Senior Systems Engineer

Location: Newport, Rhode Island, San Diego, California

Time Type: Full time

Job Description

Title:

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.

Job Description:

The Senior MILSATCOM Terminal Systems Engineer will serve as the Government’s technical oversight lead for shipboard, shore, submarine, and transportable satellite communications terminal systems supporting NMT, MAT, SubHDR, AEHF, and WGS MILSATCOM programs.

This role requires the ability to independently evaluate vendor technical performance, manufacturing maturity, and test compliance across antenna systems, RF subsystems, mechanical structures, radomes, baseband integration, and power systems.

The engineer will lead technical reviews, assess qualification and environmental test data, validate compliance to performance requirements, and hold prime and subcontractor teams accountable to contractual obligations.

This is a high-visibility execution role requiring strong technical judgment, structured analytical thinking, and confidence interfacing with Government leadership, primes, subcontractors, and fleet stakeholders.

• Serve as primary technical interface between Government, prime contractor, subcontractors, and third-party manufacturers

• Lead technical reviews of antenna systems, RF chains, environmental qualification results, and performance verification data

• Evaluate manufacturing readiness, production quality metrics, and configuration control across terminal builds

• Oversee system-level integration, test events, sell-offs, and compliance verification activities

• Identify performance deficiencies and require corrective action plans with measurable resolution criteria

• Coordinate RMA investigations, root cause analysis, corrective actions, and material procurement to support fleet repair timelines

• Track fleet fielding schedules, quantities, configuration baselines, and retrofit impacts

• Interface with development engineers, logistics teams, and finance teams to align technical fixes with cost, procurement, and schedule realities

• Assess technical risk and provide leadership-level briefings with clear mitigation strategies.

Required Qualifications:

• BS in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related technical discipline

• Experience supporting DoD acquisition programs with hardware production elements

• Experience participating in or leading design reviews (PDR, CDR, TRR, PRR)

• Experience supporting system sell-offs and compliance verification events

• 5–8 years of experience supporting military SATCOM terminal or comparable complex RF hardware systems (commercial experience may align)

• Strong working knowledge of antenna systems, RF front-end architectures, radomes, mechanical packaging, and environmental constraints

• Demonstrated ability to review and challenge test procedures, qualification data, and performance verification results

• Experience supporting environmental qualification testing (MIL-STD-810, EMI/EMC, shock, vibration, thermal, salt fog, etc.)

• Experience interfacing directly with vendors and holding them accountable to requirements and schedule

• Understanding of production baseline control, configuration management, and manufacturing oversight

• Ability to independently assess technical trade-offs and recommend disposition to leadership

• Active DoD SECRET clearance.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Direct experience with Navy SATCOM terminal programs (NMT, MAT, CBSP, MUOS, STtNG)

• Experience supporting manufacturing readiness reviews and quality audits

• Experience coordinating fleet retrofit or repair campaigns

• Experience preparing technical briefs for Flag-level or SES-level stakeholders

Basic Compensation: 

$125- 140K

This range is for California only

The offered rate will be based on the selected candidate’s knowledge, skills, abilities and/or experience and in consideration of internal parity. 

Work Environment:

• Location: Newport, RI or San Diego, CA
• Travel Requirements: Approximately 10% travel required
• Working Hours: Standard 40 hours per week

Additional Compensation: 

KBR may offer bonuses, commissions, or other forms of compensation to certain job titles or levels, per internal policy or contractual designation. Additional compensation may be in the form of a sign on bonus, relocation benefits, short-term incentives, long-term incentives, or discretionary payments for exceptional performance.  

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.

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.

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.