Systems Engineer SME

GovCIO is currently seeking a Systems Engineer SME to provide expert-level systems architecture, engineering integration, and technical assurance for complex, multi-vendor infrastructure supporting U.S. Government and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) missions. The role supports enterprise data centers, computing and storage platforms, networks, cybersecurity systems, and Virtual Training Environments (VTEs) across CONUS and OCONUS locations. This position is based in Tampa, Florida, with on-site participation and flexible remote work based on mission and project requirements.

Responsibilities

The Systems Engineer SME serves as a senior technical authority within assigned engineering efforts, translating validated operational and contractual requirements into secure, scalable, resilient, and supportable systems designs. The incumbent leads complex systems-engineering analyses, provides independent design and integration assessments, and guides multidisciplinary teams through requirements definition, design, procurement support, implementation, verification, acceptance, and sustainment. The role advises program and engineering leadership on technical trade-offs and risks without replacing designated program-management, contractual, or enterprise technical authorities.

Additional Responsibilities:

• Lead systems architecture and engineering integration across enterprise computing, storage, networking, virtualization, identity services, operating systems, cloud-connected infrastructure, and mission applications.
• Translate mission needs, contractual requirements, and stakeholder objectives into measurable system-level specifications, interface definitions, verification criteria, and derived engineering requirements.
• Develop and evaluate current-state and target-state architectures, alternatives analyses, capacity assessments, technology refresh options, and design trade studies considering performance, availability, cybersecurity, interoperability, and lifecycle cost.
• Provide expert technical direction for complex Windows Server, Linux/UNIX, Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, group policy, identity and access services, enterprise storage, backup, and infrastructure management implementations.
• Architect, integrate, and troubleshoot virtualized and converged/hyperconverged infrastructure, including VMware, Hyper-V, or equivalent platforms, and support hybrid cloud integration where mission requirements apply.
• Lead system interface analysis and integration planning across NOCs, SOCs/CSOCs, enterprise data centers, VTEs, network services, security appliances, and distributed partner-nation environments.
• Develop and review System Design Plans (SDPs), Engineering Implementation Plans (EIPs), architecture diagrams, interface control documents, Requirements Traceability Matrices (RTMs), Bills of Materials (BOMs), Work Breakdown Structures (WBSs), and configuration baselines.
• Lead or support Preliminary Design Reviews (PDRs), Critical Design Reviews (CDRs), proof-of-concept validation, integration tests, System Acceptance Testing (SAT), and technical readiness assessments; document findings and required corrective actions.
• Define and review system verification and customer acceptance procedures; confirm test evidence demonstrates compliance with approved functional, performance, interoperability, cybersecurity, and reliability requirements.
• Assess technical changes, failures, defects, and engineering risks; conduct root-cause analysis and recommend corrective action, configuration controls, resilience improvements, and sustainable remediation.
• Partner with cybersecurity engineers to incorporate RMF/NIST requirements, secure configuration, least privilege, vulnerability remediation, logging, continuity, disaster recovery, and high-availability controls into system designs.
• Advise U.S. Government stakeholders, partner-nation representatives, OEMs, subcontractors, and engineering leadership on architecture decisions, integration dependencies, technical risks, and implementation feasibility; mentor senior engineers and share reusable engineering standards.
• Support technical evaluations, solution demonstrations, site surveys, procurement planning, modernization efforts, and technical proposals; evaluate products for interoperability, supportability, licensing, vendor dependencies, and obsolescence risks.

Qualifications

High School with 10+ years (or commensurate experience) Clearance: SECRET

Education & Experience

• High School diploma with 10+ years of progressively responsible experience in enterprise systems engineering, systems architecture, integration, or equivalent technical disciplines; or a bachelor’s degree with 6+ years; or a relevant master’s degree with 4+ years of experience. Equivalent combinations of education, military training, certifications, and directly relevant experience may be considered.
• Demonstrated progression beyond senior engineer responsibilities, including independent ownership of complex architecture decisions, technical integration efforts, design assurance, and subject matter guidance across multidisciplinary engineering teams.

