Project Manager / Lead Systems Engineer – Unit Test Development (Secret)

CFD Research is seeking a Project Manager / Lead Systems Engineer to oversee a software unit test development effort supporting a critical DoD Missile Defense system. The effort focuses on delivering comprehensive automated testing, establishing modern test frameworks, and meeting stringent software quality and code coverage standards across a complex defense software baseline. The selected candidate will serve as the primary programmatic and technical liaison to prime contractor counterparts, managing cost, schedule, reviews, and risk to ensure successful delivery across the testing lifecycle.

Key Responsibilities

• Drive cost and schedule adherence across program execution.
• Coordinate bi-monthly status reviews and milestone reporting with prime contractor counterparts.
• Track deliverable milestones, resource allocation, and progress against the target threshold of 80% unit test code coverage across 1.5–1.7M LOC.
• Coordinate cross-functional activities between software test developers and DevSecOps pipeline engineers.

Qualifications and Desired Skills

• U.S. Citizenship required; must possess and maintain an active DoD SECRET Clearance
• 10+ years of experience leading DoD software and systems engineering programs, specifically within missile defense or radar control domains.
• Demonstrated familiarity with defense program workflows, baseline processes, and contracting standards.
• Experience managing multi-disciplinary engineering teams working under strict DoD security constraints.

Location: This role is based in the Huntsville, AL area, and is 100% onsite.