Senior/SME Engineer and Technical Lead, Hypersonic Weapons Portf

Title:
Senior/SME Engineer and Technical Lead, Hypersonic Weapons Portfolio Proposal Evaluation

Belong. Connect. Grow. with KBR!

KBR's National Security Solutions team provides high-end engineering and advanced technology solutions to our customers in the intelligence and national security communities. In this position, your work will have a profound impact on the country's most critical role - protecting our national security.

Why Join Us?

• Innovative Projects: KBR's work is at the forefront of engineering, logistics, operations, science, program management, mission IT and cybersecurity solutions.

• Collaborative Environment: Be part of a dynamic team that thrives on collaboration and innovation, fostering a supportive and intellectually stimulating workplace.

• Impactful Work: Your contributions will be pivotal in designing and optimizing defense systems that ensure national security and shape the future of space defense.

Position Summary:

KBR, Inc. is seeking a highly experienced weapon engineer to serve as the Government's trusted technical advisor in the evaluation of contractor proposals across a growing portfolio of next-generation hypersonic weapon systems. This individual will lead independent technical assessments of proposed system architectures, design maturity, integration approaches, manufacturing readiness, schedule realism, technical risk, and cost credibility. The role requires the ability to assess whether proposed solutions are feasible, executable, producible, and aligned with acquisition strategy, mission requirements, and best-value decision criteria. When not directly supporting proposal evaluations, this individual will serve as a senior technical advisor on special projects and high-priority initiatives as designated by the Portfolio Manager. Your expertise will play a direct role in shaping major acquisition decisions and accelerating the fielding of advanced strike capabilities essential to America's national defense.

Key Responsibilities:

• Serve as the senior technical advisor and technical team lead for proposal evaluations supporting advanced hypersonic weapon system acquisition efforts.
• Serve as a senior technical advisor on special projects and high-priority initiatives as designated by the Portfolio Manager, providing independent technical analysis, acquisition insight, and recommendations when not directly supporting proposal evaluations.
• Lead technical assessment activities within cross-functional Government evaluation teams, working alongside program management, engineering, cost, manufacturing, logistics, contracting, and other acquisition professionals.
• Challenge contractor assumptions related to technical maturity, production feasibility, schedule realism, cost drivers, and risk mitigation strategies to ensure proposal evaluations are rigorous, evidence-based, and defensible.
• Conduct detailed evaluations of contractor technical proposals to assess system feasibility, design maturity, integration complexity, production realism, and overall executability.
• Evaluate contractor proposal content across key technical and production areas, including:
  • System architecture, subsystem design, and weapon system integration
  • Guidance, navigation, control, propulsion, payload, thermal protection, and survivability considerations, as applicable
  • Manufacturing concepts, production strategies, and assembly approaches
  • Production scalability, manufacturing readiness, and rate ramp feasibility
  • Industrial base capacity, critical suppliers, long-lead materials, and supply chain dependencies
  • Test, verification, validation, qualification, and production acceptance strategies
  • Product support, sustainment, and lifecycle support approaches
• Assess whether proposed weapon system designs and production approaches are technically sound, manufacturable, scalable, and aligned with Government acquisition objectives.
• Evaluate manufacturing readiness, production maturity, supply chain resilience, and industrial base risk associated with proposed contractor solutions.
• Identify technical, integration, producibility, schedule, supplier, and industrial base risks that may impact program execution, cost, or fielding timelines.
• Support the development of technical evaluation findings, risk assessments, evaluation narratives, source selection documentation, and executive-level briefings for senior Government leadership.
• Proactively collect, analyze, and synthesize technical, manufacturing, production, and industrial base data from related weapon programs across the Department of War acquisition portfolio to inform proposal evaluations.
• Apply lessons learned, performance trends, manufacturing insights, and risk indicators from other missile, strike, and hypersonic weapon programs to evaluate contractor claims and proposed execution strategies.
• Identify cross-program industrial base constraints, supplier dependencies, production bottlenecks, and technology maturation challenges that may affect multiple weapon system acquisition efforts.
• Translate complex technical and manufacturing findings into clear, decision-quality insights that support best-value determinations and major acquisition decisions.

Work Environment:

• Location: On-site (Eglin AFB, FL)
• Travel Requirements: Low, 10-15%
• Working Hours: Standard - Core hours 0900 - 1500

Qualifications:

Required:

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Systems Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Minimum 12 years of relevant experience supporting defense acquisition, aerospace and defense programs, weapon system development, production, or major defense proposal evaluations.
• Demonstrated experience developing, analyzing, or evaluating contractor technical proposals for defense or aerospace programs.
• Experience in weapon system engineering, systems engineering, technical development, manufacturing, production engineering, or production readiness assessment.
• Ability to evaluate technical approach, design maturity, integration risk, manufacturing readiness, production feasibility, schedule realism, and execution risk.
• Experience supporting or interacting with Department of War System Program Offices, acquisition organizations, source selection teams, or major weapon system acquisition activities.
• Strong understanding of weapon system development, integration, test, production, fielding, and sustainment lifecycles.
• Demonstrated experience working with cross-functional technical, cost, contracting, logistics, manufacturing, and program management teams.
• Ability to analyze large, complex proposal submissions and synthesize findings into clear, evidence-based recommendations for senior acquisition leaders.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to develop technical evaluation narratives, executive briefings, and decision-quality recommendations for senior Government leadership.
• Ability to work independently in a fast-paced acquisition environment while maintaining accuracy, objectivity, and defensibility of evaluation findings.
• Active Secret clearance or ability to obtain and maintain required clearance eligibility.

Desired:

• Active Top Secret clearance with SCI eligibility.
• Master's degree in Engineering, Systems Engineering, Engineering Science, Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related technical field.
• 20+ years of experience supporting advanced aerospace, missile, strike, hypersonic, or weapon system programs.
• Experience supporting programs involving hypersonic weapon systems, advanced air-to-ground weapons, long-range strike systems, advanced propulsion, guidance, navigation, control, seekers, payloads, or thermal protection systems.
• Experience with formal source selections, proposal evaluation boards, technical evaluation teams, color team reviews, or independent proposal assessments.
• Experience with weapon system manufacturing, production engineering, producibility analysis, manufacturing readiness assessments, or production readiness reviews.
• Familiarity with defense industrial base challenges, critical suppliers, long-lead materials, and supplier networks supporting missile or advanced weapon production.
• Experience evaluating industrial base capacity, supply chain risk, manufacturing scalability, production ramp feasibility, or rate production constraints.
• Background in systems engineering, production engineering, propulsion, guidance systems, advanced materials, thermal protection, energetics, airframe structures, or missile integration.
• Experience working with major defense contractors, government laboratories, federally funded research and development centers, university affiliated research centers, or Government weapon system development organizations.
• Ability to compare contractor proposal claims against lessons learned, technical performance data, production experience, and risk trends from related weapon programs.

Ready to Make a Difference?

If you're excited about making a significant impact in the field of space defense and working on projects that matter, we encourage you to apply and join our team at KBR. Let's shape the future together.

KBR Benefits

KBR offers a selection of competitive lifestyle benefits which could include 401K plan with company match, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, AD&D, flexible spending account, disability, paid time off, or flexible work schedule. We support career advancement through professional training and development.

Belong, Connect and Grow at KBR

At KBR, we are passionate about our people and our Zero Harm culture. These inform all that we do and are at the heart of our commitment to, and ongoing journey toward being a People First company. That commitment is central to our team of team's philosophy and fosters an environment where everyone can Belong, Connect and Grow. We Deliver - Together.

KBR is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, veteran status, genetic information, union status and/or beliefs, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.