Security Requirements

• Active SECRET clearance required at time of application.
• Ability to maintain required U.S. Government security access and comply with applicable cybersecurity, information handling, and system authorization requirements.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Certifications

• Expert knowledge of enterprise systems architecture, systems engineering, requirements analysis, integration, troubleshooting, technical baselines, design documentation, and lifecycle verification.
• Advanced experience designing, integrating, and sustaining mission-critical multi-vendor data center infrastructure, enterprise servers, storage, networking services, virtualization, and distributed IT systems.
• Strong hands-on proficiency with Windows Server and Linux/UNIX administration, Active Directory, DNS/DHCP, identity services, configuration management, patching, and system hardening.
• Demonstrated expertise with VMware, Hyper-V, or comparable virtualization technologies and converged or hyperconverged infrastructure, including capacity, availability, performance, backup, and recovery considerations.
• Working knowledge of networking fundamentals, TCP/IP, OSI layers, routing and switching dependencies, firewalls, system interfaces, and enterprise service interoperability.
• Experience producing system architecture diagrams, requirements and interface documents, engineering plans, technical risk analyses, validation procedures, and evidence-based technical recommendations.
• Ability to lead engineering reviews, resolve cross-discipline integration issues, assess design maturity, and brief technical and nontechnical stakeholders on risks, options, and recommendations.
• Knowledge of cybersecurity-by-design practices and relevant DoD RMF/NIST controls sufficient to coordinate effectively with cybersecurity and authorization teams.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Visio, Lucidchart, AutoCAD, or comparable architecture and network-drawing tools, along with Microsoft Office and engineering documentation tools.
• Current certification satisfying the applicable DoD 8140 work-role requirements, as determined by the designated position; an IAT Level II–aligned certification such as Security+ CE or an approved equivalent may satisfy applicable legacy contract language. Final certification mapping is subject to the contract and position designation.
• Valid U.S. Passport and willingness to travel internationally up to 40% to customer sites in Eastern Europe, Africa, South America, and other mission locations.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in Systems Engineering, Computer Science, Information Technology, Computer Engineering, Information Systems, or a related technical discipline.
• Advanced technical credentials such as MCSE, VMware Certified Professional (VCP), Microsoft Azure Administrator/Architect, AWS Solutions Architect, Linux professional certifications, or INCOSE Certified Systems Engineering Professional (CSEP).
• Experience supporting U.S. Government, DoD, NATO, coalition, or FMS projects; international integration, site surveys, technical exchanges, and partner-nation capability development.
• Experience with NOC/SOC/CSOC infrastructure, Virtual Training Environments, hybrid-cloud services, enterprise monitoring, automation, systems management, and resilient mission architectures.
• Experience establishing engineering reference architectures, design standards, technical review checklists, system-health metrics, and repeatable systems-integration practices.
• Prior military experience in Signal, Communications, Cyber, Information Technology, or equivalent technical roles.
• Demonstrated ability to mentor experienced engineers, coordinate OEM technical teams, and guide complex solutions from design through deployment, acceptance, and sustainment.

Posted Salary Range

USD $135,500.00 - USD $150,000.00 /Yr. The Systems Engineer SME serves as a senior technical authority within assigned engineering efforts, translating validated operational and contractual requirements into secure, scalable, resilient, and supportable systems designs. The incumbent leads complex systems-engineering analyses, provides independent design and integration assessments, and guides multidisciplinary teams through requirements definition, design, procurement support, implementation, verification, acceptance, and sustainment. The role advises program and engineering leadership on technical trade-offs and risks without replacing designated program-management, contractual, or enterprise technical authorities.

Additional Responsibilities:

• Lead systems architecture and engineering integration across enterprise computing, storage, networking, virtualization, identity services, operating systems, cloud-connected infrastructure, and mission applications.
• Translate mission needs, contractual requirements, and stakeholder objectives into measurable system-level specifications, interface definitions, verification criteria, and derived engineering requirements.
• Develop and evaluate current-state and target-state architectures, alternatives analyses, capacity assessments, technology refresh options, and design trade studies considering performance, availability, cybersecurity, interoperability, and lifecycle cost.
• Provide expert technical direction for complex Windows Server, Linux/UNIX, Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, group policy, identity and access services, enterprise storage, backup, and infrastructure management implementations.
• Architect, integrate, and troubleshoot virtualized and converged/hyperconverged infrastructure, including VMware, Hyper-V, or equivalent platforms, and support hybrid cloud integration where mission requirements apply.
• Lead system interface analysis and integration planning across NOCs, SOCs/CSOCs, enterprise data centers, VTEs, network services, security appliances, and distributed partner-nation environments.
• Develop and review System Design Plans (SDPs), Engineering Implementation Plans (EIPs), architecture diagrams, interface control documents, Requirements Traceability Matrices (RTMs), Bills of Materials (BOMs), Work Breakdown Structures (WBSs), and configuration baselines.
• Lead or support Preliminary Design Reviews (PDRs), Critical Design Reviews (CDRs), proof-of-concept validation, integration tests, System Acceptance Testing (SAT), and technical readiness assessments; document findings and required corrective actions.
• Define and review system verification and customer acceptance procedures; confirm test evidence demonstrates compliance with approved functional, performance, interoperability, cybersecurity, and reliability requirements.
• Assess technical changes, failures, defects, and engineering risks; conduct root-cause analysis and recommend corrective action, configuration controls, resilience improvements, and sustainable remediation.
• Partner with cybersecurity engineers to incorporate RMF/NIST requirements, secure configuration, least privilege, vulnerability remediation, logging, continuity, disaster recovery, and high-availability controls into system designs.
• Advise U.S. Government stakeholders, partner-nation representatives, OEMs, subcontractors, and engineering leadership on architecture decisions, integration dependencies, technical risks, and implementation feasibility; mentor senior engineers and share reusable engineering standards.
• Support technical evaluations, solution demonstrations, site surveys, procurement planning, modernization efforts, and technical proposals; evaluate products for interoperability, supportability, licensing, vendor dependencies, and obsolescence risks.

