Government Programs

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Senior Manager, Systems Engineering | Aerospace & Defense Leadership | Waco, TX

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Senior Manager, Systems Engineering

📍 Waco, Texas (Onsite)
🕒 9/80 Schedule – Every Other Friday Off
💰 $190,000 - $220,000 Base Salary
🚚 Relocation Assistance Available
✈️ Aerospace, Defense & Advanced Mission Systems
👥 Engineering Leadership Opportunity

Lead High-Impact Engineering Teams Supporting Advanced Aerospace & Defense Programs

An industry-leading aerospace and defense organization is seeking a Senior Manager, Systems Engineering to lead and develop multidisciplinary engineering teams supporting complex aircraft modification, systems integration, mission systems, and advanced technology programs.

This is an exceptional opportunity for an experienced engineering leader who combines strong technical depth with proven people leadership, strategic planning, and program execution capabilities.

You'll oversee teams responsible for the design, integration, and delivery of sophisticated systems supporting both military and commercial customers while playing a key role in shaping departmental strategy, workforce planning, technical excellence, and long-term business growth.

If you're passionate about leading engineers, solving complex technical challenges, influencing organizational strategy, and delivering mission-critical solutions, this role offers outstanding visibility, responsibility, and career progression.

Why This Opportunity Stands Out

This is not a traditional engineering management role.

You'll operate at the intersection of engineering leadership, program execution, customer engagement, workforce planning, and strategic business growth.

You'll help define how engineering teams support future programs, influence hiring and staffing strategies, drive technical excellence, and partner directly with senior leadership to ensure successful program execution.

Highlights include:

  • Lead multiple engineering teams supporting complex aerospace and defense programs

  • Direct influence on departmental strategy and workforce growth

  • High visibility with executive leadership and customers

  • Opportunity to shape future engineering capabilities and talent development

  • Significant involvement in proposal development and business growth initiatives

  • Exposure to both military and commercial aviation programs

  • Strong technical and leadership career progression opportunities

What You'll Be Doing

Engineering Leadership & Team Development

  • Lead, mentor, and develop a diverse team of Systems Engineers and technical professionals

  • Create a culture focused on technical excellence, accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement

  • Establish training and professional development plans to support long-term organizational goals

  • Support employee growth, performance management, succession planning, and talent development initiatives

  • Foster strong collaboration across engineering, program management, operations, and customer teams

Strategic Workforce Planning

  • Forecast engineering resource requirements based on current and future program demand

  • Develop hiring strategies and workforce plans to support business growth

  • Lead recruiting efforts and participate in candidate selection processes

  • Ensure teams are appropriately staffed to meet program commitments and customer expectations

  • Support long-term capability development across the engineering organization

Program & Technical Leadership

  • Provide leadership and oversight across multiple engineering programs and integration efforts

  • Partner closely with Program Managers and Project Engineers to ensure successful execution

  • Review engineering schedules, budgets, risks, and resource allocations

  • Support engineering teams throughout the full program lifecycle

  • Ensure technical solutions align with customer requirements, budgets, and schedules

Systems Engineering Excellence

  • Lead and review systems engineering activities including:

    • Requirements analysis

    • System architecture development

    • Trade studies

    • System integration planning

    • Verification and validation activities

    • Technical baseline management

  • Ensure customer requirements are translated into clear, verifiable system-level requirements

  • Review engineering trade studies for technical accuracy, completeness, and feasibility

  • Support development of complex integrated system architectures

Customer & Stakeholder Engagement

  • Serve as a key technical leader during customer interactions

  • Build strong relationships with military, government, commercial, and internal stakeholders

  • Present technical information to executive leadership, customers, and engineering teams

  • Represent the organization during technical reviews, program meetings, and customer engagements

  • Facilitate collaboration between engineering, program management, and customers to ensure alignment and success

Business Growth & Proposal Support

  • Support new business capture activities and proposal development efforts

  • Participate in labor estimating, Basis of Estimate (BOE) creation, and technical proposal development

