The posting
Job Description
SAIC is seeking a mid-level Senior Systems Engineer to support the Common Translator (CT), an embedded software module that acts as a translator between existing aircraft software and a new Identification, Friend or Foe (IFF) transponder located in Huntsville, AL. In this role, you will lead and support systems engineering activities across the lifecycle of safety-critical avionics software developed under DO-178C (DAL C) objectives.
The ideal candidate will work closely with software and test engineers to translate operational and certification requirements into well-structured system and software requirements, architectures, interfaces, and verification strategies. This position is ideal for an engineer who thrives on rigorous requirements engineering, system architecture, and disciplined verification in a standards-driven aerospace environment.
The Senior Systems Engineer will be responsible for but not limited to the following duties:
- Elicit, analyze, and document system-level and software-level requirements for transponder-based capabilities.
- Ensure requirements are clear, consistent, testable, and traceable to customer needs, standards, and DO-178C DAL C objectives.
- Decompose and allocate system requirements to software components and interfaces, maintaining end-to-end traceability from high-level requirements through design and test.
- Manage requirements baselines and changes, performing impact analyses on architecture, design, integration, and verification activities.
- Maintain requirements traceability matrices and support audits and reviews focused on requirements completeness and consistency.
- Develop and refine system and software architectures for CT configurations, including data interfaces, and integration with avionics systems.
- Define and maintain interface control documents (ICDs) and data models for integration with aircraft flight management systems, and other avionics subsystems.
- Collaborate with software engineers to ensure the architecture and requirements support performance, safety, configurability, and maintainability goals.
- Data analysis and testing in customer and/or 3rd-party labs (to include some travel)
- Apply DO-178C and related aerospace standards and guidance to systems engineering and requirements activities.
- Support the development of plans, standards, and guidelines (e.g., requirements standards, architecture guidelines) for CT-based solutions.
- Contribute to compliance evidence by producing and reviewing systems engineering and requirements artifacts required for audits and certification reviews.
- Define and maintain verification and validation strategies, including mapping of system and software requirements to test plans and procedures.
- Develop and review test plans, procedures, and cases, ensuring they provide adequate coverage of requirements and key operational scenarios.
- Support integration and system test activities, including anomaly investigation, root cause analysis, and requirements-focused corrective actions.
- Work closely with test engineers to evaluate test results, confirm requirement satisfaction, and improve test effectiveness and traceability.
- Participate in agile ceremonies (backlog refinement, sprint planning, daily standups, reviews, retrospectives) representing systems and requirements engineering concerns.
- Collaborate with software engineers, test engineers and customer stakeholders to refine features and ensure they meet operational needs and certification constraints.
- Lead or contribute to technical reviews (requirements reviews, architecture/design reviews, test readiness reviews) to ensure quality and compliance.
- Develop and maintain systems engineering documentation, including requirements specifications, architecture descriptions, ICDs, and verification reports.
- Ensure systems engineering and requirements artifacts are properly baselined, controlled, and integrated with configuration management tools and processes.
- Identify opportunities to improve requirements management, architecture practices, and verification workflows, and help implement process and tool enhancements.
- Support customer interactions and technical presentations, clearly communicating requirements rationale, system capabilities, constraints, and trade-offs.
Qualifications
Required Education:
- Bachelor's degree and five (5) years’ experience; additional four (4) years’ experience can be considered in lieu of degree.
Required Clearance:
- Must possess an active Secret security clearance with the ability to maintain; US Citizenship required.
Required Skills:
- Experience in requirements engineering: elicitation, analysis, decomposition, allocation, baselining, and traceability.
- Experience developing system and software architectures, defining interfaces, and working with multidisciplinary teams to realize designs.
- Experience collaborating closely with software engineering teams; ability to understand and discuss software design and implementation trade-offs in the context of requirements.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to perform impact analyses and resolve complex integration and requirement issues.
- Proficiency with requirements management practices and tools (e.g., traceability matrices, baseline control, change management).
- Clear written and verbal communication skills, with experience producing technical documentation and participating in formal reviews.
Desired Skills:
- Familiarity with DO-178B/C concepts and the role of systems engineering and requirements management in safety-critical software development and certification.
- Experience in aerospace, avionics, or other safety-critical domains (e.g., flight displays, flight management systems, or navigation/mission systems).
- Knowledge and experience of MIL-STD-1553 databuses, including bus monitoring and analysis.
- Experience in development and use of Interface Control Documents (ICDs), particularly related to MIL-STD-1553.
- Hands-on experience with requirements management tools, preferably IBM Engineering Requirements Management DOORS (DOORS Classic or DOORS Next Generation).
- Prior experience mentoring engineers or acting as a technical lead for systems and requirements engineering activities.
About Us
SAIC® is a premier mission integrator focused on advancing the power of technology and innovation to serve and protect our world. Our robust portfolio of offerings across the defense, space, intelligence, and civilian markets includes secure high-end solutions in mission IT, enterprise IT, engineering services, and professional services. We integrate emerging technology, rapidly and securely, into mission critical operations that modernize and enable critical national imperatives.
We are approximately 23,000 strong; driven by mission, united by purpose, and inspired by opportunities. SAIC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, SAIC has annual revenues of approximately $7.3 billion. For more information, visit saic.com. For ongoing news, please visit our newsroom.
