Principal Systems Engineer

Location: Job ID: 115343 DRS RADA Technologies, a subsidiary of Leonardo DRS, is focused on proprietary radar solutions and legacy avionics systems supporting the defense industry globally. The company is a global pioneer of AESA tactical radars for active military protection, counter-drone applications, critical infrastructure protection, and border surveillance. - Business Unit: DRS RADA Technologies Location: Germantown, MD Relocation Available: Yes Schedule: A 9/80 schedule allows employees to work 80 hours over nine workdays in a two-week period, with every other Friday off. Shift: First Job Summary This is a fully in-person role located in Germantown, Maryland. We are seeking a Principal Systems Engineer to contribute to new and evolving radar products by defining requirements, shaping system architecture, and planning verification and validation activities from concept through design maturity. Candidates should be equally comfortable running rigorous systems engineering trade studies and driving cross-functional roadmap and release conversations with engineering leads, program management, and manufacturing. What you'll do: Drive product development activities including concept definition, requirements elicitation and decomposition, and system-level architecture trade studies Own and maintain system and subsystem requirements throughout the product lifecycle, ensuring traceability from customer/mission need through design, verification, and validation Develop and maintain verification and validation (V&V) plans, including test strategy, success criteria, and entry/exit criteria for major design reviews Define and evolve system architecture, including interfaces between hardware, software, and subcomponent teams, ensuring design decisions balance performance, cost, schedule, and manufacturability Coordinate release planning — defining release scope, sequencing features/capabilities across builds, and setting the cadence for baseline updates Lead and participate in technical reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR) and ensure requirements, architecture, and V&V artifacts are ready to support each milestone Communicate clearly (written and oral) with manufacturing, supply chain, program management and the customer as required Provides technical expertise and assistance to other engineers and support personnel Interact with technical management, other professionals, technicians and support personnel to coordinate, recommend and confer regarding technical activities and progress Support, communicate, reinforce and defend the mission, values and culture of the organization Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in engineering or related technical field or equivalent experience and a minimum of 8 years of experience on a development program including systems/hardware integration and troubleshooting DOD Secret clearance or ability to obtain a clearance Demonstrated experience translating customer needs and mission requirements into system requirements and architecture Experience with product management activities such as roadmapping, release planning, or aligning multi-disciplinary engineering teams to a schedule Ability to work both independently and as part of a collaborative team Strong organizational skills and the ability to independently execute work tasks in a rapidly changing, fast-paced environment. Strong written, communication, and presentation skills Experience supporting DoD customers and processes Preferred Qualifications Experience or familiarity with various analytical and decisions aid tools (e.g. Cameo, MatLab, STK, etc.) Experience with the DoD architectural framework and design guidance for radar systems and systems engineering processes Prior experience owning a product roadmap or release plan for a hardware/software system Prior experience in a technical or product management role coordinating multiple subcomponent or discipline teams Ability to effectively collaborate with industry and academic partners Excellent communication and presentation skills, ability to effectively communicate to senior leadership within the company, customer and academic communities U.S. Citizenship required. This position requires an active DOD security clearance or the ability to obtain such clearance within a reasonable time after commencement of employment. The salary range for this position is $134,332.00/year-$181,349.00/year. This range reflects the good faith estimate of pay the employer is willing to offer at the time of posting. Several factors can influence the pay scale, including but not limited to: Federal contract labor categories and contract wage rates, collective bargaining agreements, geographic location, business considerations, scope, and responsibilities of the position, local or other applicable market conditions, and internal equity. Other factors include the candidate’s qualifications such as prior work experience, specific skills and competencies, education/training, and certifications. In addition to base pay, employees may be eligible for: annual performance-based bonuses, equity awards, and overtime pay (for non-exempt employees as applicable. Our benefits package includes comprehensive health insurance (medical, dental, vision), employer matching 401(k) retirement plan, paid time off including vacation, holidays, and sick leave (including ant state-mandated paid sick leave), parental leave benefits, tuition reimbursement, professional development support, and life and disability insurance coverage. Taking care of our people is a top priority at Leonardo DRS. We are proud to offer competitive salaries and comprehensive benefits, including medical, dental, and vision coverage, a company contribution to a health savings account, telemedicine, life and disability insurance, legal insurance, and a 401(k) savings plan. We champion wellness programs that focus on physical, emotional, and financial well-being. We develop our talent by offering programs and activities to support career-growth, professional development, and skill enhancement. And we understand there is more to life than work, and the importance of offering flexible work schedules with our 9/80 program, competitive vacation, health/emergency leave, paid parental leave, and community service hours. *Some employees are eligible for limited benefits only Leonardo DRS, Inc. and its subsidiaries provide equal opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibit discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. Our Vision. To be the leading mid-tier defense technology company in the U.S. Our Values. The Leonardo DRS culture is defined by our Core Values and Principles: - Integrity - Agility - Excellence - Customer Focus - Community & Respect - Innovation We strive to uphold them in all aspects of our business practices to inspire our employees and provide outstanding support for our customers. Nearest Major Market: Washington DC