Mission Systems Lead

About the role

Astro Mechanica is seeking a Mission Systems Lead to join our rapidly scaling Defense Systems team and define the future of tactical autonomy. In this role, you will own the end-to-end mission systems architecture for advanced autonomous and collaborative aircraft, ensuring seamless integration of sensors, communications, and effectors. You will drive critical trade studies that balance lethality, affordability, and schedule to meet the most demanding warfighter objectives. The position requires close collaboration with air vehicle and systems engineering teams to translate high-level mission needs into executable hardware, software, and interface architectures. You will lead analytical modeling and kill chain validation activities to confirm that system concepts achieve the intended operational outcomes. This role will engage directly with customers to refine requirements and ensure the final solution aligns with real-world combat needs. You will manage vendor relationships and technical maturation assessments to select state-of-the-art capabilities and accelerate integration. Ultimately, the Mission Systems Lead will ensure that every mission system design decision contributes to decisive air dominance and strike capabilities.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Lead mission systems architecture and integration activities for autonomous, reconfigurable, and modular open systems approach (MOSA)-compliant mission system architectures that close critical warfighting gaps.
• Lead analytical and concept design trade studies for passive and active RF sensing, multi-functional aperture integration, EO/IR, LIDAR, and EW sensors and effectors.
• Conduct trade studies for line-of-sight and beyond line-of-sight communications, data links, and sensors to enable effective navigation, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and autonomous combat operations in the vast INDOPACIFIC theater and contested spectrum.
• Lead vendor engagement to identify state-of-the-art mission system capabilities, cost, evolve requirements, assess technical and integration maturity, and inform mission suitability for air vehicle integration.
• Work across Defense Systems and Engineering teams and subject matter experts to evolve system requirements, integrate hardware and software architectures, define and develop hardware and software interfaces, and balance capabilities for optimum mission outcomes at minimum cost.
• Adapt or derive physics-based models to evaluate or predict payload system performance under real-world conditions.
• Collaborate directly with customers to understand warfighter needs and translate those needs into mission systems requirements that inform design and integration decisions.
• Operate effectively in a fast-paced, dynamic environment while managing multiple priorities, competing demands, and evolving program constraints.
• Support preliminary design, integration, and prototyping efforts to accelerate development and demonstration activities for timely delivery of revolutionary and disruptive air dominance and strike capabilities.
• Ensure mission systems hardware, software, and interface architectures are aligned with MOSA principles, enabling flexibility, rapid reconfiguration, and interoperability across platforms.
• Drive analytical rigor in kill chain closure activities, validating that sensor, communication, and effector combinations achieve intended tactical effects.
• Maintain awareness of emerging threats and opportunities in the INDOPACIFIC region, ensuring mission architectures remain relevant and resilient in contested environments.

Requirements

• B.S. in Electrical Engineering, preferred, B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Physics, Mathematics or a related science acceptable.
• Currently possesses and is able to maintain an active U.S. Top Secret security clearance.
• Demonstrated communications, sensors, and effector domain expertise in one or more of Radar, EO/IR, RF, and EW systems.
• Strong capability in physics-based modeling and analysis of system performance using tool(s) of your choice.
• A minimum of 5+ years experience working RF and/or EO/IR mission systems development and integration on crewed or uncrewed tactical aircraft.
• Proven ability to conduct complex trade studies and translate analysis into actionable system requirements.
• Experience coordinating with cross-functional teams, including air vehicle, systems, and software engineering disciplines.
• Understanding of defense acquisition processes and the ability to work effectively within a government contracting environment.

Nice to have

• Knowledge of current and next-generation sensing and effector systems and platforms.
• System trade and integration experience across distributed and modular architectures.
• Proficiency in relevant toolsets or languages such as MATLAB, Python, C++, COMSOL, and Ansys.
• Experience with electromagnetic control (EMCON) modes and EMCON emissions and communication techniques.
• Advanced communications experience including secure LPx line-of-sight, beyond line-of-sight, and tactical data links.
• Advanced sensing domain experience such as EO/IR, ESM, EA, EW, and LIDAR.
• Experience with aircrew training systems, operational test and evaluation, and fleet deployment processes.
• Familiarity with open mission systems standards and model-based systems engineering methods.

Practical notes

This role is full_time and remote.

Candidates must be able to obtain and maintain a U.S. Top Secret security clearance.

Travel may be required to customer sites and test facilities as needed.

Visa sponsorship may be considered for highly qualified candidates depending on role and location constraints.