We are seeking a hybrid acquisition–systems engineering professional who can translate mission needs into executable technical solutions across the full lifecycle. The ideal candidate blends government acquisition expertise (FAR/DFARS, DoD Adaptive Acquisition Framework) with systems engineering discipline (requirements, architecture, T&E, risk, sustainment) and a strong orientation to measurable mission outcomes. This role works at the intersection of program management, engineering, and operational stakeholders, ensuring that strategy, contracts, and technical baselines cohere to deliver capability on time, on budget, and with demonstrable mission impact.
ResponsibilitiesMission Translation & Outcome Alignment
- Lead discovery with mission owners to elicit operational objectives, measures of effectiveness (MOEs), and measures of performance (MOPs); convert them into testable requirements and acquisition artifacts.
- Establish traceability from mission needs → system requirements → architecture → verification plans → fielded performance.
Acquisition Strategy & Lifecycle Integration
- Shape acquisition strategies (e.g., FAR/DFARS-based, OTA, IDIQ/task order structures) that align with technical maturity, risk, and schedule.
- Integrate the Adaptive Acquisition Framework (AAF) pathways with program technical baselines and milestone criteria.
- Support planning and execution of AoA, source selection inputs, contracting packages, and sustainment strategies.
Systems Engineering & Technical Baselines
- Facilitate requirements development, decomposition, and change control; maintain CONOPS, ICDs, and interface documents.
- Develop/curate architecture views (e.g., SysML/UML, DoDAF-lite) and define verification/validation strategies.
- Coordinate T&E planning (TEMP) and ensure test cases map to mission outcomes and acceptance criteria.
Risk, Cost, and Schedule Integration
- Run risk workshops; maintain program risk registers with mitigations tied to decision gates.
- Support cost realism/ROM analyses, BOEs, and technical schedule integration with EVMS and Agile increments.
- Drive decision-quality trade studies (performance, affordability, logistics, cyber, interoperability)
Stakeholder Engagement & Communication
- Bridge engineering teams, contracting officers, program managers, and operators through clear artifacts and briefings.
- Prepare succinct decision memos, milestone packages, and operationally-relevant dashboards.
Digital Engineering & Agile/DevSecOps (Preferred)
- Promote model-based systems engineering (MBSE) practices and digital threads for traceability.
- Align agile backlogs and CI/CD pipelines with formal requirements and test objectives.
- Build architecture views and interface control documents; manage configuration and change control.
- Education: BS in Systems Engineering, Electrical/Mechanical/Software Engineering, Operations Research, or related field.
- Experience: 8+ years across government acquisition and systems engineering; demonstrated success through at least one full lifecycle from concept to fielding.
- Acquisition Knowledge: Working proficiency with FAR/DFARS, DoD AAF pathways, source selection processes, and contracting vehicles (e.g., OTA, IDIQ).
- Systems Engineering: Requirements engineering, architecture, T&E, risk management, configuration/change control; familiarity with ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288 principles.
- Communication: Exceptional ability to create clear, concise artifacts and to brief senior leaders.
- Clearance: Active Secret or the ability to obtain; TS/SCI preferred.
Skills Required
- Bachelor’s degree in Systems Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Software Engineering, Operations Research, or a related field
- 8+ years of experience across government acquisition and systems engineering
- Experience completing at least one full lifecycle from concept to fielding
- Working proficiency with FAR and DFARS
- Working knowledge of DoD Adaptive Acquisition Framework pathways
- Experience with source selection processes and contracting vehicles such as OTA and IDIQ
- Experience with requirements engineering, architecture, test and evaluation, risk management, and configuration/change control
- Familiarity with ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288 principles
- Exceptional ability to create clear, concise artifacts and brief senior leaders
- Active Secret clearance or ability to obtain one
- TS/SCI clearance
- Experience with model-based systems engineering and digital threads
- Experience aligning Agile backlogs and CI/CD pipelines with formal requirements and test objectives
AMERICAN SYSTEMS Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about AMERICAN SYSTEMS and has not been reviewed or approved by AMERICAN SYSTEMS.
-
Equity Value & Accessibility — The ESOP provides an ownership stake that adds long-term financial value and complements base pay. This employee-ownership structure stands out within the overall package.
-
Retirement Support — A 401(k) with automatic enrollment and broad investment options, alongside the ESOP, strengthens retirement pathways beyond salary. These features are presented as competitive within the defense contracting space.
-
Fair & Transparent Compensation — Base pay is considered fair or comparable to industry peers, particularly for technical roles. Starting compensation is described as solid for areas like cybersecurity, systems administration, and IT engineering.
AMERICAN SYSTEMS Insights
What We Do
AMERICAN SYSTEMS is an employee-owned government services contractor that delivers professional, technical, information technology, engineering, analysis, testing, evaluation, and training solutions for complex national-priority programs. Based in McLean, Virginia, the company supports federal customers—particularly defense and other Department of Defense missions—with mission-essential and information engineering, digital engineering, systems integration, cybersecurity, cloud, data, and lifecycle IT services across critical public-sector environments.
