Title:

Senior Satellite Ground Systems Engineer (Top Secret)

Belong. Connect. Grow. with KBR!

Satellite Ground System Sr. Systems Engineer

KBR’s National Security Solutions team provides high-end engineering and advanced technology solutions to our customers in the intelligence and national security communities. In this position, your work will have a profound impact on the country’s most critical role – protecting our national security.

Why Join Us?

• Innovative Projects: KBR’s work is at the forefront of engineering, logistics, operations, science, program management, mission IT and cybersecurity solutions.

• Collaborative Environment: Be part of a dynamic team that thrives on collaboration and innovation, fostering a supportive and intellectually stimulating workplace.

• Impactful Work: Your contributions will be pivotal in designing and optimizing defense systems that ensure national security and shape the future of space defense.

KBR is searching for a highly skilled Senior Systems Engineer (Sr. SE) to support development of a first-of-kind satellite command and control system for the Space Rapid Capabilities Office (RCO). The Sr. SE is assigned responsibility, accountability, and authority to execute and optimize processes governing the systems engineering scope necessary for successful product delivery. Duties include systems engineering and acquisition process implementation and execution. The Sr. SE may be responsible for leading both multi-discipline and systems engineering teams in execution of these duties. The Sr. SE will report to the Chief Systems Engineer, with potential matrix to functional branches as part of systems engineering integration team (SEIT) duties.

A successful candidate should be a leader and problem solver with a proven ability to deliver superior results as part of a high performing team in a high-profile, fast-paced environment. The candidate will apply advanced principles, theories, and concepts for highly classified systems, while also effectively communicating complex results with management and executive leadership.

In this position, you will provide System Engineering Technical Assistance (SETA) to the Space RCO at Kirtland AFB, NM or Colorado Springs, CO. The Space RCO is one of three US Space Force acquisition organization and is the one specializing in delivering first-of systems to fill quick-turn needs to deliver operational capability to the USSF. For each project, Space RCO sets up small, agile and empowered teams, to include program manager, technical specialists, contracting, finance, security, and they use right acquisition strategies to set the effort up for success. You will work in one of these small, highly empowered teams where every team member is directly responsible for the success of the program.

Key Responsibilities:

• Assuring specifications and requirements are developed, established, decomposed, allocated, executed and maintained as part of a systematic verification program, consistent with the program requirements baseline.

• Execution and oversight of ongoing risk mitigation measures by various government stakeholders and contractors.

• Work internal to the program office and inter-divisional work needs for the program.

• Develop and implement necessary metrics and standards for judging successful systems engineering process execution inclusive of contractor, subcontracting, and procurement systems execution for all critical systems engineering, acquisition and development related scope.

• Generate and execute program scope in a systems engineering management plan (SEMP) together with program and higher command directives.

• Be familiar with documenting, tracking, and periodically reporting to program management and the Government compliance offices performance against standards, compliance against metrics, deviations, and corrective actions.

• Be familiar with engineering resource planning, quality improvement initiatives, process improvement initiatives and managing against a baselined plan.

• Maintain proficiency identifying, creating, evaluating and maintaining technical baseline records. Understand how to integrate work duties across cost, technical, schedule and risk spectrum to deliver balanced success.

• Ensures completion of tasks within estimated time frames and budget constraints.

• Ensures the quality of the program, project, or task deliverables meet or exceed standards or metrics and assesses such deliverables to ensure that the final deliverables will meet the warfighting purpose for which they are intended.

• Coordinates with multiple partners/agencies to ensure system engineering communities support delivery milestones.

• Provides strategic advice, technical guidance and expertise to program and project staff.

• Leads studies and analyses of data to provide advice and recommend solutions.

• Communicate clearly, concisely, and with technical accuracy—oral and written.

• Other duties as required.

Qualifications and Education Requirements

Required skills:

• Minimum fifteen (15) years of DoD/IC or relevant industry work experience.

• Minimum five (5) years of experience executing systems engineering scope consistent with IEEE 15288 systems engineering competency framework and systems acquisition duties consistent with the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) part 234 and the DoD 5000 series of regulations, or analogous industry standards.

• Minimum of (3) three years of relevant experience executing these duties in a satellite operational ground system Cat 3 / Cat C program or larger.

• Experience in DoD program management including program development and transition.

Desired skills:

• Experience and preferred intimacy with systems engineering processes generally accepted and adopted across US Government acquisitions and operations as guided by DAU and the DOD 5000 series of regulations together with analogous industry standards sourced from IEEE, PMI and INCOSE.

