Director of System Engineering (Chief System Engineer) at NIRA, Inc.

Washington, District of Columbia, United States -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

09 May, 26

Salary

0.0

Posted On

08 Feb, 26

Experience

10 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

Systems Engineering, Architecture, Cloud, DevSecOps, Zero Trust, Aviation, IT Program Management, Communication, Problem Solving, Collaboration, Mentoring, Business Development, Acquisition Planning, Integration, Interoperability, Stakeholder Management

Industry

Information Technology & Services

Description

As a fast-growing professional services company, NIRA is a trusted advisor to federal agencies in their digital transformation-modernizing critical information dissemination infrastructure-and a pioneer in emerging technologies, including AI, Zero Trust, and supply chain resiliency. We are seeking a self-motivated, customer-oriented Director of Systems Engineering (Chief Systems Engineer) who is a recognized expert in Aviation and/or Information Technology (IT). This role serves as NIRA's senior technical authority for systems engineering and architecture on mission-critical federal programs. Ideal Candidate Traits Problem Solver: You spend 90% of the time understanding problems and 10% of the time finding solutions. Storyteller: You're adept at presenting technical concepts in a compelling, accessible manner. Change Agent: You relish creative chaos and take initiatives to enable transformative change. Key Responsibilities Storytelling: Create clarity, alignment, and momentum Shape and communicate modernization strategy that links mission needs to architecture, acquisition, and measurable outcomes. Translate complex technical concepts (Cloud, DevSecOps, CI/CD, software assurance, Zero Trust) into decision-ready guidance for technical and non-technical leaders. Produce and oversee high-quality acquisition and engineering artifacts, including CONOPS, requirements decomposition, gap analysis, AoA, architecture products, roadmaps, and cost/schedule inputs. People-connecting: Drive execution through collaboration Lead federal customer engagements to support acquisition planning and management of major IT programs. Build alignment across program offices, operators, security, data/information governance, enterprise architecture teams, and external partners. Represent NIRA in intra- and inter-agency working groups and communities of practice to advance interoperability and information management goals. Technical and organizational leadership Serve as the senior technical advisor and architecture authority; guide design reviews, ensure consistency, and resolve complex integration and interoperability issues. Lead and grow NIRA's systems engineering practice-mentor staff, reinforce standards and best practices, and support recruiting and onboarding. Support business development and proposals across shaping, capture, solutioning, and proposal execution; may serve as a solution architect, proposal lead, and/or capture manager. Required Qualifications Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent experience). 15+ years of relevant experience, including 5+ years supporting a major federal IT program. Knowledge and expertise in IT technologies, Cloud, DevSecOps, and Zero Trust concepts and implementation patterns. Proven ability to prioritize, plan, and deliver across multiple efforts in complex stakeholder environments. Exceptional written and verbal communication skills for both technical and non-technical audiences. US Citizenship required. Must be able to obtain security clearance. Desired Qualifications Experience in aviation and knowledge of Air Traffic Management (ATM) systems. Expert knowledge of federal contracting and acquisition processes. Benefits NIRA offers competitive compensation and benefits, including employer-paid health, life, and disability insurance, plus a 401(k) plan with generous employer matching vested immediately.

Responsibilities

The Director of Systems Engineering will shape and communicate modernization strategies while overseeing high-quality engineering artifacts. They will also lead federal customer engagements and represent NIRA in various working groups.