Senior Principal Systems Engineer

Job Description

Description


We are seeking a highly skilled Senior Principal Systems Engineer to support the HOPE 2.0 initiative in Colorado Springs, CO. In this role, you will be instrumental in developing system architectures, creating use cases, managing and analyzing requirements, and supporting multiple fast-paced projects across the Space, Intelligence, and Cyber mission areas. You will work onsite with diverse, cross-functional teams in a collaborative Agile environment, focusing on rapid development cycles and streamlined design reviews, ensuring the swift delivery of mission-critical solutions to operational environments. The candidate must also excel at communicating complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders and creating high-quality artifacts to effectively convey technical and programmatic objectives.

Responsibilities:

• Working with the HOPE 2.0 Solution Architect, support the development of system architectures, performing trade studies and decisions that meet mission objectives.
• Design and evaluate use cases, CONOPS, and system interfaces, aligning solutions with technical and operational requirements.
• Communicate complex technical concepts, designs, and solutions in a clear and effective manner to non-technical stakeholders, ensuring alignment and understanding across various levels of the organization.
• Create and maintain high-quality technical artifacts, such as system design documents, requirements traceability matrices, interface control documents, architecture diagrams, and workflows.
• Facilitate and participate in Streamlined SRR, PDR, CDR, and TRR milestone events to assess technical design maturity and mission alignment while ensuring streamlined processes to meet rapid development timelines.
• Collaborate with diverse Agile Scrum teams to support multiple concurrent projects, ensuring seamless cross-team communication and system integration at all phases of the development lifecycle.
• Effectively manage the decomposition of high-level requirements into actionable, traceable, and tested system deliverables.
• Apply multidisciplinary expertise across Space, Intelligence, and Cybersecurity domains to address technical challenges and enable mission success.
• Leverage Agile methodologies to enable rapid prototyping and iterative development, ensuring cost-effectiveness and mission relevance.
• Support the creation of presentations, reports, and technical briefs for senior leadership, stakeholders, and external review panels.

Qualifications


Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Systems Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field and fourteen (14) years or more experience; Masters and twelve (12) years or more experience; PhD or JD and nine (9) years or more experience.
• A minimum of 7+ years of experience in systems engineering with a focus on rapid development, architecture creation, requirements management, and system lifecycle processes.
• Demonstrated experience in analyzing and managing requirements and requirements traceability
• Demonstrated experience conducting and supporting PDRs, CDRs, and other technical design reviews.
• Proven ability to clearly articulate and explain technical concepts to non-technical audiences, ensuring mutual understanding and stakeholder buy-in.
• Successful track record working within Agile Scrum teams, delivering high-quality solutions in short development cycles.
• Expertise in creating technical artifacts such as architecture documents, interface control documents, and requirements specifications.
• Familiarity with guidelines for documentation such as DoDAF
• Authorization to work in the U.S. with an active TS/SCI clearance.
• Willingness and ability to work on-site daily in Colorado Springs, CO, for close collaboration with development teams.

Preferred Qualifications:

• INCOSE Systems Engineering Professional (ASEP/CSEP) certification highly desired.
• Strong background in rapidly delivering technical solutions for highly dynamic mission objectives and evolving requirements.
• Familiarity with Agile software development tools (e.g., JIRA, Confluence) and modern DevSecOps frameworks to support continuous integration and delivery environments.
• Solid understanding of emerging tools, trends, and best practices relevant to Space, Intelligence, and Cybersecurity.

Target salary range: $160,001 - $200,000. The estimate displayed represents the typical salary range for this position based on experience and other factors.

Overview


SAIC accepts applications on an ongoing basis and there is no deadline.

SAIC® is a premier mission integrator focused on advancing the power of technology and innovation to serve and protect our world. Our robust portfolio of offerings across the defense, space, intelligence, and civilian markets includes secure high-end solutions in mission IT, enterprise IT, engineering services, and professional services. We integrate emerging technology, rapidly and securely, into mission critical operations that modernize and enable critical national imperatives.


We are approximately 23,000 strong; driven by mission, united by purpose, and inspired by opportunities. SAIC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, SAIC has annual revenues of approximately $7.3 billion. For more information, visit saic.com. For ongoing news, please visit our newsroom.