• Education, experience, and knowledge of Government acquisition, systems engineering, contracts, subcontracts, finance and business operations methods, techniques and tools.

• Education, experience, and knowledge of Government acquisition policies and standards, and the tools, methods, rules and regulations for conducting systems engineering and acquisition.

• Background and demonstrated success implementing systems engineering processes effectively at an op-tempo compatible with rapid prototyping and agile software development

• Ability to operate with little or no daily oversight, with initiative and competence to recognize unmet program needs and meet them, self-guiding to deliver success against program and industry standards

• Experience with successful, concurrent execution of multiple satellite operations ground system functional areas while executing in a dynamic, changing work environment often requiring a rapid replan, risk triage and baseline of work duties to meet program needs

• Proficiency translating architecture and CONOPs information into actionable and verifiable requirements across a system’s life cycle. Comfortable executing parts of a verification program inclusive of test, demonstration, analysis and inspection.

• Experience developing, verifying and handing over to operations a fully ready ground satellite operations control system.

• Ability to create, integrate and successful manage to an integrated master schedule across the family of ground satellite operations functions and systems engineering disciplines

• Familiar with Enterprise Risk Management and industry tools such as Crystal Ball and @Risk as well as processes and methods for developing and managing a risk and opportunities management program.

• Demonstrated ability to effectively manage small teams of key personnel to execute aspects of acquisition, systems engineering and product development through verification

• Demonstrated familiarity with and ability to judge adherence to standard acquisition and program management systems and tools (i.e. a performance measurement baseline (PMB), Integrated master Schedule (IMS), an earned value system (EVMS)), Government standards, regulations, contract provisions, and program plans, directives and procedures.

• Familiarity and recent experience complying with Cyber requirements and standards as applicable to a predominantly software development and operationally fielded program

• Ability to cogently and concisely analyze progress, problems and develop corrective action plans; provide status and recommendations to assure clear understanding and sound documentation of the program baseline, and provide oversight of corrective actions

• Ability to effectively interact with team, leaders and customers orally and in writing.

• Ability to work successfully with a highly diverse work force – e.g. USSF officers & enlisted, technicians, engineers, scientists, physicists, business and contracts managers, etc.

• Ability to work in a 24x7 test and operational environment up to four times annually for durations of up to one month each.

Education:

• An applicable engineering or engineering management degree from a program accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).

• Relevant MA/MS/ME degree.

• (Desired) INCOSE Systems Engineering Professional Certification (CSEP or ESEP).

Clearance:

• Active TOP SECRET clearance with sensitive compartmentalized information (SCI) and special access program (SAP) eligibility.

• No less than five (5) years total SAP and/or SCI environment experience and 2-year total within last 5 years.

• Candidate must maintain a TS/SCI clearance as a condition of employment and willingness to submit to a polygraph.

Work Environment:

• Location: on-site at Kirtland AFB, NM or Colorado Springs, CO

• Travel Requirements: up to 50% of time (generally less) within the continental United States.

• Working Hours: Standard 40 hours per week.

Basic Compensation:

$175- 220k (Posted salary range for Colorado Springs, CO ONLY)

The offered rate will be based on the selected candidate’s knowledge, skills, abilities and/or experience and in consideration of internal parity.

Additional Compensation:

KBR may offer bonuses, commissions, or other forms of compensation to certain job titles or levels, per internal policy or contractual designation. Additional compensation may be in the form of sign on bonus, relocation benefits, short term incentives, long term incentives, or discretionary payments for exceptional performance.

Ready to Make a Difference? If you’re excited about making a significant impact in the field of space defense and working on projects that matter, we encourage you to apply and join our team at KBR. Let's shape the future together.

KBR Benefits

KBR offers a selection of competitive lifestyle benefits which could include 401K plan with company match, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, AD&D, flexible spending account, disability, paid time off, or flexible work schedule. We support career advancement through professional training and development.

A t KBR, we are passionate about our people, sustainability, and our Zero Harm culture.

These inform all that we do and are at the heart of our commitment to, and ongoing journey toward being a more inclusive and diverse company. That commitment is central to our team of team’s philosophy and fosters an environment of real collaboration across cultures and locations. Our individual differences and perspectives bring enhanced value to our teams and help us develop solutions for the most challenging problems. We understand that by embracing those differences and working together, we are more innovative, more resilient, and safer.

KBR is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, veteran status, genetic information, union status and/or beliefs, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.