Who we are:
Fuse builds innovative communications, networking, and computing solutions that improve the sharing of information, video, text, and voice among operators distributed throughout the airborne, maritime, and ground environments. We are a technology firm creating in-house software, network and hardware solutions that support our noble cause of advancing warfighter capabilities with elegant, user-focused communications, networks, and software systems.
About This Role
Fuse is seeking a Senior Systems Engineer to lead mission definition, architecture clarity, and integration risk reduction across complicated tactical communication systems. This role elevates systems engineering maturity and ensures predictable system behavior under operational stress.
Chief Engineer (ChEng) Designation
Depending on mission scope, system complexity, and organizational need, this role may be designated as a Chief Engineer (ChEng). When assigned, the ChEng is responsible for maintaining coherence across mission intent, architecture, integration strategy, technical risk posture, and delivery readiness throughout the Define–Design–De-risk–Deliver lifecycle. The ChEng serves as the technical authority for system readiness, mission effectiveness, and engineering execution, driving uncertainty reduction through modeling, simulation, experimentation, and progressive integration.
Key Responsibilities
Define
- Establish and maintain Design Reference Missions (DRMs) that anchor mission intent and guide hypothesis formation
- Translate customer intent into system-level behaviors
- Identify mission-level risks and architectural uncertainties
Design
- Lead system architecture definition across disciplines
- Define critical interfaces and integration strategies
- Conduct and lead trade studies to support architecture decisions
- Frame Epics as architectural hypotheses, explicitly stating assumptions, mission impact, and risk posture
- Ensure risks and opportunities are surfaced and managed at the architecture level rather than at execution detail
De-risk
- Design and drive modeling and simulation strategies
- Lead early integration experiments to reduce uncertainty
- Ensure traceability from mission intent through validation
- Own system-level risk posture and drive cross-discipline alignment to reduce integration uncertainty early in the lifecycle
- Drive integration learning cycles that validate or invalidate architectural assumptions
- Ensure Stories and integration events produce evidence tied directly to mission intent
Deliver
- Establish objective delivery readiness criteria based on integration risk retirement rather than schedule milestones alone
- Ensure integration and verification activities are aligned with mission threads
- Ensure delivery readiness is based on validated system behavior under stress conditions, not artifact completion
- Communicate confidence levels in system performance based on evidence generated through spiral iterations
- Establish criteria for delivery readiness based on risk posture
- Drive resolution of cross-discipline issues impacting system behavior
- Ensure traceability from mission intent through formal validation
- Communicate system risk posture to program and technical leadership
- When designated as Chief Engineer (ChEng), serve as the technical authority for mission readiness, engineering execution, and cross-discipline architectural coherence across the system lifecycle
Requirements
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering or related technical field or equivalent experience
- 10+ years of experience in complicated system development
- Experience leading system architecture and integration efforts
- Experience with requirements management tools (e.g., Jama, DOORS) in complex DoD programs
- Demonstrated ownership of traceability from mission intent through verification artifacts (digital thread)
- Demonstrated ability to lead iterative, uncertainty-reduction driven development efforts across hardware and software domains
- Comfortable operating in environments where architecture evolves through experimentation and integration learning
- Experience establishing and maintaining traceability from Design Reference Mission (DRM) through integration evidence
- Demonstrated ownership of architectural risk posture at the Epic (hypothesis) level
- Experience structuring integration and test activities as learning mechanisms to validate or refute system-level assumptions
- Active U.S. Secret Clearance
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with SysML, Cameo, or MBSE practices
- Experience using Jira or similar tools to coordinate cross-discipline integration efforts
- Experience with digital engineering and simulation approaches
- Experience implementing digital thread practices where traceability is treated as a learning signal rather than a compliance artifact
- Experience operating above WBS structures, preserving contractual integrity while protecting architectural coherence
- Experience interfacing directly with DoD customers
What Success Looks Like (12 Months)
- Establishes architecture clarity across programs
- Reduces late-cycle integration surprises
- Elevates systems engineering maturity across the organization
- May be designated as a Chief Engineer (ChEng) depending on scope, complexity, org need
- When assigned as ChEng, serve as the technical authority for mission readiness, engineering execution, and cross-discipline architectural coherence across the system lifecycle
More about Fuse:
Founded in 2010, Fuse is a veteran-owned, rapidly growing small business. Our San Diego-based company has earned recognition as an emerging leader in airborne, maritime, and ground networking. Placing the warfighter at the center of every design process, Fuse delivers intuitive, agile, and resilient products that go beyond national security requirements—providing lasting utility and game-changing results. We take pride in our brilliant and talented team as well as our dynamic environment and collaborative, creative, environment. We build cutting-edge hardware and software products that solve complex national security challenges for our warfighters at the tactical edge.
Salary Range: $140,000 - $195,000 (+ Chief Engineer Bonus, for those designated to function in a Chief Engineer role)
Benefits
- Medical, Dental, and Vision
- Employee coverage is fully funded; a portion of dependents' coverage is funded as well
- 11 paid Federal Holidays
- Paid Time Off (PTO)
- Date of hire through second year: 10 days/year (accrued)
- After two years: unlimited
- 40 hours of paid sick leave per year
- 401k with employer matching
- Annual bonuses
- Cell phone reimbursement: $100/month
Skills Required
- Bachelor's Degree in Engineering or related technical field or equivalent experience
- 10+ years of experience in complicated system development
- Experience leading system architecture and integration efforts
- Experience with requirements management tools in complex DoD programs
- Active U.S. Secret Clearance
What We Do
We believe our country’s soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines deserve to be equipped with systems that enhance their competitive advantage against threats and meet rigorous demands of operational environments. Fuse is a leading supplier of innovative communications, networking, and computing solutions for U.S. defense agencies that improve the sharing of information among warfighters distributed throughout airborne, maritime, and ground environments. Warfighter-focused design and engineering drives the development of Fuse products and solutions. Technology, mission, and user experience are all considered when designing and developing new products – and this is where Fuse excels. Our proven virtualized network systems, modular tactical edge virtual network, and gateway products go beyond national security requirements, providing lasting utility and game-changing results for our NAVAIR, NAVWAR, USAF, and other U.S. defense clients. We know that in today’s geopolitically charged environment the fight will not necessarily be won by the side with the most advanced technology or weapons. Instead, it will be won by the side with the most current, accurate, and comprehensible data. Fuse brings together expert engineers and defense operations experts in a collaborative environment to deliver game-changing solutions that enable tactical edge victories in the modern era.
