Lead Systems Engineer

Peraton is seeking a senior-level Lead Systems Engineer to lead the Systems Engineering Integration and Test (SEIT) team and oversee all activities related to Verification & Validation (V&V), Integration and Test (I&T), External Interface Engineering, and other core Systems Engineering execution for advanced Satellite Ground Systems.

The Office of Space Weather Observations (SWO) under NESDIS is responsible for advancing space weather observational capabilities to meet NOAA programmatic needs. NOAA's Space Weather Next (SWX) program maintains and extends space weather observations from various vantage points, selected to most efficiently provide comprehensive knowledge of the Sun and the near-Earth space environment needed to protect our technological infrastructure.

The Space Weather Ground Services (SWGS) is responsible for comprehensive ground services for all SWX projects, ensuring successful implementation and operation of observing assets and ensuring the continuity of space weather measurements made by SWFO-L1 and the GOES-R series satellites.

The SWGS Mission Operations Services (MOS) program must provide a full mission satellite command and control solution to support the L1 Series with two new independently launched observatories.

This role serves as a technical authority and team leader responsible for ensuring that system requirements, architecture, integration, and verification activities are executed with rigor and aligned with program objectives. The selected candidate will guide cross-disciplinary engineering teams, coordinate with program leadership and customers, and ensure that complex systems are successfully integrated, validated, and delivered.

The ideal candidate brings deep systems engineering expertise, proven leadership experience, and a strong background supporting mission-critical space or ground system programs.

Systems Engineering Leadership

Serve as the technical lead for systems engineering, integration, and verification activities across the program.
• Lead and mentor engineers responsible for requirements management, system integration, interface engineering, and verification.
• Drive execution of the Systems Engineering Management Plan (SEMP), ensure adherence to established engineering processes and program standards, and lead development of review plans with full participation in program life-cycle reviews.
• Provide strategic direction in close coordination with System Architects for system architecture, integration strategy, and technical execution.
• Support program leadership in technical planning, decision making, and risk management.

Requirements Development & Management

• Lead the development of quantifiable system requirements derived from customer needs, system planning, design, and acquisition logistics.
• Ensure requirements comply with functional and performance specifications through formal verification methods.
• Translate high-level product strategies into detailed system and subsystem requirements, coordinating across engineering disciplines.
• Maintain traceability of requirements across the system lifecycle using approved tools and processes.
• Validate allocated requirements to ensure system architecture and implementation satisfy mission needs.

Integration & Interface Engineering

• Lead system and subsystem integration planning and execution, including hardware, software, and network components.
• Define and manage external and internal interfaces across program elements and partner systems.
• Ensure integration readiness through coordination across development teams, infrastructure, and operations.
• Oversee system component integration activities and resolve cross-system technical challenges.

Verification, Validation & Test

• Lead the development and execution of system-level verification and validation strategies.
• Develop system-level requirements verification procedures and customer acceptance test criteria.
• Review and approve integration and test plans, procedures, and results to ensure contractual and mission objectives are met.
• Participate in and oversee testing activities to validate requirements and system performance.
• Establish metrics, evaluation criteria, and technical performance measures (TPMs) to assess system readiness.

Architecture, Performance & System Design

• Lead system conceptual design activities and ensure alignment with program architecture design concepts.
• Assess system performance using defined evaluation criteria and technical performance measures.
• Ensure system design integrity, scalability, and operational effectiveness.
• Support development of system documentation/CDRLs and ensure alignment with program architectures and platforms.

Program Technical Leadership

• Serve as a key leader on the program's technical team, working closely with program management and other functional leads.
• Consult with management, customers, and external partners regarding schedules, resources, designs, and implementation strategies.
• Establish and maintain engineering standards, best practices, and development processes.
• Coordinate identification, reporting, and resolution of system anomalies and discrepancies.
• Support technical risk and opportunity identification and drive mitigation strategies.
• Contribute to lessons learned and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Engage directly with customers to support technical planning, requirements discussions, and problem resolution.

Technology & Innovation

• Evaluate emerging technologies and architectures for potential application to the program.
• Provide technical insight into modernization opportunities including cloud adoption, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), automation, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and scalable architecture.

• 12+ years of Systems Engineering experience supporting Satellite Ground Systems or similar complex mission systems with a BS/BA; 10+ years with an MS/MA; or 7+ years with a PhD.
• Demonstrated experience leading Integration, Test, and Verification activities on large-scale programs.
• Strong experience in requirements decomposition and analysis, system architecture development, interface definition and management, and Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE)
• Strong knowledge of Satellite Ground Systems, including:
  • Mission planning
  • Command, control, and communications
  • Data processing pipelines
  • Space-to-ground interfaces
  • Network topologies
  • Cybersecurity
  • Satellite operations
• Experience working with NASA Systems Engineering Processes and Requirements (NPR 7123.1) with ability to adapt to Agile Systems Engineering methodologies
• Experience with software-centric and distributed systems architectures.
• Experience with Atlassian tools such as Jira and Confluence.
• Experience with Model-Based Systems Engineering tools and languages such as:
  • Cameo
  • MagicDraw
  • SysML
  • Sequence diagrams
  • DoDAF
• Experience with cloud-based services (AWS) and modern infrastructure environments.
• Experience working in Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) environments or similar Agile methodologies and leading Program Increment (PI) planning activities.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret data and resolve complex technical issues.
• Active Public Trust Clearance

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience serving as a Lead Systems Engineer or Technical Lead on a major program.
• Experience supporting NOAA, NASA, or national space mission programs.
• Experience leading multi-organization integration efforts across government and contractor teams.
• Strong leadership, communication, and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Experience supporting mission operations or operational system transitions.
• Experience with DOORS (or equivalent) requirements management tool.
• Experience with Earned Value Management System (EVMS).

Peraton is a next-generation national security company that drives missions of consequence spanning the globe and extending to the farthest reaches of the galaxy. As the world's leading mission capability integrator and transformative enterprise IT provider, we deliver trusted, highly differentiated solutions and technologies to protect our nation and allies. Peraton operates at the critical nexus between traditional and nontraditional threats across all domains: land, sea, space, air, and cyberspace. The company serves as a valued partner to essential government agencies and supports every branch of the U.S. armed forces. Each day, our employees do the can't be done by solving the most daunting challenges facing our customers. Visit peraton.com to learn how we're keeping people around the world safe and secure.