Director, Mission Engineering

Systems Planning and Analysis, Inc. (SPA) delivers high-impact, technical solutions to complex national security issues. With over 50 years of business expertise and consistent growth, we are known for continuous innovation for our government customers, in both the US and abroad. Our exceptionally talented team is highly collaborative in spirit and practice, producing Results that Matter. Come work with the best! We offer opportunity, unique challenges, and clear-sighted commitment to the mission. SPA: Objective. Responsive. Trusted.

The Space and Intelligence Division provides professional services to the US Space Force, Combatant Commands, Intelligence Community, and NASA. Our work includes enterprise architectural assessments, systems engineering and integration, test, planning and execution, cost estimating and analysis, acquisition support, and cybersecurity. We are trusted partners developing approaches and concepts to meet emerging high priority needs, assessing cutting-edge technologies, and supporting capabilities for our National Defense.

The Chief Capabilities Office (CCO) organization leads SPA's enterprise-wide capability development by aligning technology investments, AI strategy, technology and process modernization, commercialization process, and cross-domain technical analysis to drive corporate growth and operational excellence. The role spans guiding major internal initiatives -- such as AI development and governance, system engineering standards, research platform integration, and Fellows programs -- while also shaping external partnerships, evaluating emerging technologies, coordinating with CIO and executive leadership, and supporting strategic decisions across the company. The CCO Office has a leadership position in building the corporate approach to mission engineering and digital program management domains, ensuring SPA remains objective, responsive, and trusted.

SPA has an immediate need for a Mission Engineering Director to serve as a cross-cutting influencer, working across all domains and business lines. The successful candidate will champion and evolve SPA's system engineering capabilities to ensure SPA remains at the forefront of digital, model-based, and AI-enabled systems. This role operates across programs, clients, and domains from concept development through design, implementation, test, deployment, operations, and sustainment - driving adoption of disciplined yet adaptive mission engineering practices that are fully integrated, cyber-resilient, data-driven, and operationalized through web-based digital engineering ecosystems aligned to the operational tempo and evolving needs of today's warfighter.

Key duties associated with this role include but are not limited to the following:

• Define and mature SPA's enterprise mission and systems engineering lifecycle across all business areas, ensuring alignment with the DoW and Intelligence Community digital engineering strategies and emerging client mandates.
• Lead adoption of model-based systems and mission engineering, integrating MBSE/MBME, MODSIM, AoA, and AI/ML to create tightly coupled architectures, models, simulations, and analytics as a single source of truth.
• Champion an integrated digital engineering ecosystem, linking architecture, mission simulation, and analytic tools in web-enabled environments, to establish robust digital threads, virtual test campaigns, and early discovery of design and interoperability issues.
• Ensure SPA embeds cyber-resilient design from inception and apply predictive, data-driven analytics to inform lifecycle sustainment, acquisition milestones, and long-term readiness.
• Partner with program managers, technical teams, and client stakeholders to tailor digital engineering artifacts and mission analyses that defend budgets, justify resources, and close capability gaps.
• Develop standards, training, and communities of practice while influencing cross-domain teams and business development efforts to promote disciplined, AI-augmented, and agile engineering that delivers measurable operational value to the warfighter.
• Responsible for fostering professional development through mentoring, coaching, and skills-building opportunities that grow SPA's next generation of mission and systems engineering leaders.
• Responsible for assisting the transition of systems engineering standards and technologies to the SPA Divisions for purposes of supporting existing contracts, business opportunities, and proposals.

Required Qualifications:

• Current and active TS/SCI at time of application
• Master's or PhD degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field from an accredited university
• Extensive experience in systems engineering across the full lifecycle, including requirements analysis, architecture, design, integration, test, deployment, and sustainment
• Demonstrated experience with digital engineering and model-based approaches, including MBSE tools and digital twins
• Experience applying or leading mission-level analyses (e.g., mission engineering, system-of-systems assessments, kill chain analysis) using modeling and simulation
• Working knowledge of DoW and IC acquisition processes, digital engineering strategies, and test and evaluation practices
• Experience integrating cyber resilience and security considerations into systems engineering and design activities
• Experience with AI/ML methods and tools applied to engineering problems (e.g., data analytics, predictive maintenance, optimization, mission analysis, or automated test/verification)

Desired Qualifications:

• Strong communication skills with the ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear, compelling narratives for both technical and non-technical stakeholders, including government clients
• Professional Engineering certification (PE or equivalent recognized professional engineering credential)
• Experience designing, deploying, or operating web-based or cloud-hosted engineering environments, portals, or toolchains that support collaborative digital engineering workflows
• Proven ability to work across multiple programs and domains, influencing engineering practices and outcomes in a matrixed environment
• TS//SCI + Poly