Sustainment Engineer

Job Title: Sustainment Engineer Job Description
The Sustainment Engineer supports the execution of complex, highly technical programs by driving robust sustainment engineering practices across the system lifecycle. This role focuses on root cause and corrective action, configuration control, sustainment analysis, and the integration of reliability, maintainability, and supportability into engineering and program decisions. Operating within a matrix environment, the Sustainment Engineer collaborates closely with engineering, logistics, and program teams to improve readiness, lifecycle performance, and long-term supportability of fielded systems.
Responsibilities
- Perform root cause and corrective action investigations on hardware failures to identify issues and implement durable solutions.
- Author Engineering Change Orders and Engineering Change Proposals to document and control design and configuration changes.
- Maintain rigorous configuration control and tracking of fielded assets to ensure accuracy, traceability, and compliance.
- Perform sustainment analyses, including but not limited to Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF), Mean Time To Repair (MTTR), and Operational Availability (Ao).
- Track and manage Diminishing Manufacturing Sources and Material Shortages (DMSMS) to mitigate supply risks and sustain system availability.
- Develop, integrate, and deliver sustainment engineering products ahead of schedule whenever program conditions allow.
- Increase early integration of sustainment considerations into engineering and program decisions to influence system design and lifecycle outcomes.
- Execute repeatable, scalable sustainment engineering processes that can be applied across the department.
- Improve visibility of sustainment risks, requirements, workforce capacity, and lifecycle impacts for stakeholders and decision-makers.
- Strengthen integration among engineering, product support, field services, depot operations, and the broader logistics enterprise to deliver end-to-end support.
- Develop, integrate, and continuously improve sustainment engineering processes, methods, templates, tools, and standards.
- Support development of sustainment strategies from early system lifecycle phases through fielding, operations, and long-term sustainment.
- Integrate reliability, maintainability, availability, supportability, maintenance, supply support, technical data, training, facilities, support equipment, and other sustainment considerations into system and program decisions.
- Perform sustainment analyses to support maintenance concepts, sparing, support equipment, manpower, training, lifecycle cost, readiness, and overall support strategies.
- Work across engineering, product support, provisioning, technical publications, training, field services, depot operations, program management, and other disciplines to integrate end-to-end logistics.
- Participate in design and technical reviews to ensure sustainment considerations are identified early enough to influence system design and lifecycle decisions.
- Participate in peer review and quality-control activities for sustainment engineering products and analyses.
- Support development of contract deliverables and program documentation that require sustainment engineering input.
- Identify and pursue opportunities to use data, digital tools, automation, and analytics to improve sustainment planning and decision-making.
- Operate effectively within a matrix environment where programs retain responsibility for requirements, priorities, technical direction, cost, and schedule.
Essential Skills
- Bachelors degree in engineering and a minimum of 4 years of relevant professional experience, or a Masters degree in engineering and a minimum of 2 years of relevant professional experience. Additional relevant experience may be considered in lieu of a degree where permitted by company requirements.
- Demonstrated experience in sustainment engineering, logistics engineering, systems engineering, integrated product support, or a closely related discipline.
- Experience supporting complex defense, aerospace, weapons system, or similarly technical programs through development, production, fielding, or sustainment.
- Working knowledge of lifecycle sustainment, including maintenance planning, reliability and maintainability, supportability analysis, readiness, and logistics support concepts.
- Proven ability to perform root cause and corrective action investigations on hardware failures.
- Experience authoring Engineering Change Orders and Engineering Change Proposals.
- Ability to conduct sustainment analysis, including MTBF, MTTR, and Operational Availability (Ao).
- Experience tracking and managing Diminishing Manufacturing Sources and Material Shortages (DMSMS).
- Ability to communicate technical and sustainment issues clearly to engineering, program, and senior stakeholders.
- Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities, resolve competing requirements, and deliver high-quality products within established cost and schedule constraints.
- US citizenship and the ability to obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance.
Additional Skills & Qualifications
- Experience developing and improving sustainment engineering processes, methods, templates, tools, and standards.
- Background in integrating reliability, maintainability, availability, supportability, maintenance, supply support, technical data, training, facilities, and support equipment into system and program decisions.
- Experience performing sustainment analyses to support maintenance concepts, sparing, support equipment, manpower, training, lifecycle cost, readiness, and support strategies.
- Proven ability to work collaboratively across engineering, product support, provisioning, technical publications, training, field services, depot operations, and program management.
- Experience participating in design and technical reviews with a focus on sustainment and lifecycle impacts.
- Familiarity with peer review and quality-control practices for sustainment engineering products.
- Experience supporting development of contract deliverables and program documentation that require sustainment engineering input.
- Interest in and aptitude for using data, digital tools, automation, and analytics to enhance sustainment planning and decision-making.
- Comfort working in a matrixed logistics and sustainment organization where coordination and communication are critical.
Work Environment
This is a full-time, onsite role based in Huntsville, Alabama, with no remote work option. Core work hours are 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., with additional time as needed to meet program commitments. The position operates within a logistics-focused matrix organization, requiring frequent collaboration with engineering, product support, field services, depot operations, and program management. The environment is highly technical and process-driven, with an emphasis on data, digital tools, and structured sustainment engineering practices to support complex systems throughout their lifecycle.
Job Type & Location
This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Huntsville, AL.
Pay and Benefits
The pay range for this position is $41.00 - $65.00/hr. Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors. Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job
classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be
subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits
available for this temporary role may include the following:

Medical, dental & vision
Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital
401(k) Retirement Plan Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available
Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
Short and long-term disability
Health Spending Account (HSA)
Transportation benefits
Employee Assistance Program
Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)
Workplace Type
This is a fully onsite position in Huntsville,AL.
Application Deadline
This position is anticipated to close on Oct 23, 2026. About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

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regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability,
sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected
by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or
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San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance:
Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the
city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants
with arrest and conviction records.

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It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a
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shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI):
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