Senior Project/Systems Engineer

Valiant Harbor International is a CVE Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business that specializes in technical, programmatic, acquisition, compliance, and financial services for Government science and technology, research and development, and technological programs. At Valiant Harbor International, we emphasize our intense focus on helping federal government agencies identify and address organizational challenges to tailor and integrate specific solutions to solve their most difficult problems. Success is defined by our ability to meet our customer’s needs quickly, efficiently, and effectively —we are a management consulting firm with a successful record of offering a wide range of professional, scientific, and technical services requiring a high degree of expertise and training.

Job Description
Valiant Harbor International is seeking a Senior Project/Systems Engineer to support the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC/HNJ) Cyber and Network (C&N) Directorate. The Senior Project Engineer will operate at the intersection of software development and project execution within a Department of Defense (DoD) environment. This position is well suited for someone who understands software development and deployment in the DoD ecosystem but prefers not to focus on hands on coding. The ideal candidate brings a blend of approximately 80% software related experience and 20% project management awareness, balancing the software engineer’s “art of the possible” with the project manager’s “art of the practical” under tight constraints (DoD experience a plus).

Job Responsibilities
This is a highly elastic role that requires both breadth and adaptability. The Senior Project Engineer must be comfortable moving between straightforward testing tasks and engaging with advanced computer science concepts. The work demands a willingness to handle both the routine and the highly technical, and the ability to clearly articulate complex ideas to a range of stakeholders. The position is ideal for someone who understands the nuances of software development and deployment in the DoD environment, appreciates the constraints inherent to that ecosystem, and can balance innovation with practicality.

• Provide engineering leadership, technical direction, and subject matter expertise to ensure effective execution of program requirements in support of Air Force objectives.
• Work directly with the IPT Engineering Lead and others to evaluate technical approaches, requirements, and risk assessments.
• Lead and support both frontend and backend web development, and deploy application to a web server.
• Utilize knowledge and experience across multiple classes of languages and development toolsets, including memory safe languages, frontend and backend languages, interpreted and scripting languages, markup languages, and backend databases.
• Support engineering reviews, milestone decisions, and technical documentation to ensure accuracy, consistency, and compliance with DoD standards.
• Develop and deliver technical briefings, schedules, and reports to senior leadership on engineering status and acquisition-related tasks.
• Advise program leadership on engineering solutions that maintain cost, schedule, and performance objectives.
• Contribute to contract execution by identifying technical risks and recommending mitigation strategies (Quality Assurance).
• Provide input on acquisition strategies from an engineering perspective, ensuring realism in achieving a product suitable for the warfighter.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate engineering expertise into lifecycle sustainment planning, risk management, and system development.
  

Job Requirements

• Must have a current Top-Secret clearance with SCI eligibility prior to selection.
• Master’s degree in a STEM field (engineering preferred).
• Minimum of 15 years of engineering-related experience, with demonstrated expertise in systems engineering, technical program execution, or defense acquisition.
• Strong background in DoD and Air Force environments, with familiarity working in classified settings.
• Experience across multiple classes of languages and development toolsets, including memory safe languages, frontend and backend languages, interpreted and scripting languages, markup languages, and backend databases.
• Basic familiarity (1-3 years) with both frontend and backend web development, as well as deploying applications to web servers).
• Foundational experience (2-5 years) developing and deploying functional software applications with both frontend and backend components.
• Basic experience (1–3 years) with QA processes, issue reporting, tracking, and supporting development teams in resolving defects.
• Basic experience (1–3 years) with virtual environment technologies, including containerization and virtual machine usage and creation.
• Foundational experience (1–3 years) working within modern development pipelines and methodologies, including DevSecOps practices and extreme programming concepts.
• Medium-level experience (2-5 years) using a variety of Integrated Development Environments (IDE) and development tools (VI or VIM, Jupyter, VS Code, Eclipse, GitHub, etc.).
• Medium level experience (3–5 years) using Linux distributions for development activities, to include:
  • Shell scripting
  • Maintaining development environments
  • Managing off network or standalone Linux systems
  • Documenting processes to reproduce off network environments
• Basic experience (1–3 years) creating and using certificates, such as Certificate Authorities (CA), familiarity with public/private key exchange processes, and experience NPE or personal certificates.
• Basic experience (2–5 years) with DoD development environments and associated processes; i.e., Authority to Operate(ATO), Certificate to Field (CTF), eMASS / RMF, NIPR/SIPR development environments).
• Any experience developing within or supporting Zero Trust Architecture environments is highly desirable.
• Any cybersecurity or development related certifications are considered a plus. NOTE: CompTIA Security+ is required within six months of hire.
• Basic understanding (1–3 years) of required DoD documentation for software projects (Statements of Work, Contract Data Requirements Lists, Technical evaluations, Integrated Master Schedules, etc.).
• Program/project management and government acquisitions experience are highly desirable and considered a strong differentiator.
• Preferred Military Background: Prior service as a mid-to-senior grade officer (O-4 to O-6) within the United States Air Force or other service is highly desirable.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) or DAWIA certifications are a plus but not required.

Salary Range: Negotiable.

EEO Statement: Valiant Harbor International, LLC is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. Valiant Harbor International prohibits discrimination with respect to the hiring or promotion of individuals, conditions of employment, disciplinary and discharge practices, or any other aspect of employment on the basis of sex, race, color, age, national origin, religion, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, veteran status, or any other protected class. If you are an individual with a disability and require a reasonable accommodation to complete any part of the application process, or are limited in the ability or unable to access or use this online application process and need an alternative method for applying, you may contact (202) 417-6705 for assistance.