Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab

On-Site Lead Engineer for Systems Engineering, Integration, and Test

Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab$105K — $290K *
Aerospace & Defense
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in engineering, mathematics, physics, or related technical field.
  • 5+ years of technical experience leading or influencing technical efforts across teams or organizations.
  • Demonstrated thought leadership and ability to influence across various organizations.
  • Experience performing systems engineering in complex systems design, development, or evaluation.
  • Exceptional interpersonal, communication, and leadership skills for interfacing with senior leaders.
  • Strong verbal and written communication and critical thinking skills.
  • Experience in ambiguous, high-tempo environments requiring prioritization and self-direction.
  • Familiarity with requirements analysis and system architecting, including use of tools for analysis.
  • Systems Modeling Language (SysML) literacy is required.
  • Active Secret clearance with the ability to obtain Top Secret/SCI clearance.

Responsibilities

  • Serve as a technical leader for the Sentinel program at Hill AFB.
  • Collaborate with government sponsors to understand technical needs and support Sentinel initiatives.
  • Communicate technical assessments and recommendations to senior government leadership.
  • Provide subject matter expertise and independent assessments for systems engineering activities.
  • Lead collaboration with APL SMEs for systems-level analyses of the Sentinel system.
  • Advise and review assessments with the Sentinel Prime Contractor and other partners.
  • Define and coordinate integration activities across technical and programmatic domains.

Benefits

  • Relocation assistance for moving to Utah near Hill AFB.
  • Periodic travel opportunities to APL's Laurel campus and contractor sites.
  • Engagement in a significant national program for defense.
  • Experience working alongside government sponsors and industry peers.
  • An opportunity for impactful involvement in systems engineering and defense projects.
Full Job Description
Description

Do you want an exciting opportunity to represent APL onsite at Hill Air Force Base (AFB) on a significant program of national importance while working directly with Sponsors, industry peers and other APL team members?

Do you want to apply systems engineering expertise in a fast-paced, high impact environment on a long-term strategic weapon system?

If so, we're looking for someone like you to join our team at APL.

We are seeking a On-Site Lead Engineer for Systems Engineering, Integration and Test efforts for the Sentinel strategic missile system. This will be an on-site position, working at Hill AFB, Utah alongside other on-site APL personnel, our government sponsor, other government mission partners, and the Sentinel Prime Contractor.

As a on-site Sentinel Lead Engineer for Systems Engineering Integration and Test...
  • Your primary responsibility will be to serve as a technical leader in APL's forward-based team supporting the Sentinel program. This on-site location facilitates daily interaction with the sponsor and the Prime Contractor and enhances APL's ability as an organization to support our government sponsor. In doing so, you will maintain regular communications with APL's program and project managers, line-side leaders and organizations, and fellow members of the KBY on-site technical team to increase awareness of Sentinel activities, developments, decisions, areas of concern, and opportunities where APL can help the Sentinel program
  • You will work directly with the sponsor to understand their needs, and collaborate with key APL technical leaders to recommend, support, and execute APL work in support of the Sentinel Program Office's desire to "own the technical baseline."
  • You will support and influence program-level decision making by developing and communicating technical positions, risk assessments, and trade-offs to senior government and program leadership.
  • You will serve as a serve as a technical advisor, integrator, and trusted agent to government leadership, providing subject matter expertise and independent assessment to the government for the execution of systems engineering, integration, and test activities for the Sentinel strategic missile system. As such you will develop and assess CONOPS and requirements, develop architectures, develop test plans and analyze test data, and perform trade studies, failure root cause analyses, risk management, verification and validation, requirements analyses, functional analyses, and performance assessments. This includes communicating results of systems engineering assessments and engineering methodologies and processes and acting as a liaison between the government and the APL home campus team.
  • You will lead and collaborate with other APL SMEs, both at Hill AFB and main campus, to provide unique analyses of the Sentinel Weapon System and recommendations from a systems-level viewpoint.
  • You will work with the Sentinel Prime Contractor and other industry partners to advise, review, recommend and contribute to assessments supporting systems engineering processes and technical management processes.
  • You will help define, coordinate, and, when required, lead integration activities across multiple technical and programmatic domains, ensuring coherence across system elements, organizations, and program phases. This includes participation in, and, as required, presentations at program technical reviews and acquisition milestone events.
  • You will contribute to technical baseline definition, acquisition and systems engineering strategy development, program restructuring activities, and governance frameworks.
  • You will use APL-developed tools, processes, and methodologies, and Prime Contractor generated design artifacts, test data and analysis results to evaluate system fulfillment of stakeholder needs and government requirements.

Qualifications

You meet our minimum qualifications for the job if you...
  • Possess a bachelors in engineering, mathematics, physics or related technical field.
  • Have 5+ years of technical professional experience including experience leading or influencing technical efforts across teams or organizations.
  • Demonstrate technical and organizational thought leadership with a track record of influencing others across various organizations.
  • Are able to effectively shape the day-to-day tasking to meet sponsor needs, multi-task, and adapt to changing demands with minimal guidance.
  • Have proven experience performing systems engineering in the design, development or evaluation of complex systems.
  • Have employed exceptionally strong interpersonal, communication, and leadership skills, and the ability to regularly interface with senior military and civil service leaders.
  • Have especially strong verbal and written communication skills, as well as demonstrated strong critical thinking skills.
  • Have experience operating in ambiguous, high-tempo environments requiring self-directed tasking and prioritization across competing demands.
  • Demonstrate a strong sense of curiosity to understand how and why a system works and the ambition to follow up on that curiosity.
  • Are well-experienced in requirements analysis, design, test and evaluation, and risk management/assessment.
  • Have experience using tools for tradespace analysis, performance analysis, requirements analysis, requirements management, and system architecting.
  • Are literate in Systems Modeling Language (SysML).
  • Are willing to relocate to Utah in the vicinity of Hill AFB, with periodic travel (potentially 5-6 trips per year of duration one week or less) to APL Laurel campus, contractor sites, and other locations.
  • Hold an active Secret security clearance and are able to obtain a Top Secret/SCI level clearance. If selected, you will be subject to a government security investigation and must meet the requirements for access to classified information. Eligibility requirements include U.S. citizenship.

You'll go above and beyond our minimum requirements if you...
  • Have a graduate degree in aerospace engineering, systems engineering, or related technical field with 10+ years of technical experience applying systems engineering.
  • Have experience in systems engineering for missile systems.
  • Have experience with DoD acquisition processes and/or Air Force ICBM programs.
  • Have experience with, and an understanding of Air Force strategic weapons systems including the Minuteman or Sentinel weapon systems.
  • Currently hold an active Top Secret clearance (or above).

Minimum Rate

$105,000 Annually

Maximum Rate

$290,000 Annually

About Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) is a research and development organization that provides solutions to national security and scientific challenges. The laboratory was founded in 1942 and is located in Laurel, Maryland. APL is a division of the Johns Hopkins University and is a not-for-profit organization. The laboratory has expertise in a variety of areas, including space exploration, national security, and healthcare.
Learn more about Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab
Size
7,000 employees
Industry
Founded
1942

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