Sr. Systems Engineer

The Senior Systems Engineer-SME serves as the principal technical authority supporting the architecture, modernization, and integration of DISA’s enterprise cyber sensing capabilities. This role provides deep subject matter expertise across sensing platforms-including OSP, FPCAP, ASV, IDS, and next-generation cyber sensors-ensuring mission alignment, operational effectiveness, and technical excellence. As the SME, you will guide requirements development, systems design, performance engineering, complex integrations, and technical decision-making across the full system lifecycle. You will partner with Government PMs, Engineering Leads, and cross-functional teams to deliver secure, scalable, and interoperable solutions that enhance cyber situational awareness and proactive defense., As the designated SME, the Senior Systems Engineer will:

• Serve as a domain expert with deep knowledge in areas such as engineering, computer science, cybersecurity, or related technical disciplines.
• Provide specialized technical analysis across highly complex systems, architectures, and operational environments, offering expert guidance on design, integration, documentation, and implementation strategies.
• Support all phases of software and system development with emphasis on planning, analysis, testing, integration, documentation, and presentation of technical findings.
• Apply advanced engineering principles, mathematical methods, and scientific analysis to solve exceptionally difficult and narrowly scoped technical problems, developing automated or scalable solutions where applicable.
• Offer on-demand expert support to task assignments, ensuring technical accuracy, alignment with mission needs, and feasibility of solutions.
• Provide SME guidance on state-of-the-art software, hardware, sensing technologies, cloud architectures, and cyber defense capabilities.
• Coordinate with contractor leadership and government personnel to ensure problems are properly defined, requirements are validated, and the proposed solutions fully satisfy the Government’s mission and operational needs., * Lead enterprise systems engineering and integration efforts supporting DISA’s cyber sensing modernization initiatives under Task Area 6.5.
• Translate mission needs, operational requirements, and capability gaps into detailed technical requirements and architectural specifications.
• Develop system architectures, interface definitions, engineering diagrams, and design documentation supporting current and future cyber sensing capabilities.
• Serve as the senior integrator for lab, cloud, hybrid, and production-representative environments, managing configuration, deployment, evaluation, and validation of sensing capabilities.
• Lead installation, configuration, and troubleshooting of sensing systems, including hardware platforms, software stacks, virtual appliances, network components, and storage systems.
• Direct interoperability, regression, and integration testing, ensuring cohesion across systems, data pipelines, analytics tools, and enterprise platforms.
• Lead performance and scalability testing-including throughput, latency, accuracy, and stress testing-to validate detection reliability and operational readiness.
• Conduct engineering trade studies, AoAs, feasibility assessments, and modernization analyses to inform long-term technical strategies and cloud migration efforts.
• Provide expert-level input for engineering reviews including SRR, SFR, PDR, and CDR, ensuring design rigor and compliance.
• Produce advanced engineering documentation, including System Design Descriptions (SDDs), updated ICDs, test plans/reports, build guides, and configuration documentation.
• Collaborate closely with developers, system administrators, cybersecurity SMEs, A&A/RMF personnel, and operations teams to ensure solutions meet security, compliance, and mission requirements.
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex technical issues, conduct root cause analyses, replicate issues in controlled environments, and drive cross-team resolution.
• Provide mentorship, knowledge transfer, and SME leadership to Systems Engineer II personnel and multidisciplinary engineering teams.

• Active DoD Secret clearance
• 10+ years of progressively responsible systems engineering or integration experience supporting DoD, cybersecurity, or large-scale enterprise environments.
• SME-level expertise in distributed sensor systems, cyber defense tools, security monitoring technologies, or enterprise sensing architectures.
• Strong knowledge of system design, network engineering, virtualization technologies, Linux/Windows systems, and cloud platforms.
• Demonstrated experience with integration, performance, and interoperability testing for complex systems.
• Expertise in creating architecture diagrams, technical documentation, SDDs, ICDs, and engineering artifacts.
• Prior participation in SRR/SFR/PDR/CDR engineering review cycles.
• Familiarity with SIEM integration, packet analysis tools, IDS/IPS, and cyber defense platforms.
• Proven ability to lead engineering teams, manage competing priorities, and coordinate across stakeholders.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to present and defend technical concepts to Government customers and executive decision-makers.