  • Contribute to growth strategies and future program planning

  • Support investment planning and technical roadmap development

Department Operations & Financial Management

  • Manage departmental budgets and overhead spending

  • Ensure engineering teams have the tools, resources, and infrastructure required to succeed

  • Monitor departmental performance against strategic goals and operating plans

  • Drive process improvements and operational efficiencies across the organization

What We're Looking For

Required Qualifications

  • Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Systems Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Software Engineering, Physics, or a related technical discipline

  • Minimum 12 years of relevant engineering experience with a Bachelor's Degree

OR

  • Minimum 10 years of relevant engineering experience with an advanced degree

  • Previous engineering leadership or management experience

  • Strong understanding of Systems Engineering principles and methodologies

  • Experience leading multidisciplinary technical teams

  • Excellent communication, leadership, and stakeholder management skills

Highly Preferred Experience

Systems Engineering

  • Requirements management

  • System architecture development

  • Trade study execution and evaluation

  • System integration

  • Verification & validation

  • Technical baseline management

  • Full engineering lifecycle experience

Leadership & Program Management

  • Functional management experience

  • IPT (Integrated Product Team) leadership

  • Workforce planning and hiring

  • Resource forecasting

  • Budget management

  • Engineering operations leadership

  • Strategic planning and execution

Business Development

  • Proposal development

  • Basis of Estimate (BOE) creation

  • Technical volume development

  • Customer engagement and presentations

Aerospace, Defense & Mission Systems

Experience supporting:

  • Aircraft modification programs

  • Avionics integration

  • Mission systems

  • Defense platforms

  • Government programs

  • Complex system integration efforts

Cybersecurity Experience

Experience supporting cybersecurity-focused engineering teams or cybersecurity programs is considered a strong plus.

Leadership Competencies

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

  • Strategic thinking and planning

  • Exceptional problem-solving abilities

  • Strong business acumen

  • Critical thinking and sound decision-making

  • Team leadership and coaching skills

  • Executive-level communication capabilities

  • Accountability and ownership mentality

  • Ability to influence across multiple functions and stakeholder groups

Security & Eligibility Requirements

Candidates must be eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government security clearance.

Preferred

  • Active Secret Clearance

Compensation & Benefits

💰 Base Salary: $190,000 - $220,000

Additional benefits include:

  • Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage

  • Retirement savings plans

  • Paid time off and company holidays

  • Professional development opportunities

  • Relocation assistance for qualified candidates

  • Interview travel reimbursement

  • Long-term career advancement opportunities

  • 9/80 work schedule with every other Friday off

Why Join?

This is an outstanding opportunity to lead talented engineering teams working on complex, high-visibility aerospace and defense programs that have a direct impact on mission success.

You'll help shape engineering strategy, influence future business growth, develop the next generation of engineering talent, and work alongside some of the industry's most respected technical professionals.

If you're an experienced engineering leader looking for a role that combines technical depth, people leadership, business impact, and long-term career growth, we'd love to hear from you.

 

Information System Security Engineer (ISSE) – TS/SCI Full Scope Poly – Annapolis Junction, MD

Information System Security Engineer (ISSE) – TS/SCI Full Scope Poly

📍 Location: Annapolis Junction, MD
🏢 Work Arrangement: 100% Onsite
💼 Employment Type: Full-Time
🔒 Security Clearance Required: Active TS/SCI with Full Scope Polygraph (NSA Preferred)
🇺🇸 Citizenship: U.S. Citizen Required
🎓 Certification Required: DoD 8570/8140 IASAE Level II Compliant Certification
🚫 Visa Sponsorship: Not Available
🚚 Relocation Assistance: Available
💰 Compensation: $100,000 – $200,000 Base Salary

Overview

A leading government technology contractor is seeking Information System Security Engineers (ISSEs) to support mission-critical classified government programs.

This role focuses on integrating cybersecurity engineering principles throughout the entire system lifecycle, including system design, implementation, accreditation, continuous monitoring, and sustainment. The ISSE will play a critical role in Risk Management Framework (RMF) execution, Assessment & Authorization (A&A) activities, security control validation, and ongoing cybersecurity compliance.

