SOLACE Lead Systems Engineer (Process and Documentation)

Omitron is looking for a Lead Systems Engineer focused on process and documentation to join the SOLACE team in our Colorado Springs, CO office. SOLACE develops modernized astrodynamics applications that support the U.S. Space Force's Space Situational Awareness (SSA) and Space Domain Awareness (SDA) mission areas. These applications are built as direct drop-in replacements for existing legacy applications using an Agile development approach.
As the SOLACE Lead Systems Engineer, you will own how the team works, including its processes and the tracking of its deliverables. You will lead the team's daily stand-ups and Agile ceremonies, manage Contract Data Requirements List (CDRL) deliverables from first draft through government acceptance, and keep the team's work visible and on schedule in GitLab and JIRA. You will use a systems engineering background to find where workflows break down and fix them.
You will work closely with the SOLACE Lead Software Engineer, who owns technical direction, and support the Program Manager with status reporting and team coordination.
# Responsibilities
As the SOLACE Lead Systems Engineer, you are accountable for:
Process Ownership and Improvement
- Own and improve the SOLACE software engineering lifecycle from requirements through development, test, delivery, and government acceptance, and keep it documented.
- Apply systems engineering methods to map team workflows, identify bottlenecks and handoff gaps, and implement measurable improvements.
- Work with the Program Manager and Lead Software Engineer to define the team's delivery and process metrics (for example sprint predictability, cycle time, CDRL on-time delivery, and government comment closure), track them every sprint, and use them to target improvements.
- Baseline current performance before proposing a process change, and report whether the change moved the metric.
- Maintain requirements traceability so delivered capabilities map back to contract and user requirements, and track the engineering team's verification that each application behaves as a drop-in replacement for its legacy counterpart.
- Own the team's process documentation, including SOPs, checklists, and templates, and keep it current as the process evolves.
- Support process maturity and compliance efforts, such as CMMI, as required.
CDRL and Documentation Management
- Manage the full CDRL lifecycle: planning, author assignments, internal review, configuration control, submission, and tracking government comments through closure.
- Maintain a CDRL schedule tied to contract due dates and program milestones, and raise schedule risk early.
- Coordinate with engineers and subject matter experts to gather technical input; write, edit, and format documentation to the applicable DoD Data Item Descriptions (DIDs).
- Ensure delivered documents are accurate, consistent, and under version control, with correct markings, including distribution statements and data rights legends.
Agile Facilitation and Work Tracking
- Lead daily stand-ups and facilitate Agile ceremonies, including sprint planning, retrospectives, backlog refinement, and Program Increment (PI) planning.
- Configure and maintain JIRA and GitLab boards, workflows, issue templates, and dashboards so work status is clear to the team and to leadership.
- Track sprint and PI progress, dependencies, and blockers, and follow up until blockers are cleared.
- Work with the Lead Software Engineer to write and maintain acceptance criteria and definitions of done.
Reporting and Coordination
- Prepare status reports, metrics, and briefings on schedule, deliverables, and risks for the Program Manager and government stakeholders.
- Maintain the team's risk, issue, and action item logs.
- Coordinate with lateral development and user teams to deconflict schedules and dependencies across concurrent efforts.
- Support the Program Manager with team administrative tasks as assigned.
Role Boundaries
- Within this role: team processes and process documentation, CDRL tracking and delivery schedule, Agile ceremony facilitation, JIRA and GitLab configuration, metrics tracking, and status reporting.
- Outside this role: technical design and development decisions (SOLACE Lead Software Engineer); backlog priority, personnel decisions, and customer commitments (SOLACE Program Manager).
Measurable Outcomes
- CDRLs are delivered on or before contract due dates, and government comments are closed within the agreed review cycle.
- Delivery and process metrics agreed with the Program Manager and Lead Software Engineer are tracked every sprint and visible on team dashboards.
- Process changes are documented, baselined, and evaluated against those metrics.
- Blockers are surfaced early and followed to closure, and leadership has a current view of schedule and risk without having to ask.

Minimum Requirements

- US Citizenship required.
- Security Clearance: Active TS/SCI (or ability to obtain and maintain).
- Education: Bachelor's degree in Systems Engineering, Software Engineering, Computer Science, Engineering Management, or a related technical field, with 6 or more years of experience supporting software or systems engineering programs. Four additional years of relevant experience may substitute for the degree.
- Experience: Leading Agile/Scrum ceremonies for a software development team, including running daily stand-ups.
- Hands-on use of JIRA and GitLab to plan, track, and report team work (boards, workflows, issues, and merge request status).
- Managing CDRLs or equivalent contract deliverables on a DoD or government program, from drafting through delivery.
- Systems engineering experience, including requirements management, traceability, and process definition.
- Demonstrated technical writing and editing for engineering and government audiences; a writing sample may be requested.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to brief both development teams and government stakeholders.
- Strong time management, with the ability to track many concurrent deliverables to their due dates.
- Proficiency in MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).

Preferred Qualifications

- Education: Master's degree in Systems Engineering or a related field, with 10 or more years of relevant experience.
- Experience: Experience supporting Space Force SSA or SDA programs, astrodynamics software, or operations at Vandenberg SFB, Schriever SFB, or Naval Support Facility Dahlgren.
- Familiarity with software DIDs such as the Software User Manual, Software Design Description, and Software Test Description.
- Experience with CMMI or similar process maturity frameworks.
- Experience with Confluence or similar knowledge base tools.
- Working knowledge of the software development lifecycle sufficient to engage credibly with developers (coding not required).
- Experience coordinating among users, engineers, managers, and government customers.

- Certifications: Agile certification such as Certified ScrumMaster (CSM), Professional Scrum Master (PSM), PMI-ACP, or SAFe; INCOSE ASEP or CSEP a plus.

Working Relationships

- Reports to: SOLACE Program Manager.
- Collaborates with: SOLACE Lead Software Engineer and development team, and lateral development and user teams.
- Customer Interface: SOLACE government customers and stakeholders, including CDRL review and delivery, as delegated by the Program Manager.

Schedule and Environment

- Based in Omitron's Colorado Springs, CO office.
- Hybrid to full-time in-office presence, as necessary for project success.

# About Omitron
Omitron is an Aerospace Engineering and Information Technology small business headquartered in Beltsville, Maryland, with a field office in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and personnel at operational sites nationwide. Since 1984, Omitron has provided excellence in engineering services and product development to government and industry customers across civilian and military aerospace programs.
Omitron recognizes that outstanding people are the key to our success. We select highly qualified, motivated individuals and provide the environment they need to do meaningful work, alongside competitive pay, comprehensive benefits, and career growth.
At Omitron, we believe that a workplace that fosters innovation and collaboration will be a successful one. We are committed to attracting, developing, and retaining top talent from a broad range of backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences.
Per Title VII, our hiring decisions are made based on qualifications, skills, and experience, in accordance with our commitment to equal opportunity employment and nondiscrimination policies. We welcome all individuals who share our passion for excellence and encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply.
We also support a workplace where every employee feels valued, respected, and empowered to contribute their best work. Our workplace initiatives are open to all and designed to create a culture of belonging for everyone.
# Compensation and Benefits
The salary range for this role is $145,000 to $175,000 , depending on relevant experience, location, and other factors.
Benefits include:
- Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance
- HSA or FSA accounts
- Company-paid Short-Term/Long-Term Disability and AD&D insurance
- Paid Federal Holidays
- Paid Vacation and Sick Leave
- Parental Leave
- 401(k) with company match
- Supplemental insurance options (AFLAC, Voluntary Life)
- Professional Development Reimbursement
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