Chief Architect - Datalink
About the job
- Active Secret Clearance is required, with the ability to obtain Top Secret with Sensitive Compartmented Information.
- A bachelor's degree in physics, engineering, or a related field and at least 12 years of prior experience in development programs for data-link interfaces for military Command and Control systems, including developmental test and operational test events; alternatively, a graduate degree and at least 10 years of related experience, or at least 16 years of related experience in lieu of a degree.
- Experience leading implementation of a system through Link 16 Data Link Service Level Conformance and Joint Interoperability Certification Testing events, including adjudication of findings.
- Understanding of Link 16 Command and Control and Electronic Warfare mission functions.
- Ability to lead teams through technical definitization of contracts exceeding $10 million and conduct technical negotiations with military customers for contract award.
- Experience designing Command and Control systems and subsystems, including customer adjudication of requirements and scope management within proposed contract limits.
- Experience leading Systems, Software, Aeronautical, and Radio Frequency engineering teams through requirements, development, integration, and contract delivery phases.
- Experience introducing new communications technologies into systems, including risk assessment and mitigation and development of executable implementation plans.
- Experience integrating and testing military aircraft communications and data-link systems, including component, ground, flight, and acceptance testing.
- Act as L3Harris's primary interface to the United States Air Force customer for Data Links and Communications technical implementation and issues.
- Support the Platform Chief Engineers for RC-135 aircraft and ground systems in assessing engineering needs and technical issues involving platform design and implementation.
- Lead the External Communications Integrated Product Team to identify and resolve program implementation issues.
- Provide recommendations to the United States Air Force customer on contract content, priorities, technical resolutions, and implementation strategies.
- Lead technical support investigations for field-reported Communications and Data Links issues.
- Maintain the Data Link and Communication strategic roadmap for technology introduction into RC-135 platforms.
- Oversee quarterly review of Configuration Control Board-documented Integrated Change Proposals against Military Standards 6016, 6018, 6020, 6022, and 6090 for required system-implementation changes.
- Assess system impacts and implementation criticality and propose implementations to the United States Air Force customer.
- Oversee maintenance of aircraft-specific data files for data-link operation based on flight-line measurements and ensure deployment of updates for optimized system operation.
- Provide technical leadership for development efforts of the Tactical Data Link Certification Facility, including test-event scheduling, hardware and application priorities, and execution of the Test Architecture Roadmap.
- Act as the primary interface to ACC A589/A5JI and the Joint Interoperability Test Command for the 645th AESS and RC135 program for Link Certification planning.
- Develop Plans of Action and Milestones and Memoranda of Understanding as necessary for test planning, and lead preparation for and execution of test events.
- Manage vendor technical requirements and deliveries of third-party products from SAIC, Curtiss-Wright/TCG, General Dynamics, and Northrop Grumman.
- Experience with Integrated Broadcast System implementation and architecture.
- Experience with Cooperative Electronic Support Measures Operations architecture.
- Experience with ARC-210 radios and SATURN, IW, and MUOS waveforms.
- Experience with Tactical Targeting Networking Technologies implementation and operation.
About the company
L3Harris Technologies provides aerospace, defense, and space systems for governments and commercial customers, including sensors, communications, propulsion, and space assets. Its products combine hardware and software into integrated systems used for missions, from tactical radios and night vision to satellite payloads and missile defense. The company blends two legacies—Harris and L3—plus an acquisition strategy to deliver quick, field-ready capabilities, with a focus on space, missiles, and resilient satellite communications. Its goal is to deliver mission-ready defense and intelligence technology at scale for national security and related customers.
Company Size
10,001+
Company Stage
IPO
Headquarters
Melbourne, Florida
Founded
1895
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- July 2026 backlog hit $42 billion after $7.3 billion orders and raised guidance.
- June 2026 Camden groundbreaking expands PAC-3 capacity as missile inventories stay depleted.
- August 2026 Intuitive Machines contract deepens L3Harris's SDA Tranche 3 missile-defense platform.
What critics are saying
- Christopher Kubasik's August 2026 ouster exposed governance fragility and succession disruption.
- Aerojet Rocketdyne integration and Camden expansions must execute flawlessly before 2030 demand spikes.
