Full-Time

Project Engineer 2

Posted on 1/24/2026

Sierra Nevada Corporation

Sierra Nevada Corporation

1,001-5,000 employees

Aerospace and defense contractor; C5ISR systems

Compensation Overview

$165k - $226.9k/yr

+ Annual Incentive

Company Does Not Provide H1B Sponsorship

Lone Tree, CO, USA

In Person

US Top Secret Clearance Required

Category
Hardware Engineering (1)
Requirements
  • Bachelor's of Science degree in a related field of study
  • Typically 10+ years of progressive technical experience
  • Thorough knowledge of engineering principles and practice
  • Experience working in multi-disciplinary design and development team
  • Detailed understanding of requirements management, system design, integration
  • The ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret U.S. Security Clearance is required
  • Domain Knowledge: Working knowledge of long-range munitions, ISR capabilities, or electro-optical subsystems systems
  • Familiarity with the unique challenges and requirements associated with these technologies
  • Analytical Skills: Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to support detailed trade studies and system performance analyses
  • Collaboration and Leadership: Excellent technical writing and verbal communication skills, with the ability to effectively convey complex technical concepts to diverse audiences; Experience preparing and presenting technical reports, proposals, and briefings; Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively in a multidisciplinary team environment; Proven leadership skills with experience mentoring and guiding junior engineers
  • Regulatory and Compliance Knowledge: Familiarity with industry standards and regulatory requirements relevant to defense and aerospace systems
Responsibilities
  • Support System Design and Architecture for IR Sensor Systems: Oversee the design and architecture of infrared sensor systems, ensuring they meet project specifications and objectives
  • Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration: Work closely with multidisciplinary teams, including software, electrical, and optical engineers
  • System Integration and Testing: Support the integration and testing phases to ensure seamless functionality and performance of the sensor systems in both laboratory and final integration
  • Compliance and Reliability: Help ensure that all systems comply with relevant standards and certifications and are reliable under operational conditions
  • Proposal Development: Participate in the preparation of technical proposals, including the development of technical solutions, cost estimates, and schedules. Work closely with business development and capture teams to ensure proposals meet customer requirements and are competitive
Desired Qualifications
  • Typically 4-6 years of relevant leadership and/or project management experience
  • Experience leading a multi-disciplinary design and development team and communicating with program management and customers
  • Familiarity with preparation and development of project estimates, technical proposals, and program cost and schedule management
  • Past history of leading baseline definition and maturation in a complex development setting, including the use of highly integrated trade studies and analysis of alternative
  • Ability to read and interpret technical drawings and schematics, parts lists, specifications, instructions and test procedure
  • Professional Certification in Program Management International (PMI) and/or Program Management Professional (PMP)
  • Experience or certification in INCOSE standard
  • Background in the Aerospace and Defense Industry
  • Knowledge and experience with radiometric modeling
  • Experience with image processing techniques for EO/IR sensors
  • Working knowledge of missiles/munitions and associated subsystems
  • Experience with military airborne platform subsystems: Navigation, comms, propulsion, avionics, power, mission system, flight controls etc.
  • Experience with government reference architectures and the OMS/UCI standard
  • Experience with missions system environmental qualification
  • Knowledge of Agile development process and tools like JIRA
Sierra Nevada Corporation

Sierra Nevada Corporation

View

Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) is an aerospace and defense contractor that secures and executes U.S. government contracts with DoD and NASA. It designs and modifies aircraft systems and develops C5ISR solutions, backed by electronics, engineering, and manufacturing capabilities. The company differentiates itself through a long history, in-house integrated capabilities, and strategic acquisitions that focus on government needs. Its goal is to win and execute complex national security and space missions by delivering end-to-end aerospace and defense systems.

Company Size

1,001-5,000

Company Stage

N/A

Total Funding

N/A

Headquarters

Sparks, Nevada

Founded

1963

Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Vindler 2.0 scales to 20+ satellites, capturing DoD RF intelligence demand by 2028.
  • $13B SAOC contract through 2036 replaces E-4B fleet with SNC-led integration.
  • NRO selects Vindler for RF study, unlocking expanded intelligence procurement contracts.

What critics are saying

  • SpaceX Starshield erodes Vindler market share in DoD RF contracts within 12 months.
  • Boeing protests SAOC contract, delaying award 6-12 months via GAO challenges.
  • DoD FY2027 NDAA mandates redesign SNC C5ISR electronics, slashing margins immediately.

What makes Sierra Nevada Corporation unique

  • SNC excels as privately owned mid-tier prime contractor with rapid innovation agility.
  • SNC delivers open architecture C5ISR systems across air, space, and cyber domains.
  • SNC specializes in mission-tailored aircraft modifications for DoD and NASA contracts.

