Senior Systems Engineer / Product Owner

Job Id: 0000176628Job Category: Information TechnologyJob Location: Gaithersburg, MarylandSecurity Clearance: No ClearanceBusiness Unit: Zachary PiperPosition Owner: Mark McMullenZachary 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 objectivesTranslate complex business, operational, and systems engineering requirements into actionable Agile features, user stories, and acceptance criteriaReview technical requirements, system specifications, and applicable engineering standards to identify functional needs, constraints, and verification requirementsDecompose high-level system capabilities into detailed, testable requirements that development teams can implementMaintain requirements traceability across source documentation, Agile features, user stories, testing activities, and verification evidenceCollaborate with customer stakeholders, Product Management, systems engineers, software developers, and DevSecOps teams to define and refine solution requirementsLead backlog refinement, sprint planning, and Program Increment (PI) planning activities within a Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) environmentDefine team PI objectives, establish development priorities, resolve scope questions, and accept completed workDevelop and review technical documentation including use cases, user interface specifications, system requirements, and interface definitionsSupport system architecture discussions, technical design decisions, and implementation planning for cloud-based applicationsCoordinate with Release Train Engineers, Product Management, engineering teams, and testing organizations to manage dependencies and integration milestonesDocument design decisions, performance trade-offs, technical risks, and compliance considerations throughout the software development lifecycleParticipate in structured technical reviews, requirements inspections, and system verification activitiesSupport the development and modernization of real-time, safety-critical software systemsLeverage AI-assisted development tools and modern engineering practices to improve software delivery, requirements analysis, and system reliabilityEnsure delivered solutions align with stakeholder expectations, operational workflows, technical requirements, and applicable compliance standardsQualifications 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 consideredHands-on experience serving as an Agile Product Owner, including managing product backlogs, prioritizing user stories, defining acceptance criteria, and accepting completed workStrong experience translating complex technical and operational requirements into actionable, testable Agile features and user storiesExperience working within Agile and Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) software development environmentsExperience participating in Program Increment (PI) planning, backlog refinement, and cross-team coordinationStrong understanding of systems engineering principles, requirements management, verification, validation, and requirements traceabilityExperience designing or supporting cloud-based systems and enterprise software architecturesPractical experience writing, testing, debugging, or maintaining software applications or scriptsExperience collaborating with software development, systems engineering, DevSecOps, and testing teamsExperience engaging stakeholders to gather requirements, manage expectations, and deliver technical solutionsStrong analytical, problem-solving, and technical documentation skillsExcellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to communicate complex technical concepts to business and engineering stakeholdersAbility to obtain and maintain a Public Trust clearancePreferred Qualifications:SAFe Product Owner / Product Manager (POPM) certificationExperience with AI-assisted development tools such as Claude Code, OpenAI Codex, or similar technologiesExperience with Java, Python, React, or other modern programming and scripting languagesExperience with DevSecOps practices, CI/CD pipelines, and automated software deliveryExperience with hybrid cloud architectures, data mesh technologies, and microservices-based platformsFamiliarity with Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) concepts and systems engineering integrationExperience developing or supporting real-time, safety-critical, or highly regulated software systemsExperience supporting system verification, validation, integration testing, and technical compliance activitiesFamiliarity with FedRAMP, FISMA, or similar security compliance frameworksExperience supporting large-scale enterprise software modernization initiativesExperience with requirements management, Agile delivery, and systems engineering toolsCompensation for the Senior Systems Engineer / Product Owner includes:Salary: $140,000 - $170,000Comprehensive Benefits Package including Medical, Dental, Vision, 401(k), PTO, and Paid Holidays#LI-MM1 #LI-HYBRIDKeywords: Senior Systems Engineer, Systems Engineer, Product Owner, Technical Product Owner, Agile Product Owner, Systems Engineering Product Owner, Senior Product Owner, Software Product Owner, Agile, Scrum, SAFe, Scaled Agile Framework, SAFe POPM, Product Owner Product Manager, Product Backlog, Backlog Management, Backlog Refinement, User Stories, Acceptance Criteria, Requirements Engineering, Requirements Management, Requirements Traceability, Systems Engineering, System Architecture, Cloud Architecture, Cloud-Based Systems, Microservices, Data Mesh, Hybrid Cloud, Model-Based Systems Engineering, MBSE, Verification and Validation, V&V, System Integration, Program Increment Planning, PI Planning, Agile Release Train, ART, Release Train Engineer, RTE, DevSecOps, CI/CD, Java, Python, React, AI-Assisted Development, Claude Code, Codex, Technical Documentation, Software Modernization, Safety-Critical Systems, FedRAMP, FISMA, Public Trust, Gaithersburg MD, Eagan MN, Egg Harbor Township NJ, Hybrid Jobs