Senior System Architect

DS2

$100K — $130K *
Aerospace & Defense
11 - 15 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Master's degree in Systems Engineering or related field, or equivalent experience
  • 15+ years in systems engineering and mission systems architecture
  • Experience with SysML, MBSE Tool Architecture, and COTS/GOTS integration
  • Strong leadership, mentoring, and team-building skills
  • Familiar with Agile/SAFe methodologies and technical risk reduction
  • Must be a U.S. Citizen and pass a government background check

Responsibilities

  • Lead architecture and integration of defense mission systems
  • Translate mission needs into technical solutions and capabilities
  • Guide multidisciplinary teams through R&D and productization
  • Develop secure communications and cyber resilience strategies
  • Drive technical transformation and modernization efforts
  • Mentor and supervise engineering teams
  • Engage in customer briefings and technical capture initiatives

Benefits

  • Flexible work hours
  • Healthcare, dental, and vision coverage
  • Generous paid time off and holidays
  • 401K savings plan with company matching
  • Tuition reimbursement and learning opportunities
  • Sponsored community and volunteer events
  • Monthly office social events
Full Job Description
Are you interested in creating mission critical software to support our warfighter? Do you want to work on a team developing new and emerging technologies? Are you open to new ideas, collaborating with teammates, teaching, and learning from others? If this is the kind of person you are, DS2 invites you to apply for a spot on our team! We are looking to add a Senior System Architect to our team.

Responsibilities - What You'll Do:

  • Lead the architecture, integration, and modernization of mission systems for defense clients
  • Translate customer mission needs into innovative technical solutions and operational capabilities
  • Guide multidisciplinary engineering teams through R&D, prototyping, and productization efforts
  • Develop and implement secure communications, cyber resilience, and mission assurance strategies
  • Drive technical transformation across programs, including modernization of legacy platforms and adoption of emerging technologies
  • Mentor and supervise engineering teams, fostering growth and technical excellence
  • Engage in technical capture, customer briefings, and external partnerships to advance mission objectives

Qualifications - We Need Someone Who:
  • Holds a master's degree in Systems Engineering or a related technical field, or equivalent experience
  • Has 15+ years of experience in systems engineering, mission systems architecture, and software development
  • Has experience with SysML, MBSE Tool Architecture, and COTS/GOTS integration
  • Possesses strong leadership, mentoring, and team-building skills
  • Is comfortable with Agile/SAFe methodologies and technical risk reduction
  • Must be a U.S. Citizen and able to complete a U.S. government background investigation


Preferred - Bonus points if you:
  • Have led R&D portfolios or served as Principal Investigator for mission-focused innovation
  • Have specific experience using the RMF, AI/ML-enabled security, Zero Trust, specialized IT frameworks, or cyber resilience
  • Have transitioned research concepts into operational capabilities and customer-facing offerings
  • Hold technical certifications (Scrum, SAFe, INCOSE, etc.)
  • Have authored technical whitepapers or contributed to patent/trademark applications

Benefits - What we do for you:
  • Flexible work hours
  • Healthcare, dental, and vision coverage, including STD, LTD, and Life Insurance
  • Generous paid time off, floating holidays, and standard holidays
  • 401K savings plan with company-matching contributions up to 4%
  • Educational and growth opportunities
    • Tuition reimbursement
    • Student loan repayment
    • Certification reimbursement + bonuses and Learning Platform Subscriptions
    • Catered tech talk lunches on topics picked by your and your teammates
  • Sponsored community and volunteer events, giving back to our community
  • Monthly office social events, game night, cook outs and office parties


The above is intended to describe the general content and requirements for this job's performance. It is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities, or physical requirements. Nothing in this job description restricts management's right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

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