The ideal candidate will possess a strong blend of cybersecurity engineering, RMF expertise, technical security assessment experience, and security architecture knowledge within highly secure classified environments.

Key Responsibilities

Risk Management Framework (RMF)

  • Support the full RMF lifecycle for classified information systems.

  • Develop and maintain RMF documentation and security artifacts.

  • Assist with Authority to Operate (ATO) activities and sustainment.

  • Support Assessment & Authorization (A&A) efforts.

  • Maintain body-of-evidence packages for accreditation activities.

Security Engineering

  • Implement and validate security controls.

  • Perform Security Control Traceability and technical validation.

  • Support system boundary definition and security architecture development.

  • Conduct technical security assessments and risk analysis.

  • Recommend security improvements and mitigation strategies.

Compliance & Continuous Monitoring

  • Participate in Continuous Monitoring (ConMon) activities.

  • Conduct compliance assessments and security reviews.

  • Analyze vulnerability scan results and remediation efforts.

  • Verify remediation effectiveness and identify false positives.

  • Ensure ongoing compliance with cybersecurity requirements.

Vulnerability Management & Hardening

  • Support vulnerability management programs.

  • Implement and validate STIG compliance.

  • Support patch validation and security compliance efforts.

  • Assist with system hardening initiatives.

  • Coordinate remediation activities with technical teams.

Stakeholder Collaboration

  • Work closely with:

    • ISSOs

    • ISSMs

    • Security Control Assessors (SCAs)

    • System Owners

    • System Administrators

  • Support accreditation, compliance, and cybersecurity engineering efforts across mission systems.

Required Qualifications

Security Requirements

✔ Active TS/SCI Clearance

✔ Active Full Scope Polygraph (NSA Preferred)

✔ U.S. Citizenship Required

Certification Requirement

✔ DoD 8570/8140 IASAE Level II Compliant Certification

Examples include:

  • CISSP

  • CASP+

  • CCSP

  • CSSLP

Cybersecurity & RMF Experience

Strong experience with:

  • Risk Management Framework (RMF)

  • Assessment & Authorization (A&A)

  • Authority to Operate (ATO)

  • Security Control Implementation

  • Security Control Validation

  • Continuous Monitoring (ConMon)

NIST Knowledge

Strong familiarity with:

  • NIST SP 800-37

  • NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 3 and/or Rev. 5

  • Security Control Frameworks

  • RMF Compliance Processes

RMF & Compliance Tools

Experience with one or more of:

  • LATTEART

  • XACTA

  • BISCOTTI

  • WATCHCAT

  • STE

Additional experience with:

  • Compliance scanning tools

  • Configuration assessment tools

  • Vulnerability management platforms

Core ISSE Skill Areas

Security Engineering

  • Security Control Implementation

  • Security Control Validation

  • Security Architecture Support

  • System Boundary Definition

Compliance & Accreditation

  • Assessment & Authorization (A&A)

  • RMF Artifact Development

  • Accreditation Package Support

  • Body of Evidence Management

Vulnerability Management

  • Vulnerability Analysis

  • Remediation Tracking

  • Patch Validation

  • STIG Compliance

  • Security Hardening

Risk Management

  • Technical Risk Analysis

  • Compliance Validation

  • Continuous Monitoring (ConMon)

  • Security Assessment Support

Preferred Qualifications

Government & Classified Environment Experience

  • Classified Government cybersecurity programs.

  • Large-scale enterprise systems.

  • Mission-critical environments.

