{"id":787751,"url":"https://alion.io/job/umbra-ground-systems-engineer-architect","title":"Ground Systems Engineer & Architect","company":{"id":58866,"name":"Umbra","domain":"umbra.space","url":"https://alion.io/company/umbra-space","size_band":null,"is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Workable","truth_index":{"grade":"A","score":86,"open_postings":8,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":0.375,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":63,"computed_at":"2026-10-17T05:46:00Z"}},"role":"Hardware","role_family":"Hardware","seniority":"staff","employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Reston, United States","Arlington, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":195000,"max":235000,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":235000},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":null,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":true,"technologies":[{"name":"C++","optional":false},{"name":"Docker","optional":false},{"name":"Kubernetes","optional":false},{"name":"Python","optional":false}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-07-15T00:00:00Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-07-15","last_verified_at":"2026-10-17T14:01:53Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":94,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":94},"description":"Umbra is an American space technology company delivering advanced systems, from sensors to spacecraft, that empower customers worldwide with unmatched access to critical information from space. Our mission is simple and ambitious: redefine space-for people, systems, and missions in every domain. Umbra’s ecosystem operates through three business units: Remote Sensing (the data), Space Systems (the components), and Mission Solutions (the platforms). Together, our teams develop capabilities that deliver persistent access, resilient performance, and mission-ready solutions, advancing U.S. space leadership while keeping the world safe and informed.\nAbout the Team\nMission Solutions - The Platforms\nMission Solutions builds on Umbra’s expertise in remote sensing and spacecraft operations to engineer platforms purpose-built for U.S. and allied defense and intelligence missions. Whether it’s a custom payload, a full-stack spacecraft, or the infrastructure behind an entire constellation, our team delivers secure, resilient systems tailored to exacting requirements and built on timelines that match the urgency of the mission.\nIf you want to work on cutting-edge space technology that’s redefining what’s possible in space platforms, you belong here at Umbra.\nAbout the Job\nThe Ground Systems Engineer & Architect is responsible for defining, designing, integrating, and validating secure, mission-critical ground systems supporting advanced space, ISR, and national security missions. This hands-on technical role serves as the ground systems architecture lead, translating mission requirements into scalable, resilient, and secure enterprise solutions across classified computing environments. The position is responsible for developing ground system architectures, interface definitions, COMSEC implementations, RED/BLACK network designs, and integration strategies while leading system verification, operational testing, and customer design reviews throughout the program lifecycle. Working closely with software, hardware, network, cybersecurity, and mission engineering teams, the Ground Systems Engineer & Architect ensures successful delivery of modern ground infrastructures leveraging virtualization, containerized services, DevSecOps practices, and enterprise IT technologies to enable reliable mission operations for U.S. Government and Intelligence Community customers.\nThis position is based on-site in our Reston, VA or Arlington, VA office.\nKey Responsibilities\nArchitect Secure Ground Systems: Define and develop end-to-end architectures for mission-critical ground systems supporting space, ISR, and national security missions, ensuring scalable, resilient, and secure enterprise solutions.\nLead System Integration & Verification: Plan and execute system integration, verification, validation, and operational test activities to ensure ground systems meet mission, performance, cybersecurity, and operational requirements.\nDesign Secure Enterprise Infrastructure: Develop and implement secure computing environments including COMSEC, RED/BLACK architectures, cross-domain interfaces, classified networking, Kubernetes/Docker containerized services, virtualization, storage, and enterprise IT infrastructure. \nDrive Technical Leadership & Customer Engagement: Serve as the technical authority for ground system design, leading requirements development, interface definition, technical trade studies, and presenting technical solutions at customer reviews including SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR, and ORR. \nEnable Mission Operations & Modern Engineering Practices: Collaborate across multidisciplinary engineering teams to deliver mission-ready ground capabilities using systems engineering best practices, DevSecOps, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), automation, and modern software deployment pipelines supporting U.S. Government and Intelligence Community programs.\nRequirements\nRequired Qualifications\nBachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related technical discipline.\nActive TS/SCI security clearance with the ability to maintain access.\n8-12+ years of professional experience in systems engineering, software engineering, infrastructure engineering, or ground systems engineering supporting complex government or aerospace programs.\nExperience designing, architecting, integrating, and verifying mission-critical ground systems supporting Intelligence Community (IC), DoD, space, ISR, or other national security programs, including system architecture, interface definition, requirements development, and verification planning.