Subject Matter Expert

Responsibilities

• Operating upstream of product design and verification activities, the SME independently evaluates complex technical impacts of new features, feature modifications, and carry-over content on existing vehicle system requirements.
• The role serves as the authoritative voice for requirements management, ensuring that technical changes are properly assessed, documented, justified, and released before product design and validation activities begin.
• The SME acts as a key interface between Vehicle Feature Owners, Systems Engineering, Architecture, Design Engineering, and Test & Validation organizations.
• Additionally, the SME serves as a Cluster Lead, providing operational leadership and mentoring to a small team of Requirements Engineers.
• Requirements Impact Assessment & Governance
• New vehicle features
• Feature enhancements
• Feature modifications

Carry-over content between vehicle programs

• Determine whether changes require creation, modification, or release of system requirements.
• Provide technical direction to Requirements Engineers regarding required updates and requirement rework activities.
• Translate customer, business, regulatory, and feature needs into robust system-level requirements.
• Collaborate with Vehicle Feature Owners and Architecture teams to assess technical impacts of proposed changes.
• Represent the Requirements Management organization within Client and customer-facing discussions.
• Defend requirement decisions and recommendations when challenged by development teams.
• Promote INCOSE-aligned systems engineering practices.

Preferred

• Automotive product development experience.
• Vehicle E/E architecture knowledge.
• INCOSE certification (ASEP, CSEP, or ESEP).
• Experience with MBSE methodologies.
• Prior customer-facing technical leadership experience.
• First-level people leadership or team lead experience.

Position Summary

The Subject Matter Expert (SME) – System Requirements Management is responsible for providing advanced engineering expertise and technical leadership for system requirements activities supporting vehicle feature development across multiple engineering domains.

Success in this role requires strong systems engineering knowledge, sound technical judgment, assertiveness, stakeholder management skills, and the ability to defend requirement decisions that may impact program timing, cost, and downstream engineering activities.

Ensure requirements remain

• Complete
• Consistent
• Traceable
• Verifiable

Aligned to intended feature functionality

• Drive requirement reviews and release decisions.
• Serve as technical authority for system requirement content and quality.

Front-End Systems Engineering

• Operate upstream of design engineering and validation organizations.
• Analyze feature interactions and cross-functional dependencies.
• Identify technical gaps, assumptions, conflicts, and risks during early development phases.
• Support development of system architecture concepts when necessary to ensure requirement quality.

Facilitate technical alignment among

• Vehicle Feature Owners
• Systems Engineering
• Architecture teams
• Design Engineering teams
• Test & Validation organizations

Program leadership

• Present and synthesize complex technical information for audiences ranging from technical specialists to executive stakeholders.
• Drive decisions through influence and technical credibility.

Process Improvement

Improve requirements management methodologies, standards, and governance processes.

Requirements Engineering

• Systems Engineering
• Change Management
• Technical Risk Assessment

Leadership & Cluster Lead Responsibilities

In addition to technical SME responsibilities, the role includes operational leadership of a small team.

Candidates must demonstrate a strong understanding of

• System requirements development
• Requirement decomposition and allocation
• Requirement change management
• Systems engineering principles
• System architecture fundamentals
• Cross-functional system integration
• Technical impact assessment
• Engineering change management
• Risk assessment methodologies
• Independ technical analysis
• Evaluation of alternative engineering solutions

Experience with requirements management tools such as

• IBM DOORS / DOORS Next
• Polarion
• Jama
• Codebeamer
• Equivalent platforms

Preferred Qualifications

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, age, genetic information, or pregnancy.

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Compliance Notice

Alten USA is a federal contractor subject to the requirements of the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) and Executive Order 11246. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.

Drug Screening Requirement

As a federal contractor, Alten USA maintains a drug-free workplace. All candidates selected for employment will be required to successfully complete a pre-employment drug screening as a condition of hire.