Surveillance Domain, SME

Responsibilities

The Surveillance Domain Subject Matter Expert (SME) serves as the senior technical authority for the FAA Surveillance Domain, leading a team of Architects and Systems Engineers to define the FAA vision for surveillance modernization and translate it into actionable Enterprise Architecture, capability roadmaps, and implementation-ready designs.

This role requires deep expertise with FAA surveillance systems and technologies, including airport surface surveillance (ASDE-X, ASSC), primary and secondary surveillance radars (PSR/SSR), ADS-B, and multilateration. The SME ensures surveillance architectures are interoperable, resilient, safety-oriented, and integrated with NAS automation, communications, cybersecurity, and operational constraints.

Key Responsibilities

* Serve as the principal Surveillance Domain advisor to FAA leadership and program stakeholders for surveillance modernization strategy, enterprise architecture, and technical governance.

* Lead an integrated team of Architects and Systems Engineers to develop surveillance domain architectures, reference designs, and transition strategies aligned to FAA priorities and NAS operational needs.

* Define the Surveillance Domain Vision-to-Execution blueprint, including target-state architecture, transition states, and migration sequencing that preserves operational continuity and reduces safety/operational risk.

* Own the surveillance enterprise design across surface, terminal, and en route surveillance capabilities-ensuring coherent integration of radar, ADS-B, multilateration, and fusion/distribution services to downstream consumers.

* Drive surveillance data architecture and interoperability, including interface definitions, performance requirements (latency, update rates, integrity/availability), data quality, and alignment with enterprise distribution patterns.

* Establish and chair domain-level architecture governance, including design reviews, reference patterns, standards profiles, interface control discipline, and technical debt management.

* Coordinate cross-domain integration with automation, telecommunications, cybersecurity, infrastructure/platform, and test & evaluation teams to ensure designs are secure, deployable, supportable, and verifiable.

* Lead technical trade studies and modernization planning, evaluating surveillance coverage strategies, sensor mix, fusion approaches, resiliency patterns, and lifecycle sustainment considerations.

* Guide operational suitability and sustainment alignment, ensuring architecture accounts for site constraints, maintenance windows, monitoring/observability, spares/logistics, and continuity-of-operations needs.

* Mentor and develop senior technical staff, building consistent engineering rigor, traceability, and architectural coherence across a complex, multi-stakeholder environment.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

* Minimum of 16 years with BS/BA or Minimum of 14 years with MS/MA

* Bachelor's degree in Systems Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Aerospace/Aviation Engineering, or a related discipline (or equivalent experience).

* 12+ years of experience in enterprise/system architecture, surveillance systems, sensor integration, or systems engineering on large-scale, mission-critical programs (aviation, defense, or similarly regulated environments).

* Hands-on FAA Surveillance Domain experience is required, including strong familiarity with one or more of:

* Demonstrated experience leading technical teams (architects/engineers) delivering enterprise architecture and domain designs across multiple stakeholders.

* Strong systems engineering foundation: requirements development, interface definition/ICDs, configuration management, design reviews, and verification/validation planning.

* Working knowledge of mission/safety-critical engineering considerations (availability, integrity, performance, graceful degradation, and operational continuity).

* Ability to communicate complex tradeoffs clearly to technical and non-technical stakeholders, including executive briefings and decision support.

* Ability to obtain and maintain a Public Trust (or higher), as required by the…