Senior OPIR Systems Engineer

• OPIR Systems Engineer provides expert-level systems engineering and technical advisory support for persistent sensor operations and OPIR-related ground systems within NGA-Denver’s Persistence Office.
• Ideal candidates are seasoned IC/DoD systems engineers with recent TCPED/OPIR experience and strong stakeholder collaboration skills.

Responsibilities

• This role focuses on defining requirements, developing CONOPS, and guiding design, integration, test, and verification activities for complex GEOINT capabilities.
• Systems Engineer works as part of an integrated team, delivering objective IV&V and risk assessments that inform acquisition decisions and operational deployment.
• Collaborate with government, FFRDC, contractor, and international partners to develop systems engineering solutions, integration strategies, and acquisition support for OPIR and persistent GEOINT capabilities.
• Define, analyze, and document system requirements, technical specifications, Mission User CONOPS, and supporting technical reports and program documentation.
• Support design, development, integration, and test & verification activities for OPIR ground systems and associated mission applications.
• Provide independent verification and validation (IV&V) of system deliverables to ensure they meet user requirements, performance specifications, and interface documentation.
• Support source selection processes by reviewing and refining acquisition strategies and participating in proposal evaluation activities.
• Identify, assess, and manage technical risks related to performance, schedule, and budget, recommending mitigation strategies to senior stakeholders.
• Lead and contribute to cross-functional technical teams, driving alignment across multiple stakeholder organizations and enhancing enterprise OPIR capabilities.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, or a related technical field; 15+ years of directly relevant experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
• 10+ years of experience directly supporting Major Systems Acquisition-level projects in the IC or DoD.
• Direct, recent (within the past 5 years) experience as part of an integrated IC/DoD contractor/government team focused on TCPED of persistent GEOINT phenomena (OPIR strongly desired).
• Strong background in systems engineering, including requirements development, architecture design, integration, test, and verification for complex ISR/GEOINT systems.
• Demonstrated ability to provide senior leaders with decision-quality technical analyses and recommendations for resource allocation and capability development.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to convey complex technical concepts to diverse audiences and exercise independent judgment.
• Active TS//SCI clearance with current CI Polygraph, or eligibility and willingness to obtain and maintain this level of clearance.

Preferred

• Experience with OPIR ground systems, GEOINT enterprise architectures, and mission management tools.
• Familiarity with NGA, NSG, and IC/DoD acquisition frameworks and processes.
• Experience leading or significantly contributing to cross-agency, multinational, or multi-organizational engineering efforts.
• Knowledge of AI/ML applications, data pipelines, and automation tools relevant to ISR data processing and analytics.
• Advanced degree in Systems Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Computer Science, or related discipline.