Electro Optical Engineer

Electro Optical Engineer

Description

SAIC is seeking

Ground Electro‑Optical (EO) Engineer

to support SAIC’s Prime Program, Aretuza in Chantilly, VA. Aretuza SAIC's large SETA program, supporting the NRO’s Ground Enterprise Directorate (GED), responsible for the acquisition of systems over the complete end-to-end life cycle.

In this role, you will also serve as a trusted technical advisor driving the development and modernization of next‑generation EO GEOINT mission processing capabilities. You will collaborate closely with government leaders, development contractors, and mission partners to shape resilient, high‑performance solutions that directly support national security priorities.

Key Responsibilities to include:

Advance EO resiliency initiatives by evaluating emerging technologies, identifying vulnerabilities, and guiding mission‑enhancing solutions in partnership with IC stakeholders.

Maintain technical cognizance across a broad GEOINT mission processing portfolio, tracking baselines, schedules, dependencies, risks, and cost drivers to ensure program success.

Oversee Prime Contractor development efforts, providing technical insight and ensuring software development, integration, and testing activities align with government requirements and mission objectives.

Advise senior and mid‑level government leadership on architectural decisions, investment strategies, acquisition priorities, and risk assessments shaping the future Ground Enterprise.

Develop and coordinate Concepts of Operations (CONOPS) for new capabilities, ensuring alignment across mission threads and stakeholder organizations.

Define enterprise, system, functional, performance, and interface requirements that guide the development of modern, scalable GEOINT processing applications.

Conduct performance assessments and deliver cost, schedule, and risk impact analyses for current and future Ground architecture implementations.

Evaluate vendor proposals and technical documentation, assessing design artifacts for alignment with mission needs, technical standards, and acquisition best practices.

Qualifications

Required Education & Experience

Bachelors and nine (9) years or more experience; Masters and seven (7) years or more experience ; PhD or JD and four (4) years or more experience. Relevant experience to be substituted in lieu of degree.

Active Top Secret/SCI with Polygraph.

Experience with Electro‑Optical systems, including tasking, command & control, collection, mission processing, or dissemination.

Domain knowledge in Ground Software, Space Development Programs, or Mission Operations.

Experience supporting requirements development and definition activities.

Strong organizational, time‑management, and communication skills, with the ability to convey complex information across diverse customer and corporate audiences.

Proficiency with the Microsoft Office tool suite.

Target salary range: $160,001 - $200,000. The estimate displayed represents the typical salary range for this position based on experience and other factors.