Technical Infrastructure Exposure

Experience supporting:

  • Enterprise Linux environments

  • Network infrastructure

  • Cloud environments

Stakeholder Coordination

Experience collaborating with:

  • ISSOs

  • ISSMs

  • Security Control Assessors

  • System Owners

  • Engineering Teams

Must-Have Requirements

Clearance

✅ Active TS/SCI Clearance

✅ Active Full Scope Polygraph

Certification

✅ IASAE Level II Certification

Cybersecurity

✅ RMF Experience

✅ A&A Experience

✅ ATO Experience

✅ Security Control Validation

Compliance

✅ Continuous Monitoring

✅ Vulnerability Management

✅ STIG Implementation

Documentation

✅ RMF Artifacts

✅ Accreditation Packages

✅ Security Documentation

Screening Questions

  1. Do you currently hold an active TS/SCI clearance with a Full Scope Polygraph?

  2. Was your Full Scope Polygraph issued by NSA?

  3. When was your most recent Full Scope Polygraph completed?

  4. Which IASAE Level II certification do you currently hold (CISSP, CASP+, CCSP, CSSLP, etc.)?

  5. How many years of ISSE or cybersecurity engineering experience do you have?

  6. Have you supported the full RMF lifecycle, including A&A and ATO activities?

  7. Which RMF tools have you used (XACTA, LATTEART, BISCOTTI, WATCHCAT, STE)?

  8. Do you have experience implementing and validating security controls?

  9. Have you supported STIG implementation, vulnerability remediation, and compliance validation?

  10. Do you have experience supporting classified government systems?

Ideal Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate will:

  • Hold an active TS/SCI Full Scope Polygraph.

  • Possess an active IASAE Level II certification.

  • Have strong cybersecurity engineering experience within classified environments.

  • Be highly knowledgeable in RMF, A&A, and ATO processes.

  • Understand security architecture, control implementation, and compliance validation.

  • Have experience supporting vulnerability management and STIG compliance.

  • Demonstrate excellent analytical, troubleshooting, and documentation skills.

  • Balance mission objectives with cybersecurity requirements and risk management practices.

Candidate Snapshot

Requirement

Details

Clearance

Active TS/SCI + Full Scope Poly

Citizenship

U.S. Citizen

Experience Level

Mid-Level to Senior

Certification

IASAE Level II Required

Frameworks

RMF, NIST 800-37, NIST 800-53

Compliance

A&A, ATO, ConMon

Security

Control Implementation & Validation

Documentation

RMF Artifacts & Accreditation Packages

Tools

XACTA, LATTEART, BISCOTTI, WATCHCAT, STE

Location

Annapolis Junction, MD

Work Arrangement

100% Onsite

Travel

None

Compensation

$100K – $200K

Relocation

Available

Why This Opportunity?

Mission Impact

Support highly classified systems that directly contribute to critical national security missions.

Cybersecurity Engineering Focus

Move beyond compliance into hands-on security engineering, architecture support, security control validation, and accreditation activities.

Technical Growth

Gain exposure to advanced RMF processes, security engineering practices, vulnerability management, and enterprise cybersecurity operations.

Strong Benefits Package

  • 3 Weeks PTO

  • 11 Federal Holidays

  • Medical & Dental Coverage

  • Life Insurance

  • STD & LTD Coverage

  • 401(k) with Company Match

  • Long-Term Career Development

This opportunity is ideal for an Information System Security Engineer (ISSE), Cybersecurity Engineer, RMF Engineer, Security Compliance Engineer, Cybersecurity Architect, A&A Specialist, or Security Controls Engineer with an active TS/SCI Full Scope Polygraph and IASAE Level II certification seeking to support highly sensitive government programs.

 

Lead Electrical Engineer (Defense Electronics) – Cincinnati, OH

Lead Electrical Engineer (Defense & Aerospace Electronics)

📍 Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
🕒 Schedule: 4/10 Work Week (Four 10-Hour Days)
💼 Employment Type: Full-Time
💰 Base Salary: $142,000 – $161,000
🚚 Relocation Assistance: Available for Ideal Candidates
✈️ Travel: Occasional
🔒 Security Clearance: Must be Eligible to Obtain Secret Clearance
🚫 Visa Sponsorship: Not Available

Overview

A leading defense and aerospace organization is seeking a Lead Electrical Engineer to support the design and development of ruggedized electronic systems for advanced ordnance and mission-critical applications.

