Ground Architecture Systems Engineer

Job ID: 2617961
Location: Chantilly, VA, US
Date Posted: 2026-10-15
Category: Engineering and Sciences
Subcategory: Systems Engineer
Schedule: Full-Time
Shift: Day Job
Travel: No
Minimum Clearance Required: TS.SCI_wPoly
Clearance Level Must Be Able to Obtain: None
Potential for Remote Work: ORA_ON_SITE
Description
SAIC is seeking a Ground Architecture Systems Engineer to provide high-impact SETA support to a SAIC Prime mission-critical program at the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) in Chantilly, VA.
As the Ground Architecture Systems Engineer you will track deliveries, performance requirements, and integration activities across three major system acquisitions spanning five system program offices, providing the technical and acquisition insight needed to keep complex efforts aligned with enterprise-level architectural direction.
Key Responsibilities to include:

• Define, develop, and implement ground system architectures that enable advanced mission capabilities.
• Analyze system requirements, shape technical solutions, and deliver clear architectural recommendations to government stakeholders.
• Assess mission needs, transition paths, and future-state architectural options to guide enterprise evolution.
• Partner with government technical and contracting teams to craft acquisition strategies and documentation that drive effective program execution.
• Develop and review acquisition artifacts, including SOWs, Justifications for Approval, and Government Cost Estimates.
• Support prototype acquisition planning, solicitations, evaluations, and awards across mechanisms such as IDIQ task orders.
• Coordinate with System Program Office Thread Leads and program managers to maintain alignment across acquisition and engineering activities.
• Participate in Agile teams and provide technical direction on engineering tools, processes, and digital solutions.
• Offer informed feedback on GED Agile, Digital Engineering, and DevSecOps policies to improve governance suitability and consistency of adoption.
• Inform internal and external partners on upcoming ground deliveries, architectural changes, and impacts to existing capabilities.
• Communicate technical acquisition plans, program status, and key decisions to senior government leaders and executives.
• Apply expertise in a major intelligence discipline (e.g., SIGINT, GEOINT) to shape and evaluate program requirements for mission success.

Qualifications
Required Education and Experience:

• Bachelors and nine (9) years or more experience; Masters and seven (7) years or more experience ; PhD or JD and four (4) years or more experience. Relevant experience to be substituted in lieu of degree.
• Active Top Secret/SCI with a Poly.
• 3+years of experience with system engineering processes and demonstrable expertise developing ground architectures for mission-critical systems.
• Background supporting or leveraging GEOINT or SIGINT intelligence discipline.
• Practical understanding of Agile practices within system acquisition environments.
• Demonstrated expertise in government acquisition strategies, documentation development, and full lifecycle program management.
• Strong collaboration and communication skills, including the ability to brief government stakeholders at all levels.

Target salary range: $160,001 - $200,000. The estimate displayed represents the typical salary range for this position based on experience and other factors.
SAIC is a premier technology integrator providing full life cycle services and solutions in the technical, engineering, intelligence, and enterprise information technology markets. SAIC is Redefining Ingenuity through its deep customer and domain knowledge to enable the delivery of systems engineering and integration offerings for large, complex projects. SAIC's approximately 15,000 employees are driven by integrity and mission focus to serve customers in the U.S. federal government. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, SAIC has annual revenues of approximately $4.5 billion. For more information, visit saic.com. For information on the benefits SAIC offers, see .