Senior Systems Engineer/Product Owner

Job Id: 0000177244Job Category: Information TechnologyJob Location: Gaithersburg, MarylandSecurity Clearance: Public Trust or UnclearedBusiness Unit: Zachary PiperPosition Owner: Casey JohnsonZachary Piper Solutions is seeking a Senior Systems Engineer/Product Owner to join a federal program located in Gaithersburg, MD on a hybrid basis. The Senior Systems Engineer/Product Owner will build and modernize real-time, safety-critical systems using a combination of traditional systems engineering and AI-augmented software development practices.Responsibilities of the Senior Systems Engineer/Product Owner:Own and prioritize the backlog for one or more Agile teams, sequencing work based on stakeholder needs, program priorities, and dependencies, and ensuring the development team builds the right functionalityReview program requirement documents, system specifications, and applicable FAA standards and orders to extract intent, constraints, and acceptance criteriaDecompose high-level platform and mission capability needs into specific, testable capability statements (Agile features and stories) with clear acceptance criteriaMaintain traceability from source requirements through features, stories, and verification evidence, ensuring compliance outcomes are demonstrableEngage customer stakeholders to identify use cases with an emphasis on completeness, testability, alignment with operational workflows, and readiness for validation and field activitiesDefine team PI objectives, participate in PI planning and backlog refinement, make timely scope decisions, and accept completed workSystematically capture and communicate design decisions, performance trade-offs, compliance rationales, and risk assessments with each release, enabling reviewers to trace decision-making and provide informed feedbackPrepare and review technical documentation, including use cases, user interface specifications, and interface definitionsCoordinate with the Release Train Engineer, Product Management, systems engineering, and Test and Evaluation to manage dependencies and align delivery with integration and verification milestonesLead and participate in structured reviews and inspectionsQualifications of the Senior Systems Engineer/Product Owner:Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related discipline with 8+ years of relevant experience, or a Master's degree with 6+ years of relevant experience. (Equivalent experience may be used in lieu of degree)Experience and familiarity with Agile methodology, principles, and toolsExperience in the role of Agile Product Owner, including owning and prioritizing the product backlog, defining complete product backlog items (user stories), making timely decisions on scope, and acceptance of workDemonstrated ability to decompose complex requirements into testable work items with clear, verifiable acceptance criteriaStrong understanding of disciplined engineering processes, including attention to detailPast practical exposure to writing, testing, debugging, and maintaining software or scriptsExperience with the design of cloud-based systemsExperience in engaging customers to understand needs, deliver solutions, manage expectations, and maintain an ongoing relationshipExperience working within a Scaled Agile (SAFe) organization, including PI planning and cross-team coordinationClear and effective verbal and written communicationAbility to obtain and maintain a Public TrustSuccessful completion of background investigations as required by the government customerPreferred Qualifications:Knowledge of and experience with AI-assisted development workflows and tools (Claude Code, Codex, etc.)Experience with Java, Python, React, and scripting languagesSAFe Product Owner / Product Manager (POPM) certificationKnowledge of and experience with DevSecOps practices and CI/CD pipelinesKnowledge of hybrid cloud data mesh architectures and microservices platformsFamiliarity with MBSE concepts and systems engineering integrationKnowledge of air traffic control systems, air traffic management, general aviation, and/or flight servicesPractical knowledge of FAA/DoD systems, technical policies, standards, and ordersKnowledge of FedRAMP, FISMA, or government security compliance frameworksExperience supporting verification and validation of safety-critical systemsTrack record of successful delivery on large government programsCompensation for the Senior Systems Engineer/Product Owner:Salary Range: $150,000+ *flexible based on experience*Comprehensive Benefits: Medical, Dental, Vision, PTO, and Sick Leave as required by lawFlexible working scheduleUnlimited opportunities for growth#LI-CJ2#LI-HYBRIDKey Words: engineer, product, product owner, java, python, react, scripting, safe, devsecops, cicd, ci, cd, mbse, faa, dod, defense, cleared, government, maryland, debugging, computer science, software engineering, information technology, public trust, ai, product manager, cloud, cloud data, integration