Senior OPIR Systems Engineer

Overview

Senior OPIR Systems Engineer

LOCATION: El Segundo, Ca

JOB STATUS: Full-time

CLEARANCE: Top Secret

TRAVEL: As Needed

SALARY: $170,000 - $190,000*

• depending on experience, certifications, and qualifications

We are seeking an experienced Overhead Persistent Infrared (OPIR) Acquisition Engineer with a strong systems engineering background to support United States Space Force (USSF) space‑based missile warning, missile tracking, and battlespace awareness programs. The ideal candidate will bring deep expertise in OPIR mission architectures, sensor payloads, ground processing, enterprise integration, and the end‑to‑end mission thread. In this role, you will provide technical leadership and acquisition insight across the program lifecycle, helping the government shape requirements, evaluate contractor designs, drive system integration, and ensure mission capability is delivered on schedule.

This position requires an active TS clearance

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS / SKILLS

• Master's degree in computer science, Engineering, or related technical field (required). Work experience may be substituted for degree.
• Minimum of 10 years relevant experience in development, implementation and integration of payload satellite and ground missions and launch missions, assembly, integration, launch & operations.
• Must have an active and transferable DoD Top Secret security clearance with current investigation.
• CITIZENSHIP:  Current U.S. Citizenship Required.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS / SKILLS

• Familiarity with Space System Command (Formerly Space and Missile Systems Center) space and ground satellite systems.
• Strong leadership skills leading diverse teams of subject matter experts, technicians, and specialists in detailed, highly technical, HW and SW integration and test activities.
• Ability to communicate with Government action officers of varying experience and technical backgrounds. Experience developing and providing informational and decisions briefing to senior Government officials.
• Ability to interact and coordinate with development contractors to determine "best value" alternatives for implementation.
• Ability to lead and communicate to geographically distributed and remote work staffs.
• Good working knowledge of space-based sensing systems, preferably in both Geosynchronous and Highly Elliptical orbital regimes. Experience in Space to Ground compatibility testing and integration activities. Knowledge of spacecraft initialization, calibration, tuning and transition to operations activities for OPIR Strategic Missile Warning systems. Understanding of Spacecraft and terrestrial communications subsystems.
• Excellent and detail-oriented organizational, interpersonal, and communications skills
• Advanced-level competency with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide expert technical and acquisition support for OPIR space and ground segments across the full lifecycle (requirements, architecture, design, integration, test, and transition to operations).

• Support government program managers with systems engineering analysis, technical trade studies, and risk assessments.

• Evaluate contractor proposals, designs, interfaces, and verification approaches; provide informed recommendations to the government.

• Participate in enterprise level testing and provide recommendations to government on resolution of issues

• Perform assessment of contractor deliverable and design reviews.

• Perform mission assessments of technical and schedule readiness for satellites and ground system.

• Work with development contractors to witness factory performance testing, requirements verification, functional validation and conduct physical and functional configuration audits.

• Provide mission thread‑level judgment on OPIR architectural impacts, technical feasibility, and programmatic risk.

• Help the government identify opportunities for digital engineering, modeling and simulation, prototyping, and risk‑reduction activities.

• Coordinate with cross‑program stakeholders (space, ground, networks, cyber, mission partners) to ensure enterprise integration and interoperability.

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