Chief Engineer Principal

Job Description

Space is a critical domain, connecting our technologies, our security and our humanity. While others view space as a destination, we see it as a realm of possibilities, where we can do more - we can innovate, invest, inspire and integrate our capabilities to transform the future.

At Lockheed Martin Space, we aim to harness the full potential of space to cultivate innovation, reduce costs, and push the boundaries of what technology can achieve. We're creating future-ready solutions, focusing on resiliency and urgency through our 21st Century Security vision. We're erasing boundaries and forming partnerships across industries and around the world. We're advancing spacecraft and the workforce to fuel the next generation. And we're reimagining how space can connect us, ensuring security and prosperity.

Join us in shaping a new era in space and find a career that's built for you.

Lockheed Martin is seeking a Chief Engineer for a software ground system on a potential National Security Space program (pending contract award). The role involves leading the technical direction, defining system capabilities, overseeing integration, and ensuring ongoing operation and improvement of space mission ground systems. Candidates should have broad experience in software engineering, development, and operations.

As this software-centric program's Chief Engineer, your roles and responsibilities will include:
Delivering end to end mission capability while managing the technical baseline and serving as chair of the Engineering Review Board (ERB) and Requirements to Operations Management Board (ROMB).
Leads requirements development, decomposition, and verification that requirements/features are complete, consistent, and traceable across all contractual documents and the system architecture.
Define and lead the team's execution of processes and procedures for the 24x7 support and sustainment of existing customer ground systems for execution of spacecraft missions ensuring continuous high system availability and long-term maintenance health of the systems
Leads verification and validation (V&V) planning and execution, including test plan definition, test bed and simulator requirements, and test article development
Lead/support development of solution approaches for new task orders added to the program.
Support execution and new business across the NSS/SOA mission segment through shared collaboration, innovation concepts and support to other programs/efforts as requested
Establishes senior technical program business rhythms (e.g., daily ops status, monthly status brief, quarterly risk review) and ensures engineering best practices and standards are applied
Acts as the primary technical point of contact for reporting technical status of the program to customers and internal to Lockheed Martin Space, including Enhanced Program Reporting System (EPRS) coordination
Identify and implement cost, schedule, and/or quality improvement initiatives especially as they are enabled by new digital capabilities being fielded by the enterprise
During program execution, management and timely resolution of the program top technical issues to include assembling the teams, providing technical guidance, engaging the enterprise, and communicating with the customers.
Some travel (~15%) will be expected.

This position is contingent upon contract award to Lockheed Martin. Estimated award date is currently October / November 2026. Any job offers extended to chosen candidates will include a contingency clause stating that the offer is dependent on Lockheed Martin securing the contract.

Basic Qualifications

Bachelor's Degree in Engineering (or related technical field) or equivalent experience/combined education
Knowledge and experience with ground systems agile software development and sustainment for space systems related tasking, planning, command and control, data delivery, data processing, data exploitation and data visualization, including defining new ground system features and solution designs
Experience supporting software system cost estimating; awareness of cost account management principles, techniques, and processes
Demonstrated experience as a technical leader, coordinating across multiple teams
Demonstrated ability to communicate successfully across all levels of an organization from entry level to executive Vice Presidents
U.S. citizenship with an Active TS security clearance with the ability to be granted an SCI.

Desired skills

Broad understanding of the U.S. Government's customer's ground systems environment; including cybersecurity and deployment requirements and standards
Demonstrated Experience leading a ground system software development effort, including testing and feature/requirement verification and sell-off activities
Demonstrated Experience integration of new space missions/platforms into a common satellite operations center
Demonstrated Experience with Ground Terminal operations and sustainment
Demonstrated Experience supporting, sustaining and enhancing software developed by another team/contractor
Experience with the U.S. Space Force's Satellite Control Network (SCN)
Experience with delivering software via DevSecOps
Experience establishing and forming a new project team distributed across multiple locations
The successful candidate must also have ability to organize, motivate and lead groups of engineering personnel, and demonstrate in-depth technical skills.

EEO

Lockheed Martin is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified candidates will be considered without regard to legally protected characteristics.
The application window will close in 90 days; applicants are encouraged to apply within 5 - 30 days of the requisition posting date in order to receive optimal consideration.

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At Lockheed Martin, we use our passion for purposeful innovation to help keep people safe and solve the world's most complex challenges. Our people are some of the greatest minds in the industry and truly make Lockheed Martin a great place to work.

With our employees as our priority, we provide diverse career opportunities designed to propel, develop, and boost agility. Our flexible schedules, competitive pay, and comprehensive benefits enable our employees to live a healthy, fulfilling life at and outside of work. We place an emphasis on empowering our employees by fostering an inclusive environment built upon integrity and corporate responsibility.

If this sounds like a culture you connect with, you're invited to apply for this role. Or, if you are unsure whether your experience aligns with the requirements of this position, we encourage you to search on Lockheed Martin Jobs, and apply for roles that align with your qualifications.

Other Important Information

By applying to this job, you are expressing interest in this position and could be considered for other career opportunities where similar skills and requirements have been identified as a match. Should this match be identified you may be contacted for this and future openings.

Work Schedule Information

Lockheed Martin supports a variety of alternate work schedules that provide additional flexibility to our employees. Schedules range from standard 40 hours over a five day work week while others may be condensed. These condensed schedules provide employees with additional time away from the office and are in addition to our Paid Time off benefits.

National Pay Statement

Pay Rate: The annual base salary range for this position in California, Massachusetts, and New York (excluding most major metropolitan areas), Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, Vermont, Washington or Washington DC is $164,300 - $289,800. For states not referenced above, the salary range for this position will reflect the candidate's final work location. Please note that the salary information is a general guideline only. Lockheed Martin considers factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate's work experience, education/ training, key skills as well as market and business considerations when extending an offer.
Benefits offered: Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, Short-Term Disability, Long-Term Disability, 401(k) match, Flexible Spending Accounts, EAP, Education Assistance, Parental Leave, Paid time off, and Holidays.
(Washington state applicants only) Non-represented full-time employees: accrue at least 10 hours per month of Paid Time Off (PTO) to be used for incidental absences and other reasons; receive at least 90 hours for holidays. Represented full time employees accrue 6.67 hours of Vacation per month; accrue up to 52 hours of sick leave annually; receive at least 96 hours for holidays. PTO, Vacation, sick leave, and holiday hours are prorated based on start date during the calendar year.
This position is incentive plan eligible.

Premium Pay Statement

Pay Rate: The annual base salary range for this position in most major metropolitan areas in California, Massachusetts, and New York is $189,000 - $327,635. For states not referenced above, the salary range for this position will reflect the candidate's final work location. Please note that the salary information is a general guideline only. Lockheed Martin considers factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate's work experience, education/ training, key skills as well as market and business considerations when extending an offer.
Benefits offered: Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, Short-Term Disability, Long-Term Disability, 401(k) match, Flexible Spending Accounts, EAP, Education Assistance, Parental Leave, Paid time off, and Holidays.
This position is incentive plan eligible.