Senior Systems Engineer

Job Title: Senior Systems Engineer

Job Category: Engineering

Time Type: Full time

Minimum Clearance Required to Start: TS/SCI with Polygraph

Employee Type: Regular

Percentage of Travel Required: Up to 10%

Type of Travel: Local

Anticipated Posting End: 8/31/2026

The Opportunity:

This position is for a Senior Systems Engineer supporting a mission-critical software and AI/ML product development program. You will be embedded in a high-performing, Agile delivery team to transition complex software and AI-enabled capabilities into operational use. In this role, you will report to the Program Chief Engineer and provide technical support across multiple product teams operating on an Agile release cadence. You will act as a technical integrator and systems thinker, ensuring alignment between user needs, system architecture, software implementation, and verification outcomes.

Because this is a software-centric, Agile lifecycle, work assignments will evolve frequently. The role emphasizes continuous requirements refinement informed by user feedback, and close collaboration with software, data, and ML engineers. Typical activities may include requirements elicitation and management, system and software architecture support, backlog refinement, design and interface documentation, automated test definition, AI/ML output evaluation, and model-based and digital systems engineering practices. We are seeking systems engineers who are curious, adaptable, and self-directed, and who thrive in environments where systems engineering is embedded within modern software and AI/ML product teams, rather than performed as a serial or document-driven function.

Responsibilities:

• Analyze stakeholder intent and user workflows to shape requirements, features, and user stories, serving as a user proxy to ensure system functionality meets operational needs
• Act as a knowledgeable user proxy by executing and evaluating prototype capabilities, AI/ML outputs, and user experience implementations to assess operational suitability, usability, and alignment with intended outcomes
• Collaborate with product owners, software engineers, data scientists, ML engineers, UX designers, and test teams to support continuous integration, verification, and validation of AI-enabled capabilities
• Support UI/UX concept development (e.g., wireframes or mockups) to inform user-centered design and operational workflows
• Contribute to automated test strategy, including definition of verification criteria and support to test implementation
• Provide informal technical leadership and guidance across multiple Agile software and AI/ML development teams
• Maintain requirements transparency and traceability across system, software, and AI/ML components throughout the development lifecycle
• Perform end-to-end requirements management, including decomposition, allocation, traceability, verification mapping, and development of compliance artifacts
• Develop and maintain system architecture artifacts, interface definitions, and design documentation using digital engineering best practices
• Generate and maintain formal program artifacts such as system specifications, interface control documents (ICDs), software description documents (SDDs), V&V documentation, and user-facing technical documentation
• Support the Chief Engineer with technical planning, interface coordination, risk tracking, and milestone readiness
• Participate in customer engagements, program reviews, government test events, and discrepancy review boards as a systems engineering representative

Qualifications:

Required:

• Bachelor's degree in systems engineering, software engineering, computer science, or a related STEM discipline
• Minimum of 5 years of systems engineering experience supporting software-intensive systems across the full development lifecycle
• Ability to serve as an operationally informed stand-in for the customer by executing the system, interpreting AI outputs, and assessing fitness-for-purpose against defined operational questions, stakeholder intent, and system performance objectives
• Demonstrated experience working hands-on within Agile development teams, including writing and refining epics, features, and user stories; defining acceptance criteria; and participating in sprint planning, reviews, and retrospectives
• Strong background in requirements management, including decomposition, allocation, bidirectional traceability, and verification planning
• Experience supporting system integration, verification, and validation (IV&V) for software-based systems
• Ability to collaborate effectively with software engineers, data scientists, ML engineers, UX designers, and test teams
• Experience developing and maintaining technical documentation such as system specifications, interface control documents (ICDs), and software design descriptions
• Demonstrated strong communication, interpersonal, and collaboration skills, with experience engaging technical and non-technical stakeholders and working effectively across distributed and virtual Agile teams
• Active TS/SCI U.S. Government Security Clearance with current Polygraph

Desired:

• Proven business acumen, with the ability to balance technical trade studies, schedule, cost, and mission outcomes
• Working knowledge of AI/ML concepts and technologies, including model training workflows, data pipelines, and performance considerations
• Experience with Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) and digital engineering tools such as Cameo Systems Modeler or equivalent
• Experience defining and executing automated verification strategies, including the use of automated tests to satisfy formal system and software requirements
• Familiarity with government Site Acceptance Testing (SAT) processes, procedures, and documentation
• Experience designing and integrating software-defined interfaces, including interface specification and implementation using XML, JSON, or similar data exchange formats
• Experience contributing to or developing software and system architectures using digital engineering and architecture modeling tools
• Familiarity with cloud-based system architectures, including deployment and accreditation considerations for U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) environments
• Experience supporting operational deployment and sustainment of multi-product baselines and incremental capability releases
• Experience with satellite communications (SATCOM) and/or geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) systems
• Experience using requirements management tools such as IBM DOORS or DOORS Next Generation
• Experience working in Git-based configuration management environments, such as GitLab
• Current DoD 8570/8140 IAT Level II or III certification (e.g., Security+, CISSP, CASP+)

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What You Can Expect:

A culture of integrity.

At CACI, we place character and innovation at the center of everything we do. As a valued team member, you'll be part of a high-performing group dedicated to our customer's missions and driven by a higher purpose - to ensure the safety of our nation.

An environment of trust.

CACI values the unique contributions that every employee brings to our company and our customers - every day. You'll have the autonomy to take the time you need through a unique flexible time off benefit and have access to robust learning resources to make your ambitions a reality.

A focus on continuous growth.

Together, we will advance our nation's most critical missions, build on our lengthy track record of business success, and find opportunities to break new ground - in your career and in our legacy.

Pay Range :

There are a host of factors that can influence final salary including, but not limited to, geographic location, Federal Government contract labor categories and contract wage rates, relevant prior work experience, specific skills and competencies, education, and certifications. Our employees value the flexibility at CACI that allows them to balance quality work and their personal lives. We offer competitive compensation, benefits and learning and development opportunities. Our broad and competitive mix of benefits options is designed to support and protect employees and their families. At CACI, you will receive comprehensive benefits such as; healthcare, wellness, financial, retirement, family support, continuing education, and time off benefits.

Since this position can be worked in more than one location, the range shown is the national average for the position.

The proposed salary range for this position is:
$98,500-$206,800

CACI is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other protected characteristic.