Engineer Senior Principal II – RF Payload Architect Security Clearance

Position: Engineer Senior Principal II – RF Payload Architect with Security Clearance
Engineer Senior Principal II - RF Payload Architect Senior Principal Level | Broomfield, CO | TS/SCI Eligible You architect RF payloads that translate mission need into technical reality. From remote sensing phenomenology to full mission integration, you ensure performance, affordability, and operational impact for next-generation space systems. A Day in the Life - What you'll do
• Lead remote sensing payload architecture development, system design reviews, audits, and performance verification
• Design, analyze, and model RF/MW payload systems within their mission context
• Perform performance predictions, trade studies, and risk assessments for remote sensing solutions
• Assess payload integration within space and ground architectures, CONOPs, and existing infrastructure
• Support assembly, integration, and test activities through milestone gate reviews, FCA/PCA audits, IRT/ART participation, and technical performance assessments
• Contribute to IRAD concepts, technology roadmaps, and strategic architectural planning for space payload capabilities
• Support capture, marketing, and proposal efforts through concept development, whitepapers, customer briefings, and winning discriminators
• Develop cost and schedule estimates to support BOEs, make/buy decisions, and proposal development
• Mentor and guide engineering staff while promoting technical excellence and knowledge reuse
• Maintain a hybrid on-site schedule (3+ days per week) with potential local travel

Required Qualifications
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related technical field from an accredited institution
• 10+ years of relevant RF, microwave, or remote sensing systems experience
• Eligibility and willingness to obtain and maintain a TS/SCI clearance
• Thorough understanding of RF payload subsystems including apertures, front-end electronics, software-defined radios, processing chains, and basic exploitation
• Knowledge of remote sensing phenomenology including radiometry, imaging, sounding, altimetry, scatterometry, radio occultation, and synthetic aperture radar (SAR)
• Experience defining and documenting remote sensing architectures, specifications, interfaces, CONOPs, environmental constraints, and functional requirements
• Experience assessing focused and distributed remote sensing architectures
• Experience with program gated life cycles and systems engineering processes
• Experience participating in or leading milestone reviews, anomaly reviews, and risk mitigation activities
• Experience supporting new business development including customer briefings and proposal writing
• Ability to estimate component, subsystem, and payload-level cost and schedule
• Strong written and verbal communication skills across technical and executive stakeholders
• Ability to communicate using systems and architecture diagrams and structured technical artifacts
• Ability to lead cross-functional engineering teams and mentor junior engineers

Preferred Qualifications
• Master's degree in Engineering or related field
• PhD in Electrical Engineering, Physics, or related discipline
• Experience applying Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) to architecture definition and payload design
• Experience using DoD or industry-standard architecture frameworks and modeling languages
• Experience supporting civil, military, or national space programs
• Experience contributing to engineering resource planning and technology roadmaps Who is Caribou Thunder? Caribou Thunder is a HUBZone-certified small business providing advanced technical and engineering services to the U.S. Department of War and its mission partners. 35+ states and 20+ countries. We've delivered trusted solutions for over two decades - strengthening national readiness across missions on land, undersea, in the air, and throughout LEO, MEO, GEO, and deep space.

Why Caribou Thunder? TEAM THUNDER - Mission Focused. Delivery Proven. Ready to Serve. Employee Advocacy Mission Proven Global Reach Skilled Teams Modern Tools Empowering Culture Our engineers and innovators ensure capability from sea floor to space frontier - delivering on time, maintaining compliance, and performing with precision in high-consequence environments. We specialize in Engineering Services, Cybersecurity, Software Development, Modeling & Simulation, Digital Engineering, and Artificial Intelligence - disciplines powering the nation's most complex technical missions.

Employee Advocacy + Benefits Our people are the heart of Caribou Thunder. We invest in their growth, flexibility, and well-being - knowing their success drives ours. Benefits include:
Premium Health, Dental & Vision Insurance 401(k) with 6% Company Match Flexible PTO & Work Schedule Education & Certification Reimbursement Support for Military Leave Work-Life Balance & Traditional Family Values Your future, your flexibility, your well-being - we invest in you. Apply and let's connect.