
Systems Engineer Principal
Fort Belvoir, VAJob$140–180K/yrSeen todaySeen in employer's feed today
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At a glance
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Requirements
Credentials this posting asks for.
Job overview
SAIC seeks a Ground Systems Engineer to provide Systems Engineering and Technical Advisory services across multiple ground-system projects, primarily involving Mission Ground Terminals and supporting infrastructure. The role supports operational missions through strategic and tactical engineering work, including system integration, testing, architecture, requirements, and lifecycle engineering. The selected candidate will advise government customers and may travel outside the continental United States occasionally.
Skills & qualifications
Skills
Qualifications
Full job description
Description
SAIC has an opportunity for a Ground Systems Engineer to join an elite team providing Systems Engineering and Technical Advisory (SETA) services in Springfield, VA. The selected candidate will work multiple ground system projects and tasks, primarily focused on Mission Ground Terminals and supporting infrastructure —from broad, strategic issues (e.g. policies, concept of operations, etc.) to tactical concerns (e.g., near-term schedules, testing, system integration and transition, etc.) to support vital operational missions.
Responsibilities:
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Technical Advisor to drive change and shape the future of operations across engineering, operations, and assurance functional areas, and future mission design decisions for systems actively in acquisition.
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Oversee integration/test of ground terminal functions/capabilities of delivered systems; provides analysis of schedules, capabilities delivered best meet operational needs—near, and long-term.
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Assist in developing systems architectures and associated requirements and oversee integration of mission ground systems and mission IT to support operations.
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Provide end-to-end system engineering for the entire life cycle of a program.
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Support requirements and SOW development, interface control documentation, technical specification review, architecture and CONOPS development.
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Help develop standards, tools, and procedures for use on projects including but not limited to risk, issue, opportunity, change and information management.
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Analyze and provide alternatives and recommendations to multiple government customers; provide key information, possible risks and impacts and potential improvements to government managers and other contractors.
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Review documentation, draft and assist with briefings, and represent government as required in forums that support streamlined delivery of new capabilities and standardization of integration efforts.
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Assist program needs, procurement processes, and working to obtain Authority to Operate for IT systems.
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Occasional OCONUS travel will be required.
Qualifications
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Must be a US Citizen.
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Active TS/SCI with CI polygraph.
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Bachelor’s degree in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) and nine (9) years or more experience, or master’s in
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STEM field and seven (7) years or more experience. *contract requirement.
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Expertise in full system engineering life cycle, from concept, requirements, design & development, to deployment and operational maintenance.
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Experience with project management supporting the delivery, integration, and transition of mission systems and/or mission applications.
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Ability to work independently to support multiple government customers and large, complex projects to address organization’s needs throughout system development lifecycle.
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Self-starter, proactively addresses customer requirements without supervision, expert at defining solutions for broad, abstract topics.
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Polished communicator (written/verbal), impeccable interpersonal skills and personal judgment and comfortable briefing or communicating with senior government managers.
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Master at collaboration and coordination with multiple stakeholders -- consensus builder.
Desired:
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Familiar with operation of ground terminal systems and remote receive facilities and infrastructure systems.
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Technical knowledge of space-to-ground communications, terrestrial communications, mission data processing systems, or space vehicle mission planning and command and control systems.
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Real-time operations experience as a SIGINT or GEOINT spacecraft operator, spacecraft engineer, or ground systems operator; familiar with space operations and policies.
Target salary range: $140,001 - $180,000. The estimate displayed represents the typical salary range for this position based on experience and other factors.
REQNUMBER: 2618929
SAIC is a premier technology integrator, solving our nation's most complex modernization and systems engineering challenges across the defense, space, federal civilian, and intelligence markets. Our robust portfolio of offerings includes high-end solutions in systems engineering and integration; enterprise IT, including cloud services; cyber; software; advanced analytics and simulation; and training. We are a team of 23,000 strong driven by mission, united purpose, and inspired by opportunity. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, SAIC has annual revenues of approximately $6.5 billion. For more information, visit saic.com. For information on the benefits SAIC offers, see Working at SAIC. EOE AA M/F/Vet/Disability
How this job compares
Set against the 11,651 open Systems Engineer jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 11, 2026.
- Pay
- This posting$140–180K/yr
- Virginia median$118–182K/yr922 salary ranges
- US median$115–187K/yr8,796 salary ranges
This range's midpoint, $160K, is 6% above the Virginia median midpoint ($151K) — in the middle half of Systems Engineer salary ranges in Virginia.
- Openings
- Olive Jobs lists 1,158 open Systems Engineer jobs in Virginia and 11,651 across the US. 5% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
- Experience
- This posting asks for at least 7 years of experience; Systems Engineer postings that state a minimum ask for 5 years at the median (9,719 postings).
- Education
- 4,386 of the 11,651 open Systems Engineer jobs (38%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.
Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 11, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.
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