Principal / Lead Systems Engineer
First seen by Alion on Nov 5, 2026.
Principal / Lead Systems Engineer - Remote
Work Arrangement: Remote - US-based candidates preferred; qualified candidates worldwide considered
Employment Type: Contract
Compensation: $288,000-$576,000 per year (annualized equivalent)
Hourly Rate: $150-$300 per hour
Annualized compensation is an illustrative equivalent based on 40 hours/week × 48 weeks/year. Actual earnings depend on hours worked, project availability, and approved work.
About the Role
We are seeking experienced Principal and Lead Systems Engineers to contribute to an AI training project focused on complex, real-world engineering workflows.
In this role, you will apply your experience leading multidisciplinary engineering projects to design realistic tasks, coordinate contributions from domain experts, and define clear technical objectives and evaluation criteria. Your expertise will help improve how AI systems plan, execute, and validate engineering work.
Key Responsibilities
Design realistic engineering projects involving multiple disciplines, including mechanical, electrical, hardware, software, and manufacturing.
Translate project objectives into clear requirements, technical constraints, and measurable acceptance criteria.
Decompose complex projects into connected tasks with defined inputs, deliverables, dependencies, and expert responsibilities.
Coordinate contributions from domain experts to support multidisciplinary engineering workflows.
Establish technical objectives and evaluation criteria for engineering tasks.
Required Qualifications
Substantial professional experience as a Principal Systems Engineer, Lead Systems Engineer, or in a comparable technical leadership role.
Proven experience leading complex engineering projects involving multiple technical disciplines.
Strong expertise in requirements engineering, interface management, system integration, and verification and validation (V&V).
English proficiency at B2 level or higher.
Preferred Qualifications
A relevant master’s degree or PhD in Systems Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field.
Experience with model-based systems engineering (MBSE), SysML, or requirements management tools.
Experience leading projects from initial requirements through integration, testing, and delivery.
Experience in aerospace, automotive, robotics, industrial systems, medical devices, or other complex engineering environments.
Core Skills
Engineering project management
Cross-disciplinary technical leadership
Requirements engineering
Interface management
System integration
Verification and validation
Technical constraints and acceptance criteria
Engineering task decomposition
Model-based systems engineering