CONOPS / Systems Engineer - Submarine Imaging Systems Onsite - Manassas, VA Secret Cleared role Position Overview We are seeking a CONOPS / Systems Engineer to support the development, testing, and operational integration of advanced submarine imaging capabilities. This individual will play a key role in translating mission needs into system functionality by defining operational concepts, evaluating system performance, and supporting test and deployment activities.
The ideal candidate combines operational Navy imaging experience with systems engineering expertise and can effectively bridge communication between end users, engineering teams, and program stakeholders.
Key Responsibilities - Develop and refine operational concepts, mission workflows, and system use cases to support current and future capability requirements.
- Collaborate with engineering teams to assess design approaches and evaluate system functionality against mission objectives.
- Support systems engineering activities including trade studies, modeling efforts, requirements analysis, and design reviews.
- Create and maintain documentation describing system operations, performance expectations, interfaces, and operational limitations.
- Define user-centric operational scenarios covering routine operations, maintenance activities, and contingency situations.
- Plan, coordinate, and execute testing activities for integrated submarine imaging solutions.
- Analyze test results and provide recommendations for system improvements and issue resolution.
- Work closely with fleet operators, customers, and technical teams to gather feedback and support capability enhancements.
- Assist with software and hardware integration, installation, configuration management, and system troubleshooting efforts.
- Verify corrective actions and validate system performance following defect remediation.
- Support configuration control processes and maintain technical documentation throughout the system lifecycle.
Required Qualifications - Active DoD Secret Clearance or ability to maintain one; clearance must be active prior to starting.
- Minimum of six (6) years of U.S. Navy experience operating and maintaining imaging systems.
- Experience supporting system-level test and evaluation activities.
- Strong understanding of operational environments and mission workflows within Navy systems.
- Ability to independently manage assignments and deliver results with minimal supervision.
- Excellent communication skills with the ability to engage technical and non-technical stakeholders.
Preferred Qualifications - Experience developing Concepts of Operations (CONOPS), operational scenarios, or mission-focused documentation.
- Ability to understand and communicate complex interactions across multiple interconnected systems.
- Knowledge of systems engineering methodologies and lifecycle processes.
- Experience facilitating stakeholder discussions and translating operational requirements into technical solutions.
- Familiarity with ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) environments, including tasking, collection, processing, exploitation, and dissemination workflows.
- Experience supporting system integration efforts within defense or submarine platforms.
- Success Factors
- Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
- Ability to balance operational needs with technical constraints.
- Effective collaboration with customers, fleet operators, engineers, and program leadership.
- Comfortable working in dynamic environments supporting mission-critical systems.
