Chief Engineer for RF Space Payloads

Job Description See what you’re missing. Our employees work on the world’s most advanced electronics – from detecting threats for F-35 pilots to illuminating the night for soldiers. Spanning air, land, sea, and space, we are developing the technology of tomorrow, delivered today. Drawing strength from our differences, we’re innovating for the future. And you can, too. Our flexible work environment provides you with a chance to change the world without giving up your personal life. We put our customers first – exemplified by our mission: “We Protect Those Who Protect Us®.” Sound like a team you want to be a part of? Come build your career with BAE Systems.

The Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Systems (C4ISRS) Business Area provides actionable intelligence for our warfighters and decision makers through innovative technical solutions from the seas to the stars. The Space Systems Product Line is a premier provider of advanced high-reliability space electronics and mission systems. Our products have enabled a wide variety of civil, commercial, and national security space missions for over 25 years. We’re leading the way with the development of advanced processing solutions, RF and optical payloads, and cross-domain solutions that enable our customers to deliver mission capability that was previously not achievable.

We are looking for a self-motivated engineering leader to join our Systems Engineering Management team as a Chief Engineer (CE). As a Chief Engineer on a project or product family, you will be the technical conscience of the program, ensuring the system(s), product(s), and service(s) being developed and delivered are viable, fit for purpose, and will satisfy customer needs, product/system requirements, and the mission and/or application. The CE is the primary owner of the technical solution and the technical interface to Program, Engineering, Functional and Executive leadership. Key responsibilities include:
- Technical Solution Definition, Viability and Adequacy: Leads (system) architecture design and optimization activities, trades and analyses
- Ensures system design and implementation meet technical requirements and customer/mission needs within allocated engineering cost & schedule​
- Ensures system design is realizable, maintainable, supportable and testable
- Drives technical risk and opportunity definition, identification, and mitigation/realization

- Technical interface to Customer, PMO and executive leadership: Understand requirements, missions, use cases, and constraints
- Technical risks and issues including impact assessment, mitigation, minimization and closure plans

This position is based out of the Merrimack NH and may require collaboration with staff across our business areas and facilities in the United States. Because of the need for consistent, in‑person collaboration and the nature of this particular role, most responsibilities will be performed full‑time on site. There may be opportunities to work in a hybrid capacity on occasion, depending on the specific phase of the program.

BAE Systems offers competitive pay, benefits, and important work-life balance initiatives including every other Friday Off, Flextime, and Telecommuting. BAE also believes in a culture of recognition for the extraordinary contributions of our skilled employees. Our engineers are the lifeblood of our company and we’re more than 5,000 strong. With our robust offering of educational and career development opportunities, your chances to grow are limitless. At BAE Systems, we support our employees in all aspects of their life, including their health and financial well-being. Regular employees scheduled to work 20+ hours per week are offered: health, dental, and vision insurance; health savings accounts; a 401(k) savings plan; disability coverage; and life and accident insurance. We also have an employee assistance program, a legal plan, and other perks including discounts on things like home, auto, and pet insurance. Our leave programs include paid time off, paid holidays, as well as other types of leave, including paid parental, military, bereavement, and any applicable federal and state sick leave. Employees may participate in the company recognition program to receive monetary or non-monetary recognition awards. Other incentives may be available based on position level and/or job specifics.
Required Education, Experience, & Skills
- Must currently possess an active Secret clearance (with ability to possess TS).
- Bachelor’s degree in engineering (or equivalent experience in a relevant field) with a minimum of 10 years of related, proven experience successfully leading system engineering activities; or a Master of Science in Engineering or related field and minimum of 8 years of related experience.
- Prior experience leading a medium size (6-10) team of System Engineers.
- Experience performing systems engineering activities across the development cycle (analysis/decomposition/derivation/allocation of requirements, system modeling & simulation, system design & development, system integration & test).
- Familiarity with Software Defined Radios (SDR) and Radar applications.
- Working experience with technical performance measurements and cost account management.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills including experience interfacing with upper management; customer facing.
Preferred Education, Experience, & Skills
- Active DoD Top Secret and eligible to acquire additional SAP/SAR clearance.
- Working experience with SDRs and Radar applications.
- Experience working on space payloads.
- Experience with system analysis techniques such as link budget, latency, calibration, timing, and synchronization.
- Bid and proposal experience on major life cycle programs.
- M.S. in Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering or a related engineering discipline and 11 years of experience or Ph.D. with 9 years of experience.
- Working experience with Model based systems engineering principles; Magic Draw
- Familiarity or experience with Agile Systems Engineering

Pay Information
Full-Time Salary Range: $149603 - $254317

Please note: This range is based on our market pay structures. However, individual salaries are determined by a variety of factors including, but not limited to: business considerations, local market conditions, and internal equity, as well as candidate qualifications, such as skills, education, and experience.

Employee Benefits: At BAE Systems, we support our employees in all aspects of their life, including their health and financial well-being. Regular employees scheduled to work 20+ hours per week are offered: health, dental, and vision insurance; health savings accounts; a 401(k) savings plan; disability coverage; and life and accident insurance. We also have an employee assistance program, a legal plan, and other perks including discounts on things like home, auto, and pet insurance. Our leave programs include paid time off, paid holidays, as well as other types of leave, including paid parental, military, bereavement, and any applicable federal and state sick leave. Employees may participate in the company recognition program to receive monetary or non-monetary recognition awards. Other incentives may be available based on position level and/or job specifics.
About BAE Systems, Inc. BAE Systems, Inc. is a defense, aerospace, and security company headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, with more than 40,000 employees worldwide. We serve, supply, and protect those who protect us. As one of the most geographically diverse international defense companies, we deliver a full range of products and services spanning air, land, maritime, space, and cyber, including advanced electronics, intelligence solutions, and dedicated customer support.

Our culture is performance-driven and values-led, built on curiosity, creativity, and collaboration. Purpose isn't a tagline here. It's what drives us. We're developing breakthrough technologies that defend national security and make a lasting impact on our communities and our planet. When you join BAE Systems, you're not just building a career. You're contributing to a mission that truly matters.

This position will be posted for at least 5 calendar days. The posting will remain active until the position is filled, or a qualified pool of candidates is identified.