Senior System Engineer (TS/SCI with CI Poly) {S}

ARKA Group L.P. (“ARKA”) is an advanced technologies company serving the U.S. military, intelligence community, and commercial space industry delivering next-generation solutions to support the national security space enterprise. Built on more than six decades of excellence, ARKA brings modern approaches and a culture of innovation to the challenges of today.

Join the ARKA team to learn how Beyond Begins Here. Discover your next career opportunity now!

Position Overview:

This position is for a Senior Systems Engineer supporting a mission-critical software and AI/ML product development program. You will be embedded in a high-performing, Agile delivery team to transition complex software and AI-enabled capabilities into operational use.

In this role, you will report to the Program Chief Engineer and provide technical support across multiple product teams operating on an Agile release cadence. You will act as a technical integrator and systems thinker, ensuring alignment between user needs, system architecture, software implementation, and verification outcomes.

Because this is a software-centric, Agile lifecycle, work assignments will evolve frequently. The role emphasizes continuous requirements refinement informed by user feedback, and close collaboration with software, data, and ML engineers. Typical activities may include requirements elicitation and management, system and software architecture support, backlog refinement, design and interface documentation, automated test definition, AI/ML output evaluation, and model-based and digital systems engineering practices.

We are seeking systems engineers who are curious, adaptable, and self-directed, and who thrive in environments where systems engineering is embedded within modern software and AI/ML product teams, rather than performed as a serial or document-driven function.

In support of work/life balance, many positions are available for a flexible schedule within the pay period.  Ask us about the opportunity for flex scheduling if that’s of interest to you. 

We offer generous relocation benefits for eligible candidates.

Key Responsibilities:

• Analyze stakeholder intent and user workflows to shape requirements, features, and user stories, serving as a user proxy to ensure system functionality meets operational needs
• Act as a knowledgeable user proxy by executing and evaluating prototype capabilities, AI/ML outputs, and user experience implementations to assess operational suitability, usability, and alignment with intended outcomes
• Collaborate with product owners, software engineers, data scientists, ML engineers, UX designers, and test teams to support continuous integration, verification, and validation of AI-enabled capabilities
• Support UI/UX concept development (e.g., wireframes or mockups) to inform user-centered design and operational workflows
• Contribute to automated test strategy, including definition of verification criteria and support to test implementation
• Provide informal technical leadership and guidance across multiple Agile software and AI/ML development teams
• Maintain requirements transparency and traceability across system, software, and AI/ML components throughout the development lifecycle
• Perform end-to-end requirements management, including decomposition, allocation, traceability, verification mapping, and development of compliance artifacts
• Develop and maintain system architecture artifacts, interface definitions, and design documentation using digital engineering best practices
• Generate and maintain formal program artifacts such as system specifications, interface control documents (ICDs), software description documents (SDDs), V&V documentation, and user-facing technical documentation
• Support the Chief Engineer with technical planning, interface coordination, risk tracking, and milestone readiness
• Participate in customer engagements, program reviews, government test events, and discrepancy review boards as a systems engineering representative

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in systems engineering, software engineering, computer science, or a related STEM discipline
• Minimum of 5 years of systems engineering experience supporting software-intensive systems across the full development lifecycle
• Ability to serve as an operationally informed stand-in for the customer by executing the system, interpreting AI outputs, and assessing fitness-for-purpose against defined operational questions, stakeholder intent, and system performance objectives
• Demonstrated experience working hands-on within Agile development teams, including writing and refining epics, features, and user stories; defining acceptance criteria; and participating in sprint planning, reviews, and retrospectives
• Strong background in requirements management, including decomposition, allocation, bidirectional traceability, and verification planning
• Experience supporting system integration, verification, and validation (IV&V) for software-based systems
• Ability to collaborate effectively with software engineers, data scientists, ML engineers, UX designers, and test teams
• Experience developing and maintaining technical documentation such as system specifications, interface control documents (ICDs), and software design descriptions
• Demonstrated strong communication, interpersonal, and collaboration skills, with experience engaging technical and non-technical stakeholders and working effectively across distributed and virtual Agile teams
• Active TS/SCI U.S. Government Security Clearance with current CI Polygraph

Preferred Qualifications:

• Proven business acumen, with the ability to balance technical trade studies, schedule, cost, and mission outcomes
• Working knowledge of AI/ML concepts and technologies, including model training workflows, data pipelines, and performance considerations
• Experience with Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) and digital engineering tools such as Cameo Systems Modeler or equivalent
• Experience defining and executing automated verification strategies, including the use of automated tests to satisfy formal system and software requirements
• Familiarity with government Site Acceptance Testing (SAT) processes, procedures, and documentation
• Experience designing and integrating software-defined interfaces, including interface specification and implementation using XML, JSON, or similar data exchange formats
• Experience contributing to or developing software and system architectures using digital engineering and architecture modeling tools
• Familiarity with cloud-based system architectures, including deployment and accreditation considerations for U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) environments
• Experience supporting operational deployment and sustainment of multi-product baselines and incremental capability releases
• Experience with satellite communications (SATCOM) and/or geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) systems
• Experience using requirements management tools such as IBM DOORS or DOORS Next Generation
• Experience working in Git-based configuration management environments, such as GitLab
• Current DoD 8570/8140 IAT Level II or III certification (e.g., Security+, CISSP, CASP+)

Pay Range: $120,000 - $180,000

Your actual level and base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience.

The application window will close in 60 days for this position

Location: Aurora, CO

Being situated at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, Aurora provides opportunities to enjoy all the beautiful nature that Colorado has to offer, while also being a 20-minute drive from downtown Denver and 15-minutes to the Denver International Airport.

What We Offer:

• Comprehensive medical/vision/dental insurance packages
• Company contributions to qualified HSA accounts
• 401k retirement plan with industry leading company contributions
• 3 weeks of vacation accrual per year plus time off for sick leave and unscheduled life events
• 13 paid holidays
• Upfront tuition assistance for approved degree programs
• Annual bonus program based on company and employee performance
• Company paid life insurance, AD&D, Short-Term and Long-Term disability insurance
• 4 weeks paid Parental Leave
• Employee assistance program (EAP)

EHS/Environmental Requirements:

This job operates in a professional office environment. While performing the duties of this job, the employee routinely is required to use hands to keyboard, communicate, listen to, and interpret instructions and remain stationary for extended periods of the time. This would require the ability to move around the campus and occasionally move/lift items weighing up to 25 lbs.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.

Applicants are invited to apply for a reasonable accommodation to perform the essential duties of the job. To apply, send a request to [email protected] or contact 203-797-5000 and press 2 for Human Resources.

ITC & Security Clearance Requirements:

This position requires an active TS/SCI with CI Poly U.S. Government Security Clearance.

Visa Restrictions:

No visa sponsorship is available for this position.

Pre-employment Screenings:

Employment with any ARKA companies in the U.S. is contingent upon satisfactory completion of several pre-employment requirements to include a credit check, background check, and drug screen.