Systems Engineer Chief

Job ID: 2618190

Location: Chantilly, VA, US

Date Posted: 2026-10-20

Category: Engineering and Sciences

Subcategory: Systems Engineer

Schedule: Full-Time

Shift: Day Job

Travel: Yes - 10% of the time

Minimum Clearance Required: TS.SCI_wPoly

Clearance Level Must Be Able to Obtain: None

Potential for Remote Work: ORA_ON_SITE


Description


Position Overview

We are looking for a Chief Systems Engineer to lead technical strategy and solution development for AI demonstrations and production solutions, as well as shared software platform strategies across the IC markets. This is a senior technical role that sits at the intersection of customer engagement, solution architecture, and internal strategy. The right person will be as comfortable in a customer meeting discussing mission requirements as they are driving technical decisions on shared software platforms and cloud architecture.

In this role you will own the technical go-to-market strategy for our Intelligence AI software solutions, working closely with business development, program leadership, and customer stakeholders to shape solutions before and during capture. You will provide the framework for the design of shared software platforms, data integration frameworks and libraries, and multi-tenant environments across cloud and hybrid cloud infrastructures. You will be a primary voice with customers and a key internal partner on strategic decisions that shape how we position and grow in these markets.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate brings deep experience in systems engineering and software architecture within the intelligence community, with direct experience supporting NRO, NGA, or adjacent IC customers. You should have a strong background in cloud and hybrid cloud solution design, multi-tenant architecture, and data integration at enterprise scale. Experience with AI and machine learning platforms in an operational or demonstration context is preferred.

You are someone who can translate complex technical concepts for both technical and non-technical audiences, build credibility with senior customer stakeholders, and drive alignment internally across engineering, program, and business development teams. Prior experience contributing to capture efforts, technical proposals, or go-to-market strategy in a government contracting environment is strongly preferred.

This is a senior role that operates with a high degree of autonomy. You will work independently to identify and resolve issues across development and implementation, drive long-range technical planning, and recommend where we should be investing in new capabilities. You will serve as a key technical voice externally with customers and internally with senior leadership, and you will play a direct role in shaping and winning new business.

Expected tasks and responsibilities for the role:

• Lead the development of technical go-to-market strategies for AI software solutions targeting IC customers
• Define strategies for the architectural framework for shared software platforms, data integration libraries, and multi-tenant cloud and hybrid cloud environments
• Engage directly with customer stakeholders to understand mission requirements and translate those into viable technical solutions
• Partner with business development and program leadership to shape technical approaches during capture and proposal development
• Contribute to and review technical proposals, white papers, and solution briefs to ensure accuracy, credibility, and differentiation
• Identify emerging technologies and assess their applicability to our target markets and customer missions
• Serve as the primary technical spokesperson in customer meetings, industry events, and internal strategy discussions
• Drive alignment across engineering, program management, and business development teams on technical direction and solution priorities
• Support pipeline development by identifying new opportunities where our software and AI capabilities can address customer needs
• Establish and communicate technical standards and best practices for AI solution development and deployment across the portfolio
• Mentor and provide technical guidance to engineering staff across programs and pursuits
• Collaborate with partners and vendors to evaluate and integrate complementary capabilities into our solution offerings
• Advise senior leadership on long-range technical strategy, investment priorities, and capability development
• Track and assess competitor technical approaches and market trends to inform our positioning and solution development

Qualifications


Experience:

• Typically requires a minimum of 15 years of experience in systems engineering, software architecture, or a related technical discipline
• Minimum of 5 years of experience supporting intelligence community customers, with direct experience in the NRO, NGA, or adjacent IC markets strongly preferred
• Demonstrated experience leading technical strategy and solution architecture for enterprise software platforms in a government contracting environment
• Prior experience in a capture or business development support role, including contributing to technical proposals and go-to-market strategies
• Experience designing and implementing cloud and hybrid cloud solutions, including multi-tenant architectures and data integration frameworks at enterprise scale
• Experience with AI and machine learning platforms in an operational or demonstration context

Technical Skills:

• Deep understanding of cloud platforms and services, including AWS, Azure, or equivalent IC cloud environments
• Strong background in data integration, data pipeline architecture, and software library development
• Familiarity with DevSecOps practices and modern software delivery frameworks
• Understanding of IC data standards, architectures, and mission systems relevant to NRO and NGA operations
• Experience with containerization, microservices, and platform engineering concepts

Leadership and Collaboration Skills:

• Proven ability to communicate complex technical concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences including senior government customers and executive leadership
• Track record of building credibility and trusted relationships with senior customer stakeholders
• Ability to operate independently and drive decisions with limited oversight
• Experience mentoring and providing technical direction to engineering teams
• Strong collaboration skills across business development, program management, and engineering functions

Education and Clearance:

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, systems engineering, or a related technical field required, advanced degree preferred
• Active TS/SCI clearance required, with willingness to support additional accesses as needed
• Relevant certifications in cloud architecture, AI, or systems engineering are a plus but demonstrated experience in lieu of certifications is most desirable

Target salary range: $220,001 - $260,000. The estimate displayed represents the typical salary range for this position based on experience and other factors.

SAIC is a premier technology integrator providing full life cycle services and solutions in the technical, engineering, intelligence, and enterprise information technology markets. SAIC is Redefining Ingenuity through its deep customer and domain knowledge to enable the delivery of systems engineering and integration offerings for large, complex projects. SAIC's approximately 15,000 employees are driven by integrity and mission focus to serve customers in the U.S. federal government. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, SAIC has annual revenues of approximately $4.5 billion. For more information, visit saic.com. For information on the benefits SAIC offers, see .