Compensation for the role will depend on a number of factors, including a candidate's qualifications, education, skills, and experience as well as market demands. These factors impact the salary/wage offered.
Benefits:
FlightSafety offers a competitive total rewards package, which includes vacation, sick leave, a 401k match, healthcare coverage and a broad range of other benefits.
Position OverviewFlightSafety Defense Corporation is gearing to become a recognized architect and operator of complex synthetic environments in support of the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy. The JSE Architect and Project Lead serves as the technical foundation for Joint Simulation Environment (JSE) technical management, owning the FSI Defense reference architecture, compliance baseline, and simulation engineering approach across all JSE and Simulator Common Architecture Requirements and Standards (SCARS) pursuits and delivery. This is a senior individual contributor and team lead role that directly shapes FlightSafety's technical identity in the JSE/SCARS ecosystem.
Key ResponsibilitiesThe JSE Architect and Project Lead owns and maintains the FlightSafety JSE/SCARS Reference Architecture, translating complex government standards and technical documentation into actionable internal requirements and design patterns. This includes interpreting SCARS and JSE architectures, standards, and documentation and maintaining compliance checklists and the FSI technical baseline across all relevant bids and programs.
The architect leads architecture reviews for all JSE/SCARS-relevant activities, including authoring technical volumes, supporting oral presentations, and shaping customer solutions. In this capacity, the role drives the alignment of FlightSafety's simulator, visual system, and training service offerings to JSE/SCARS-ready product and integration standards.
The JSE Architect and Project Lead directs research, engineering, and integration activities to design and implement SCARS-compliant upgrades and JSE-ready components, including HLA/DIS/TENA gateways, Common Database (CDB) pipelines, and containerized host packages. The architect is responsible for achieving and demonstrating verified integration of FlightSafety Weapon System Trainers (WSTs) with the JSE via the Global Reusable Interface Domain (GRID) network protocol, including full compliance with the Government Simulation Interface (GSI) Interface Control Document (ICD) and execution of the GSI harness suite of service active tests.
The role includes Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) models and digital twin strategies relevant to JSE/SCARS, and oversees the implementation of DevSecOps pipelines for simulator software and environment content. The architect coordinates with corporate IT and cybersecurity resources to address SCARS-scale security requirements, apply the SCARS Common Security Controls Standard, and support Authority to Operate (ATO) compliance for JSE-connected training devices.
The JSE Architect and Project Lead also establishes and manages the internal JSE/SCARS integration lab - both virtual and classified, as required - and helps build key customer and prime contractor relationships within the JSE/SCARS ecosystem. Travel to government test events is anticipated throughout the year.
Required Qualifications- Bachelor's degree in systems engineering, aerospace engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, or a closely related technical discipline; master's degree preferred
- 10 or more years of progressive experience in simulation systems architecture, distributed simulation, or training system development for DoD customers
- Demonstrated expertise in JSE, SCARS, GRID, or related government simulation frameworks and standards
- Proficiency in distributed simulation protocols (HLA, DIS, TENA), middlewares such as EMQX, DDS and Apache Kafka, and experience with interface control documents (ICDs) and interface design documents (IDDs)
- Proficiency in API-driven simulation architectures and frameworks
- Familiarity with MBSE methodologies and SysML-based system modeling tools (e.g., Cameo Systems Modeler)
- Experience implementing or managing DevSecOps pipelines internally and in DoD training system environments, including compliance with Risk Management Framework (RMF) and Authority to Operate (ATO) processes
- Strong technical writing and communication skills with demonstrated experience authoring government proposal volumes, architecture documents, and compliance artifacts
- Experience leading small teams, multiple projects and adhering to an agile systems engineering approach
- Hands-on with tools such as JIRA, GitLab, workflow automation, and proficient in C++ and Python
- Active Secret clearance; ability to obtain Top Secret clearance
Preferred Qualifications- Experience with SCARS Increment 5 standards
- Familiarity with the GSI Software Development Kit (SDK) and GSI test harness execution
- Experience developing or integrating common aerodynamic models - including Equations of Motion, Forces and Moments, and Mass Properties - in compliance with government architecture standards
- Experience with Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) and Open Architecture frameworks such as the Unified Command and Control Interface (UCI) or Agile Mission Suite Government Reference Architecture (AMS-GRA)
- Experience supporting associated government program offices
- Prior experience in a Chief Architect or lead engineer role on a major simulation or training system program
Why This RoleThe JSE Architect and Project Lead is the single most critical technical role in the FlightSafety JSE/SCARS line of efforts. This individual will define how FlightSafety engages a rapidly evolving government simulation enterprise and will directly determine whether the company achieves recognition as a trusted architect and operator of complex synthetic environments by the USAF and Navy. The role carries both technical authority and external visibility, placing the right candidate at the forefront of one of the most strategically important growth areas in defense training systems.