- Lockheed and Pentagon pricing pressure can compress margins if delivery slips or defects emerge.
What makes L3Harris Technologies unique
- PAC-3 and THAAD propulsion make L3Harris irreplaceable in U.S. missile defense.
- Space & Mission Systems plus Missile Solutions give Sam Mehta 80% revenue control.
- Roman telescope optics and NGI motors show unmatched breadth across space and interceptors.
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Benefits
Health Insurance
Disability Insurance
401(k) Retirement Plan
401(k) Company Match
Paid Vacation
Paid Holidays
Mental Health Support
Relocation Assistance
Growth & Insights and Company News
6 month growth
↑ 15%1 year growth
↑ 15%2 year growth
↑ 15%L3Harris stock has fallen 16% over the past month following the firing of CEO Christopher Kubasik over conduct issues, despite the company's progress in drone defence technology. The defence contractor's VAMPIRE launcher system, firing BAE Systems' APKWS rockets costing $22,000 each, has successfully shot down Russian Shahed drones worth $50,000, reversing the cost dynamics of drone warfare. The stock now trades below 16 times forward free cash flow, having underperformed defence peers by over 20 percentage points. Sam Mehta stepped in as CEO following Kubasik's departure. L3Harris also supplies solid rocket motors for advanced interceptor missiles including the Patriot system. The company's shares are down 35% from their all-time high set earlier this year.
L3Harris Technologies has secured a seven-year, $4.7 billion contract with Lockheed Martin to manufacture Patriot missile defence components. The Melbourne, Florida-based defence contractor will produce advanced two-pulse solid rocket motor propulsion systems for the PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement interceptor, designed to neutralise aircraft, cruise missiles and ballistic threats. This marks L3Harris's largest PAC-3 propulsion contract. The company operates a facility in Northampton, Massachusetts, through its KEO division, which produces naval technology including US periscope systems and radar systems for surface ships and submarines. To meet production demands, L3Harris broke ground on two new facilities in Camden, Arkansas, in June. The expansion supports the US Department of Defense's goal to increase annual interceptor production from approximately 600 units to 2,000 units by 2030.
L3Harris Technologies has provided key components for NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, which recently launched successfully. The company supplied the 2.4-metre Optical Telescope Assembly and radiation-hardened electronics for the observatory, which will operate approximately 1 million miles from Earth. The telescope is designed to survey the cosmos 1,000 times faster than the Hubble Space Telescope. Once operational, it will conduct three primary surveys, including scanning roughly 12% of the entire sky in under 18 months to measure the universe's expansion rate and study supernova explosions from up to 8 billion years ago. The project represents more than a decade of collaboration between L3Harris and NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. L3Harris has previously contributed technology to missions including the James Webb Space Telescope and Mars rovers.
L3Harris Technologies selected Intuitive Machines on 4 August to build 18 advanced spacecraft platforms for the Space Development Agency's Accelerated Missile Defense Tranche 3 mission. Intuitive Machines will manufacture and deliver the satellite platforms to host L3Harris' payload technology for national security space operations. L3Harris reported Q2 2026 revenue of $5.9 billion, an 8% year-over-year increase, with net income of $600 million. The company raised its full-year 2026 revenue guidance to $23.2 billion–$23.7 billion, backed by a $42.0 billion backlog. Intuitive Machines reported Q2 2026 revenue of $206 million, more than four times its prior-year level. However, the company posted an operating loss of $47 million and burned $84 million in cash during the quarter, leaving $367 million in cash. Its backlog expanded to a record $1.8 billion.
Christopher Kubasik has been ousted as CEO of L3 Harris following allegations of misconduct. According to Semafor, citing sources familiar with the matter, an investigation found he was engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate. This marks the second time Kubasik has been forced out of a leadership position under similar circumstances. In 2012, he was set to become CEO of Lockheed Martin but resigned after an ethics investigation confirmed he had a close personal relationship with a subordinate employee. L3 Harris, headquartered in Melbourne, Florida, announced Kubasik's departure on 17 August. The company said the misconduct was unrelated to financial reporting, controls, customer relationships or operational performance. Kubasik will retain some vested stock options but won't receive severance payments.