Full-Time
Navigation Systems Engineer – Lead
Updated on 5/13/2026
AMERICAN SYSTEMS
1,001-5,000 employees
IT and engineering services for government
Compensation Overview
$110.8k - $185.1k/yr
No H1B Sponsorship
Patuxent River, MD, USA
In Person
US Top Secret Clearance Required
 Engineering Management (1) |
|---|
- A minimum of 8 years of professional experience in Defense acquisition, of which a minimum of three (3) years must be in support of Navy Acquisition management.
- Bachelor’s degree is preferred. An associate’s degree and an additional four (4) years of experience may be substituted for a bachelor’s degree, or an additional eight (8) years of experience (without associates degree) may be substituted for a BA/BS.
- Must have a current Secret clearance, TS preferred.
- Knowledgeable of acquisition policies and procedures, Communications, Navigation, Surveillance, Air Traffic Management (CNS-ATM) / Global Air Traffic Management (GATM), requirements and architecture management.
- Demonstrated knowledge of and experience with the requirements of the DOD 5000 series.
- Demonstrated ability to work with large and diverse teams and the ability to effectively provide guidance, direction, and supervision in all areas of major system acquisitions contracted effort such as program management concepts and tools, systems engineer.
- Report to the VMS Flight Management Lead Systems Engineer and in their absence, directly to the Air Vehicle Team Lead.
- Responsible for coordination across Development, Production, Sustainment and Training IPTs.
- Manage a team of navigation subject matter experts.
- Responsible for all matters related to domestic and Cooperative Program flight navigation systems, to include, but not limited to, navigation, communication, air traffic management, and other avionics equipment installed on the aircraft, to ensure that the avionics are effectively supported throughout its operational service life.
- Responsible for managing navigation requirements and architecture, Engineering Change proposal (ECP), Technical Directive (TD) Technical Direction Letter (TDL) products and navigation capability upgrades.
- Manage capabilities include life cycle development and System Engineering Technical Review (SETR) process including critical design reviews for navigation systems that integrate across multiple IPT’s in the program office organization structure. Capabilities include Embedded GPS INS (EGI), Performance Based Navigation (PBN), Selective Availability Anti-Spoofing Module (SAASM), Military GPS (M-Code), Advanced Digital Antenna Production (ADAP), Assured Position, Navigation and Timing (A-PNT) and Navigation Warfare (NAVWAR).
- Responsible for coordination of navigation roadmap, Jira ticket tracking, DMSMS obsolescence and reliability, integration with the Ground Control System (GCS), lab and ground/ test flight test.
AMERICAN SYSTEMS delivers information technology and engineering services to U.S. government clients as an employee-owned government contractor. It focuses on IT and enterprise services, software development, and systems engineering, with offerings such as legacy systems migration, mobile app development, and user experience design. The company operates primarily for federal agencies, including the Intelligence Community, by winning government contracts to support national security initiatives and mission-critical programs. Its employee-owned structure aligns workforce interests with company success, differentiating it from typical contractor firms by giving employees a stake in outcomes and accountability in delivering technical and engineering solutions to national security and IT needs.
Company Size
1,001-5,000
Company Stage
N/A
Total Funding
N/A
Headquarters
Chantilly, Virginia
Founded
1975
Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- The $172.7 million Naval Surface Warfare Center follow‑on contract anchors long‑term defense engineering revenue and program continuity.
- CMMC Level 2 certification with a perfect score strengthens eligibility for high‑value federal contracts handling Controlled Unclassified Information.
- The Epsilon acquisition and new leadership in innovation and digital systems position AMERICAN SYSTEMS to capture more managed IT and cyber work across federal and commercial sectors.
What critics are saying
- Integration of Epsilon’s multi‑tenant managed IT model risks cultural clashes, margin erosion, and service disruptions across federal accounts.
- Heavy concentration in Navy and DoD contracts exposes AMERICAN SYSTEMS to a material revenue cliff if a single major award is lost or repriced.
- The ESOP structure faces mounting liquidity pressure from retiring employee‑owners, which could constrain M&A and debt capacity as the company scales.
What makes AMERICAN SYSTEMS unique
- AMERICAN SYSTEMS is a 100% employee‑owned federal contractor with deep roots in DoD and intelligence IT and engineering.
- The company’s proprietary MERGE service delivery framework integrates mission‑engaged resources across the enterprise for complex national priority programs.
- Its acquisition of Epsilon adds a multi‑tenant managed IT and cybersecurity platform, broadening scale beyond traditional government services models.
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Benefits
Health Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
Life Insurance
Disability Insurance
Paid Vacation
Paid Sick Leave
401(k) Retirement Plan
Professional Development Budget
Tuition Reimbursement
Company News
CHANTILLY, Va., Sept. 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AMERICAN SYSTEMS, a leading provider of mission essential and information engineering services to federal customers, today announced the acquisition of Epsilon, Inc. (Epsilon), a managed IT and cybersecurity leader headquartered in Weaverville, NC. The acquisition will result in more than 400 new employees joining AMERICAN SYSTEMS, further increasing the company’s scale and capabilities.This transaction marks the largest acquisition in AMERICAN SYSTEMS’ 50-year history. The addition of Epsilon’s multi-tenant service delivery model, its broad geographical footprint, and its federal and commercial market expertise brings significant new capabilities and economies of scale to AMERICAN SYSTEMS. This expanded capability enables AMERICAN SYSTEMS to even better address the rapidly evolving needs of existing and new customers across sectors as the company partners with them to accelerate mission outcomes and increase efficiency."Acquisitions are an important element of our growth strategy, and we work hard to ensure that we select companies that are a good fit for us, both strategically and culturally,” said John Steckel, AMERICAN SYSTEMS’ President and CEO
He succeeds Brian Neely, who retired after two decades as American Systems' CIO.
AMERICAN SYSTEMS has promoted Srinivas Rautwar to chief information officer, effective Aug. 25.
The certification strengthens AMERICAN SYSTEMS' ability to safeguard Controlled Unclassified Information and mitigate the risk of cyberattacks and data breaches.