Missile Warning Systems Engineer (TS clearance)

Vantor is forging the new frontier of spatial intelligence, helping decision makers and operators navigate what’s happening now and shape what’s coming next. Vantor is a place for problem solvers, changemakers, and go-getters - where people are working together to help our customers see the world differently, and in doing so, be seen differently. Come be part of a mission, not just a job, where you can: Shape your own future, build the next big thing, and change the world.

To be eligible for this position, you must be a U.S. Citizen. This position requires an active U.S. Government security clearance, applicants who do not currently hold the required clearance will not be eligible for consideration. Employment for cleared roles is contingent upon verification of clearance status.

Export Control/ITAR: Certain roles may be subject to U.S. export control laws, requiring U.S. person status as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3).

Please review the job details below.

Vantor is seeking a Mission Engineer to support the U.S. Space Force and our teammates in advancing integrated missile warning and missile tracking capabilities. Supporting Space Systems Command (SSC) and the Space Systems Integration Office (SSIO), you will apply mission engineering and systems-of-systems engineering to identify capability gaps, resolve integration challenges, and improve end-to-end mission threads and kill chains.

In this role, you will connect operational needs to technical requirements across space-based sensors, ground systems, communications networks, data processing, and command and control. You will work with government and industry teams to understand mission dependencies and develop recommendations that inform enterprise integration priorities.

Responsibilities

• Develop mission engineering threads, operational scenarios, and Mission Engineering Thread (MET) modules that define the systems, capabilities, interfaces, and dependencies needed for missile warning and tracking missions.
• Conduct mission analysis to identify operational requirements, capability shortfalls, and integration challenges across end-to-end architectures.
• Identify, document, and assess risks, issues, and gaps affecting mission capabilities, system dependencies, and operational effectiveness.
• Translate mission needs into technical and integration requirements that support end-to-end kill-chain closure.
• Evaluate dependencies across space-based sensors, ground systems, communications networks, data processing, and command-and-control architectures.
• Assess sensor integration and the contributions of positioning, navigation and timing (PNT), satellite communications (SATCOM), electronic warfare (EW), and moving target indicator (MTI) capabilities to integrated mission execution.
• Develop engineering assessments and recommendations to address capability shortfalls, improve sensor-to-command-and-control integration, and inform enterprise priorities.
• Collaborate with government, program offices, engineering teams, and joint mission partners, including the Army and Navy, to define operational needs and address cross-system integration challenges.

Required Qualifications

• Top Secret clearance.
• Bachelor’s degree.
• 8+ years of experience applying mission engineering, systems engineering, or systems-of-systems engineering methods to operational missions and capability integration challenges.
• 5+ years of experience developing mission engineering threads, scenarios, or operational architectures that identify systems, capabilities, interfaces, and mission dependencies.
• Experience conducting mission analysis to identify operational requirements, capability shortfalls, and integration challenges affecting missile warning and tracking.
• Experience identifying, documenting, and assessing risks, issues, and gaps associated with mission capabilities and system dependencies.
• Understanding of missile warning and missile tracking capabilities, including space-based sensors and supporting ground systems.
• Understanding of sensor integration, data processing, communications, and information exchange requirements supporting missile warning and tracking operations.
• Understanding of PNT, SATCOM, and EW capabilities and their roles in integrated mission execution.
• Understanding of command-and-control architectures, space and ground systems, and the interfaces supporting sensor-to-command-and-control integration and joint missions.
• TS/SCI clearance.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting the U.S. Space Force, U.S. Space Command, SSC, or other Department of War space organizations.
• Knowledge of MET development or similar enterprise mission engineering initiatives.
• Ability to analyze end-to-end missile warning and tracking kill chains and identify requirements needed to close mission gaps.
• Experience supporting missile warning, missile tracking, missile defense, or integrated air and missile defense mission planning and operations.
• Knowledge of space-based sensors and their integration with ground-based processing, exploitation, and dissemination architectures.
• Experience assessing sensor-to-command-and-control integration, including data exchange, information flow, interfaces, and interoperability.
• Knowledge of space, ground, and terrestrial architectures and the dependencies and interfaces affecting mission execution.
• Experience integrating requirements across joint mission partners, including the Army, Navy, and other Services.
• Familiarity with MTI capabilities, sensor integration, and associated data flows.

Work Location

This position is based in El Segundo, California, supporting work at Los Angeles Air Force Base. Onsite attendance is required at least 2–3 days per week. Meetings and program schedules may require additional onsite days.

Clearance: Top Secret Required

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Pay Transparency: To support pay transparency, Vantor includes salary ranges in all U.S. job postings. Starting pay for this role will fall within the listed range and will be based on factors such as experience, qualifications, skills, location, and market conditions. Candidates who meet the minimum requirements for the role should not expect to receive compensation at the top of the range. The listed range reflects the expected pay for this position, and final offers will be determined based on each candidate’s experience, expertise, and alignment with the role.

• The base pay for this position within California is: $147,000.00 - $196,000.00 - $215,600.00 annually.

For all other states, we use geographic cost of labor as an input to develop market-driven ranges for our roles, and as such, each location where we hire may have a different range.

Benefits: Vantor offers a competitive total rewards package that goes beyond the standard, including a robust 401(k) with company match, mental health resources, and unique perks like student loan repayment assistance, adoption reimbursement and pet insurance to support all aspects of your life. You can find more information on our benefits at: https://www.Vantor.com/careers

The application window is three days from the date the job is posted and will remain posted until a qualified candidate has been identified for hire. If the job is reposted regardless of reason, it will remain posted three days from the date the job is reposted and will remain reposted until a qualified candidate has been identified for hire.

The date of posting can be found on Vantor's Career page at the top of each job posting.

To apply, submit your application via Vantor's Career page.

EEO Policy: Vantor is an equal opportunity employer committed to an inclusive workplace. We believe in fostering an environment where all team members feel respected, valued, and encouraged to share their ideas. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, protected veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.