This role combines hands-on electrical design with technical leadership responsibilities, including product development, testing, root cause investigations, customer interaction, proposal support, and mentoring engineering teams. The ideal candidate will have strong experience in analog and digital circuit design, power electronics, testing, and product lifecycle development within highly regulated environments.

Key Responsibilities

Electrical Design & Development

  • Design analog and digital electronics for ruggedized defense applications.

  • Perform circuit analysis, simulations, and tolerance studies using SPICE and engineering calculations.

  • Develop and refine technical requirements and ensure compliance.

  • Generate schematics, engineering documentation, and change proposals.

  • Support product development from concept through qualification and production.

Testing & Validation

  • Develop test plans and test reports for:

    • Design Verification

    • Qualification Testing

    • Product Performance Testing

    • Firing Properties Testing

  • Lead testing activities throughout the product lifecycle.

  • Troubleshoot hardware using oscilloscopes, function generators, meters, and lab equipment.

Technical Leadership

  • Lead design reviews throughout all development phases.

  • Serve as primary technical interface for internal and external customers.

  • Lead root cause investigations using structured methodologies:

    • 8D

    • Fishbone Analysis

    • Cause & Effect Analysis

  • Provide technical input for proposals, labor estimates, and project planning.

  • Mentor and develop junior electrical engineers.

  • Manage multiple projects simultaneously.

Required Qualifications

Education

  • Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field.

Experience

  • 9+ years of relevant electrical engineering experience.

  • 5+ years designing analog circuits including:

    • Operational Amplifiers

    • Differential Amplifiers

    • Filters

    • LDOs

    • Data Converters

  • 5+ years designing digital circuits including:

    • Logic Gates

    • Flip-Flops

    • Timers

    • Digital Filters

  • 4+ years working with power conversion systems:

    • AC/DC

    • DC/DC

    • DC/AC

    • Linear & Switching Power Supplies

  • 5+ years troubleshooting electronic systems using laboratory equipment.

  • 4+ years using schematic capture and PCB design tools such as:

    • Altium

    • PADS

  • 4+ years leading technical projects from concept through completion.

  • 4+ years creating engineering documentation and participating in design reviews.

Preferred Qualifications

  • Experience with:

    • MEMS Accelerometers

    • Temperature Sensors

    • Pressure Sensors

    • Gyroscopes

  • Serial communication protocols:

    • UART

    • SPI

    • I2C

  • Root Cause Analysis methodologies.

  • EMI, ESD, and protection circuit design.

  • Power conditioning and power supply design.

  • Design for extreme environments:

    • Shock

    • Vibration

    • Temperature

    • Humidity

  • Experience with Electronic Safety & Arming Devices (ESADs).

  • Experience working to MIL-STD-1316 and MIL-STD-1901A standards.

  • Experience presenting designs to military safety review boards.

  • Energetic materials testing and integration experience.

Key Skills

✔ Analog Circuit Design
✔ Digital Circuit Design
✔ Power Electronics
✔ PCB Design (Altium, PADS)
✔ SPICE Simulation
✔ Root Cause Analysis
✔ Test & Validation Engineering
✔ Technical Leadership
✔ Requirements Development
✔ Defense Electronics

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate is a senior electrical engineer with experience designing ruggedized electronics for aerospace, defense, ordnance, or other high-reliability applications. They should possess strong technical leadership skills, experience leading development programs, and the ability to guide projects from concept through qualification and production.

Candidate Snapshot

Requirement

Details

Experience

9+ Years

Seniority

Mid-Senior

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Industry

Aerospace / Defense

Leadership

Technical Lead

Security Clearance

Eligible for Secret Clearance

Travel

Occasional

Relocation

Available

Why Consider This Opportunity?

  • Four-day work week (4/10 schedule).

  • Lead cutting-edge defense and aerospace electronics programs.

  • High visibility technical leadership role.

  • Opportunity to mentor engineers and influence product strategy.

  • Work on mission-critical systems supporting national defense applications.

 

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