Help us improve and share your feedback! Did you find this helpful?

Benefits

Health Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Life Insurance

401(k) Retirement Plan

401(k) Company Match

Paid Vacation

Company News

Defence Leaders Limited
Apr 16th, 2026
U.S. Army boosts Gray Eagle drone with advanced electronic intelligence upgrade.

U.S. Army boosts Gray Eagle drone with advanced electronic intelligence upgrade. Image: General Atomics The U.S. Army has awarded General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) a contract to equip its MQ-1C Gray Eagle Extended Range drone with upgraded electronic intelligence capabilities, strengthening its ability to detect and locate enemy air defence systems. The new electronic intelligence (ELINT) sensor package will allow Gray Eagle ER aircraft to operate beyond the reach of adversary threats while scanning deep into contested airspace. The upgrade directly supports the Army's Integrated Air Defence System (IADS) mission, feeding real-time intelligence to ground commanders. GA-ASI President David R. Alexander said the combination of long-range detection and the platform's endurance ensures commanders can track when an adversary IADS is active. He added that Gray Eagle's open systems architecture makes the integration straightforward but operationally significant, according to GA-ASI. Targeting enemy air defences. The ELINT sensor identifies and geo-locates critical threats essential to Joint Force Operations. GA-ASI will partner with Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) and the Capability Program Executive for Intelligence and Spectrum Warfare to integrate advanced radar detection and signal collection technology into the platform. The upgrade enhances Gray Eagle ER's value in contested environments where identifying and suppressing enemy air defences is a prerequisite for broader operations. By keeping the drone outside threat envelopes, the Army also reduces risk to crewed aircraft operating in the same battlespace, a key objective in modern manned-unmanned teaming concepts. A platform built for multi-domain operations. The ELINT upgrade is one layer of a broader sensor modernisation effort. Gray Eagle ER has already demonstrated modernised Communications Intelligence (COMINT), Synthetic Aperture Radar and Moving Target Indicator (SAR/MTI) capabilities, and Mobile Ad Hoc Network (MANET) radios across multiple Army exercises. These capabilities align with the Army's C5ISR Modular Open Suite of Standards (CMOSS) architecture, a framework designed to allow rapid integration of new sensors, payloads, and weapons as threats evolve. The approach gives programme managers flexibility to adapt the platform without costly redesigns. Proven in contested environments. Gray Eagle ER demonstrated its multi-mission potential during Project Convergence Capstone-5 (PCC-5), the Army's large-scale modernisation experiment held last year. Operating in an electronically contested environment, the aircraft conducted persistent Detect, Identify, Locate, and Report (DILR) missions while simultaneously providing aerial mesh network support to manoeuvre units. The exercise highlighted how the platform can bridge communication gaps caused by terrain or range limitations, connecting soldiers and launched effects that might otherwise lose contact. Critically, it did this while remaining resilient to jamming. PCC-5 also demonstrated the platform's human-machine interface improvements, which reduce the cognitive burden on operators by automating certain inputs. Gray Eagle ER cross-cued ELINT, COMINT, SAR, and Aerial Tier Network Expansion (ATNE) data during the exercise, boosting force survivability across the Combined Joint Task Force. Strategic context. The upgrade reflects broader U.S. Army efforts to modernise its unmanned aerial systems for high-end conflict scenarios. As near-peer adversaries invest heavily in integrated air defence networks, the ability to detect, locate, and characterise those systems from standoff range has become a critical operational requirement. Gray Eagle ER's persistent endurance and open architecture position it as a central node in the Army's emerging intelligence and targeting networks.

Tendernews
Sep 25th, 2025
SNC, Embraer Ink A-29 Super Tucano Deal for US Foreign Military Sale

Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) has signed an agreement to purchase an A-29 Super Tucano light attack aircraft from Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer.

Halldale Group
Sep 24th, 2025
Training Role Secured in US AOC Program

CAE Defense & Security has been selected by Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) to provide training systems for the Survivable Airborne Operations Center (SAOC) program with the U.S. Air Force.

Insider Monkey
Aug 20th, 2025
AeroVironment (AVAV) Partners with Sierra Nevada for Air Defense System

On August 7, the company announced that it had formed a strategic partnership with Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) to develop an advanced air and missile defense system for the Golden Dome for America (GDA) initiative.

ExecutiveBiz
Jun 27th, 2025
Joe Kopacz Named AI Tech VP at SNC

Sierra Nevada Corp. has named Joe Kopacz as its first vice president of artificial intelligence technology.

INACTIVE