High School with 10+ years (or commensurate experience) Clearance: SECRET

Education & Experience

• High School diploma with 10+ years of progressively responsible experience in enterprise systems engineering, systems architecture, integration, or equivalent technical disciplines; or a bachelor’s degree with 6+ years; or a relevant master’s degree with 4+ years of experience. Equivalent combinations of education, military training, certifications, and directly relevant experience may be considered.
• Demonstrated progression beyond senior engineer responsibilities, including independent ownership of complex architecture decisions, technical integration efforts, design assurance, and subject matter guidance across multidisciplinary engineering teams.

Security Requirements

• Active SECRET clearance required at time of application.
• Ability to maintain required U.S. Government security access and comply with applicable cybersecurity, information handling, and system authorization requirements.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Certifications

• Expert knowledge of enterprise systems architecture, systems engineering, requirements analysis, integration, troubleshooting, technical baselines, design documentation, and lifecycle verification.
• Advanced experience designing, integrating, and sustaining mission-critical multi-vendor data center infrastructure, enterprise servers, storage, networking services, virtualization, and distributed IT systems.
• Strong hands-on proficiency with Windows Server and Linux/UNIX administration, Active Directory, DNS/DHCP, identity services, configuration management, patching, and system hardening.
• Demonstrated expertise with VMware, Hyper-V, or comparable virtualization technologies and converged or hyperconverged infrastructure, including capacity, availability, performance, backup, and recovery considerations.
• Working knowledge of networking fundamentals, TCP/IP, OSI layers, routing and switching dependencies, firewalls, system interfaces, and enterprise service interoperability.
• Experience producing system architecture diagrams, requirements and interface documents, engineering plans, technical risk analyses, validation procedures, and evidence-based technical recommendations.
• Ability to lead engineering reviews, resolve cross-discipline integration issues, assess design maturity, and brief technical and nontechnical stakeholders on risks, options, and recommendations.
• Knowledge of cybersecurity-by-design practices and relevant DoD RMF/NIST controls sufficient to coordinate effectively with cybersecurity and authorization teams.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Visio, Lucidchart, AutoCAD, or comparable architecture and network-drawing tools, along with Microsoft Office and engineering documentation tools.
• Current certification satisfying the applicable DoD 8140 work-role requirements, as determined by the designated position; an IAT Level II–aligned certification such as Security+ CE or an approved equivalent may satisfy applicable legacy contract language. Final certification mapping is subject to the contract and position designation.
• Valid U.S. Passport and willingness to travel internationally up to 40% to customer sites in Eastern Europe, Africa, South America, and other mission locations.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in Systems Engineering, Computer Science, Information Technology, Computer Engineering, Information Systems, or a related technical discipline.
• Advanced technical credentials such as MCSE, VMware Certified Professional (VCP), Microsoft Azure Administrator/Architect, AWS Solutions Architect, Linux professional certifications, or INCOSE Certified Systems Engineering Professional (CSEP).
• Experience supporting U.S. Government, DoD, NATO, coalition, or FMS projects; international integration, site surveys, technical exchanges, and partner-nation capability development.
• Experience with NOC/SOC/CSOC infrastructure, Virtual Training Environments, hybrid-cloud services, enterprise monitoring, automation, systems management, and resilient mission architectures.
• Experience establishing engineering reference architectures, design standards, technical review checklists, system-health metrics, and repeatable systems-integration practices.
• Prior military experience in Signal, Communications, Cyber, Information Technology, or equivalent technical roles.
• Demonstrated ability to mentor experienced engineers, coordinate OEM technical teams, and guide complex solutions from design through deployment, acceptance, and sustainment.