Lead Systems Engineer, Defense Programs Shoreline, WA 94608

Posted:

08/17/2026

Employment Type:

Direct Hire

Job Number:

32256

Job Location:

Onsite

Industry:

DEF - Defense and Military

JOB DESCRIPTION

Position Title:

Lead Systems Engineer, Defense Programs

Position Description:

Protingent Staffing has an exciting direct hire Lead Systems Engineer, Defense Programs opportunity.

Job Responsibilities:

Capture & Business Development:

Lead capture engineering on defense pursuits, from early customer discovery through proposal submission Identify and develop the technical discriminators that separate Longshot from conventional and non-conventionalpetitors Shape technical solutions that align to customer requirements, acquisition strategy, and evaluation criteria Partner with business development and program management on pursuit strategy, bid decisions, and teaming Debrief the internal team on what the customer actually said, and what it means for the roadmap

Systems Engineering:

Conduct trade studies across cost, performance, risk, schedule, and supportability to defend solution choices Perform requirements analysis, functional dposition, and architecture development for defense applications of our launch platform Define and document system interfaces, requirements traceability, and verification and validation plans

Proposal & Program Documentation:

Author and review technical white papers and responses to RFIs, BAAs, and RFPs Build and lead SRR, PDR, CDR, and TRR packages, including the analysis and traceability behind them Draft statements of work, work breakdown structures, milestone definitions, and integrated master schedule inputs Develop CDRL deliverables and ensurepliance with applicable Data Item Descriptions

Customer-Facing Communication:

Track and report technical performance measures, risks, and opportunities Prepare and deliver technical briefings to program offices, service leadership, and senior government stakeholders Build capability briefings and quad charts that hold up to technical scrutiny

Job Qualifications:

Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related technical field 5+ years of experience in systems engineering within aerospace and defense programs. Direct experience with DoW/DoD customers and programs (hypersonics, long-range strike, missile defense, or space access), including capture engineering and developing technical solutions for defense acquisition Excellent technical writing andmunication skills, including preparing and delivering briefings to DoW/DoD customers, program offices, and senior leadership Strong understanding of DoD acquisition lifecycle (MDD, MSA, TMRR, EMD, P&D) and systems engineering processes (requirements, architecture, V&V) Experience with requirements management and traceability tools (DOORS, Jama, or equivalent) Ability to work fully onsite at our Alameda, CA facility, with up to 25% travel to test sites, government partner sites, bases, conferences, and tradeshows.

Preferred Job Qualifications:

Proven track record of writing technical white papers, proposals, PDR/CDR packages, and other program deliverables

Job Details:

Job Type:

Full-time, Direct-Hire

Salary Range:

$160K-$200K

Location:

Alameda, CA (Onsite). ITAR obligations are associated with this role, U.S. citizenship, U.S. legal permanent resident status, or protected person status under 8 U.S.C. § 1324b(a) (1), (3) is required.