Principal/Sr. Principal Computer Systems Hardware Engineer

Computer Systems Hardware Engineer (Principal / Sr. Principal)
Mid-Senior Level | Active Secret Clearance Required | Travel: Yes (25%) | Principal: $90,000 - $115,000 Sr. Principal: $115,000 - $130,000

Support mission-critical space and radar system infrastructure-designing, integrating, and deploying high-performance computing environments that enable advanced national defense capabilities.
A Day in the Life - What you'll do

• Collaborate across a multi-disciplinary Integrated Product Team (IPT) to define and document computer system architectures and supporting infrastructure.
• Design and develop engineering drawings, rack elevations, and detailed hardware layouts for high-performance computing environments.
• Create and manage bills of materials (BOM) aligned with system architecture and procurement strategies.
• Establish and maintain hardware engineering baselines, including change requests, redlines, and as-built documentation.
• Define system and subsystem hardware specifications to meet operational and performance requirements.
• Determine infrastructure needs including electrical power, heating, cooling, and spatial constraints.
• Develop and execute system integration plans, schedules, and test strategies.
• Support procurement efforts and coordinate with supply chain for hardware acquisition.
• Integrate, install, and validate hardware components including servers, storage, and networking equipment.
• Analyze system deficiencies, troubleshoot issues, and implement corrective actions.
• Optimize hardware layouts for airflow, cable management, safety, and density considerations.
• Collaborate with engineering teams to ensure compliance with system requirements and mission objectives.

Required Qualifications

• Principal: Bachelor's degree in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics) discipline with 5 years of experience, or Master's degree with 3 years of experience, or PhD with 1 year of experience
• Sr. Principal: Bachelor's degree in a STEM discipline with 8 years of experience, or Master's degree with 6 years of experience, or PhD with 4 years of experience
• Active DoD Secret security clearance at time of application
• Experience with requirements decomposition down to hardware subsystem and component-level specifications
• Familiarity with engineering drawings and hardware baseline management processes
• Experience supporting hardware procurement activities
• Knowledge of cable management and common IT cabling (Ethernet, fiber, power)
• Ability to optimize hardware placement considering airflow, density, and safety constraints
• Experience integrating commercial hardware systems (servers, switches, routers, storage)
• Experience with Atlassian tools (JIRA, Confluence)
• Familiarity with Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) principles
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally, including extended deployment periods

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Teamcenter or similar Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) systems
• Ability to perform heating and cooling analysis for large-scale IT environments
• Ability to calculate power loads and distribution requirements
• Familiarity with RF test equipment such as spectrum analyzers
• Experience with MBSE tools such as CAMEO

Who is Caribou Thunder?

Caribou Thunder is a HUBZone-certified small business providing advanced technical and engineering services to the U.S. Department of War and its mission partners.

35+ states and 20+ countries. We've delivered trusted solutions for over two decades - strengthening national readiness across missions on land, undersea, in the air, and throughout LEO, MEO, GEO, and deep space.
Why Caribou Thunder? TEAM THUNDER - Mission Focused. Delivery Proven. Ready to Serve.

Employee Advocacy
Mission Proven
Global Reach
Skilled Teams
Modern Tools
Empowering Culture

Our engineers and innovators ensure capability from sea floor to space frontier - delivering on time, maintaining compliance, and performing with precision in high-consequence environments.

We specialize in Engineering Services, Cybersecurity, Software Development, Modeling & Simulation, Digital Engineering, and Artificial Intelligence - disciplines powering the nation's most complex technical missions.
Employee Advocacy + Benefits

Our people are the heart of Caribou Thunder. We invest in their growth, flexibility, and well-being - knowing their success drives ours.

Benefits include:

Premium Health, Dental & Vision Insurance
401(k) with 6% Company Match
Flexible PTO & Work Schedule
Education & Certification Reimbursement
Support for Military Leave
Work-Life Balance & Traditional Family Values

Your future, your flexibility, your well-being - we invest in you. Apply and let's connect.