Senior Principal Systems Engineer

Senior Principal Systems Engineer - Weapons and Energetics_Fort Wayne, IN_Full-Time(FTE)_Direct Hire Position Title: Senior Principal Systems Engineer - Weapons and Energetics Job Type: Full-Time Location: Fort Wayne, IN Base Salary: $174,000 to $183,000 + Best-in-class benefits Industry: Aerospace / Aviation / Defense Job Category: Engineering - Systems Department of Defense Secret security clearance is required at time of hire. Basic Qualifications: Education Requirements: Bachelor’s degree in Systems Engineering, or a related Science, Engineering or Mathematics field, plus a minimum of 10 years of relevant experience; or Master’s degree, plus a minimum of 8 years of relevant experience. Clearance Requirements: Department of Defense Secret security clearance is required at time of hire. Applicants selected will be subject to a U.S. Government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information. Due to the nature of work performed within our facilities, U.S. citizenship is required. Job Description: Required Skills and Expertise: Demonstrated technical ownership of warhead, energetic payload, munitions, or comparable high-consequence hardware through design, qualification, and production readiness. Experience defining payload architecture and decomposing system requirements into interfaces, verification evidence, technical trade studies, and risk-reduction plans. Ability to balance mission effects, safety, insensitive-munitions objectives, integration, manufacturability, cost, and schedule in defensible engineering decisions. Experience managing interfaces among energetic payloads, initiation or fuzing systems, mechanical structures, and weapon or delivery platforms. Experience planning and leading verification, qualification, environmental, and live-fire test activities; interpreting results and driving corrective action. Experience applying system-safety, hazard-analysis, and safety-evidence practices for energetic or safety-critical hardware. Experience with supplier technical oversight, configuration control, traceability, and technical-data review for controlled or safety-critical components. Experience with modeling and simulation processes and tools (e.g. Design of Experiments ,Digital Twins, Ansys Tool chain, MATLAB, Hydrocode, CTH). Technical leadership experience across engineering, safety, test, manufacturing, quality, suppliers, customers, and program management. Ability to lead technical reviews, communicate risks and evidence clearly, and mentor engineers in disciplined engineering practice. Highly Desired Differentiators: Leadership on fielded or government-qualified warhead, energetic-payload, or munitions programs. Direct experience shaping or executing insensitive-munitions strategy, survivability assessment, or associated redesign efforts. Experience preparing technical evidence for DoD or service munitions-safety reviews. Background with government laboratories, test ranges, or munitions-development organizations. Experience using physics-based analysis, modeling, and test correlation to support payload design decisions. Experience transitioning energetic hardware from development into qualified, repeatable production. Experience supporting multiple military services, international programs, or controlled export programs. Our Commitment to You: An exciting career path with opportunities for continuous learning and development. Research oriented work, alongside award winning teams developing practical solutions for our nation’s security Flexible schedules with every other Friday off work, if desired (9/80 schedule) Competitive benefits, including 401k matching, flex time off, paid parental leave, healthcare benefits, health & wellness programs, employee resource and social groups, and more See more at gdmissionsystems.com/careers/why-work-for-us/benefits] Workplace Options: This position is fully onsite or hybrid/flex with opportunity to be fully remote/telework for candidates with strong experience and background. While on-site, you will be a part of the Advanced Electronics Systems team located in Ft Wayne, Indiana Skills and Certifications: Energetic Payloads Warheads Modeling and Simulation Processes and Tools Security Clearance Required: Yes Compensation Full-time Benefits - Full Candidate Details 10+ to 15 years experience Seniority Level - Mid-Senior Minimum Education - Bachelor’s Degree Willingness to Travel - Often Ideal Candidate: Candidate needs to have an active Dept. of Defense Secret clearance. Experience leading fielded DoD warhead or energetic subsystem efforts from early requirements through qualification, safety approval, and production. The individual combines practical engineering judgment with established relationships across the government energetics, weapons safety, range, and supplier communities, and can translate mission needs into defensible technical decisions. Work-Life Balance: Flexible schedules including a 9/80 option (every other Friday off) Generous paid time off and parental leave Employees consistently highlight low micromanagement and autonomy in their roles Strong Benefits 401(k) with 6% company match and immediate vesting Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance Life and disability coverage Tuition assistance for continued education Meaningful, Impactful Work: A team of 12,000+ professionals engineering high-tech solutions across defense and scientific domains Employees get to work on challenging projects that contribute to national security and scientific advancement Collaborative Environment: Employees praise the supportive, collaborative culture - "Everyone helped each other in a time of need" Strong community involvement and veteran support programs Employee Loyalty: Average employee tenure of 12 years, which speaks to long-term satisfaction and retention 4.0 out of 5 stars on Indeed in 2026 It's a combination of mission-driven work, strong compensation/benefits, genuine work-life balance. #J-18808-Ljbffr