporting real-time, safety-critical, or highly regulated software systems
• Experience supporting system verification, validation, integration testing, and technical compliance activities
• Familiarity with FedRAMP, FISMA, or similar security compliance frameworks
• Experience supporting large-scale enterprise software modernization initiatives
• Experience with requirements management, Agile delivery, and systems engineering tools

Compensation for the Senior Systems Engineer / Product Owner includes:

• Salary: $140,000 - $170,000
• Comprehensive Benefits Package including Medical, Dental, Vision, 401(k), PTO, and Paid Holidays

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