\nExperience developing and implementing Communications Security (COMSEC) plans, key management, and secure communications requirements.\nStrong understanding of RED/BLACK architectures, secure system boundary design, cross-domain considerations, and classified network security principles.\nExperience with IT infrastructure and network integration, including secure networking, virtualization, storage, servers, and enterprise computing environments.\nExperience developing Kubernetes/Docker containerized services.\nStrong systems engineering experience leading system integration, verification, validation, operational testing, and requirements decomposition for complex ground systems.\nDesired Qualifications\nMaster's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Systems Engineering, or a related technical discipline.\n15+ years of professional experience in systems engineering, software engineering, infrastructure engineering, or ground systems engineering supporting complex government or aerospace programs.\nExperience supporting ISR, SAR, or other space-based intelligence collection missions.\nExcellent written and verbal communication skills with experience collaborating across multidisciplinary engineering teams and government stakeholders.\nProficiency in one or more programming languages such as Python, C/C++\nHands-on experience with enterprise IT hardware, including servers, networking equipment, storage appliances, and virtualization platforms.\nExperience with automated integration and test frameworks, scripting, and laboratory development.\nFamiliarity with DevSecOps practices, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), and modern software deployment pipelines.\nKnowledge of satellite mission operations, TT&C systems, mission planning, or ground data processing architectures.\nExperience supporting U.S. Government, DoD, Intelligence Community, or NRO space programs.\nBenefits\nFlexible Time Off, Sick, Family & Medical Leave\nMedical, Dental, Vision, Life, LTD, STD (employer funded)\nVol Life, Critical Illness, Accidental, Hospital Indemnity, Pet Insurance (employee funded)\n401k with 3% non-elective company contribution\nStock Options\nFree parking\nFree lunch in office daily\nUmbra is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate in hiring on the basis of sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religious creed, national origin, physical or mental disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. U.S. Citizenship is required for all positions requiring an active U.S. Government security clearance or the ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance.\nEmployment Eligibility Verification\nIn compliance with federal laws, all hired persons will be required to verify their identity and eligibility to work in the United States by completing the required Employment Eligibility Verification Form (I-9 Form) upon hire.\nITAR/EAR Requirements\nThis position may include access to technology and/or data that is subject to U.S. export controls pursuant to ITAR and EAR. To comply with federal export controls, all persons hired must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, U.S. lawful permanent resident, refugee or asylee as defined by 8 U.S.C. § 1324b(a)(3), or must otherwise be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State and/or U.S. Department of Commerce as applicable.\nPay Transparency\nThis job posting may cover multiple career levels. To ensure greater transparency, we provide base salary ranges for all roles, regardless of location. Our standard pay ranges are based on the role’s function and level, benchmarked against similar growth-stage companies. Compensation may vary based on geographical location, as certain regions may have different cost-of-living factors. The final offer will also be influenced by the candidate's skills, responsibilities, and relevant experience.\nCompensation Range\nThe Compensation Range for this role is $195,000 - $235,000 DOE.","description_format":"text","description_chars":8576,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":null,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"bachelor","optional":false},"security_clearance":true,"languages":[]},"benefits":["401k plan","Flexible time off","Stock options"],"hiring_locations":[{"name":"United States","iso":"US","kind":"country"}],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Space & Aerospace","Earth Observation"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-09-12T02:26:29Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":{"score":37,"band":"fade","label":"Fading","p_open":1,"p_active":0.664,"p_room":0.55,"age_days":94,"expected_fill_days":63,"reasons":["conf:1","velocity","win:tail"],"computed_at":"2026-10-17T05:46:00Z"},"pay":{"stated_usd_annual":235000,"is_top_pay":false},"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/umbra-ground-systems-engineer-architect","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/umbra-ground-systems-engineer-architect.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-10-17T14:42:25Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":19797,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-10-18T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":58866},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=58866"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fumbra-ground-systems-engineer-architect"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Fumbra-ground-systems-engineer-architect"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Fumbra-ground-systems-engineer-architect"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/umbra-ground-systems-engineer-architect\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fumbra-ground-systems-engineer-architect"}]}