System Architect

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:

The System Architect sits at the pointy end of Fuse’s engineering spear. Reporting to the Deputy Director of Engineering & Technology, you’ll chart technical strategy, uphold engineering rigor, and keep innovation throttled wide‑open. You’ll translate tomorrow’s concepts into today’s reference architectures, mentor cross‑disciplinary teams, and serve as the engineering voice in company briefings and customer engagements. Bottom line: you’ll drive excellence, safeguard alignment with Fuse’s mission, and champion our tech story to stakeholders inside and out.

What you’ll do:

Project & Technical Governance

• Direct enterprise-level engineering oversight for multi-million-dollar programs, enforcing rigorous technical baselines, proactive risk registers, and transparent status comms to executives and mission partners.
• Partner with PMs and chief engineers to apply Fuse’s Warfighter Engineering & Design Process, driving on-schedule, on-spec delivery.
• Translate forward-looking concepts into modular reference architectures that unlock future capability inserts and rapid refresh cycles.

Innovation & Capability Development

• Champion emerging tech adoption—AI-enabled network orchestration, SOSA-aligned hardware, zero-trust enclaves—by codifying best practices and coaching scrum teams through thorny edge cases.
• Align customer pain points with IR&D dollars, prioritizing prototypes that close validated gaps and boost ROI.
• Continuously scan the battlespace: track regulatory shifts, MIL-STD updates, and competitor pivots to recalibrate tech roadmaps ahead of the curve.

Growth & Strategy Support

• Co-author cross-functional product roadmaps with Technology, Growth & Strategy, and Operations, ensuring every campaign has a tech glide-slope and a clear value prop.
• Support the hunt and qualification of new opportunities: leverage intel on platform roadmaps, SWaP-C trends, and coalition needs to seed the funnel.
• Nurture strategic alliances across DoD PEOs, prime integrators, and niche innovators, positioning Fuse as the go-to edge-networking house.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Serve as the technical conscience in executive reviews, translating complex trade-space decisions into crisp, business-centered narratives
• Solicit and integrate feedback from operators, customers, and internal guilds to keep initiatives mission-relevant and revenue-aligned.
• Conduct thorough market research and competitive analysis to inform strategic decisions and identify growth opportunities.

We are looking for:

Core Credentials

• Bachelor’s or Master’s in Engineering, Computer Science, or a closely related discipline — or an equivalent track record that proves you can architect, build, and ship.
• U.S. citizen holding an active SECRET-level clearance (or higher).

Experience Benchmarks

• 10+ years leading complex engineering efforts, with 5+ years embedded in the aerospace & defense arena.
• Battle-tested at translating strategy into fielded capability: requirements nailed, budgets balanced, risks tamed.
• Hands-on leadership of full-lifecycle design, integration, test, and deployment for POR level systems.

Domain Mastery

• Deep fluency in DoD/DoN acquisition pathways (PPBE, JROC, DAS, OTA, the works) and the regulatory terrain that shapes them.
• Sharp radar for market pulse — primes, disrupters, shifting tech stacks, and policy headwinds.
• Comfortable diving from 30,000-foot architecture down to board-level schematics; can whiteboard RF chains, zero-trust networks, and SOSA/MOSA hardware without breaking stride.
• Familiar with tactics, techniques, and procedures across air, ground, and maritime platforms in modern multi-domain ops.

Leadership & Influence

• Storyteller who converts engineering nuance into crisp, exec-ready narratives and demo-floor wins.
• Relationship builder who cultivates program office, and industry partnerships that unlock new roadmaps.
• People-first leader who sets the bar high, fosters psychological safety, and keeps teams sprinting in a fast-tempo environment.
• Self-starter able to juggle competing priorities, cut through ambiguity, and deliver under pressure.

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: $135,000 - $220,000

• 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