{"schemaVersion":"jobsearcher.job.v1","id":"340af0c19754b51ddb3ea708","url":"https://jobsearcher.com/jobs/340af0c19754b51ddb3ea708","canonicalUrl":"https://jobsearcher.com/jobs/340af0c19754b51ddb3ea708","title":"Lead Systems Engineer/Architect","description":"We are seeking a hands-on Lead Systems Engineer / Architect to own the end-to-end systems architecture of the SpatialCore platform, from data ingestion and AI/ML fusion through real-time bi-directional data serving and edge deployment. You will architect the system that ties together existing built components with new infrastructure into a cohesive, scalable, and secure platform.\n\nYou will write architecture decision records, produce system design specifications, lead design reviews, and contribute directly to the most complex integration challenges. You will set the technical standards for a rapidly growing engineering team while ensuring every architectural decision supports both defense compliance requirements and commercial scalability.\n\nKey Responsibilities:\n\nSystems Architecture & Platform Integration\nDefine and own the end-to-end systems architecture for SpatialCore, encompassing data ingestion, transformation, AI/ML fusion, real-time data serving, and client-side rendering\nArchitect the integration of existing platform components into a unified, production-grade system\nDesign extensible APIs and SDKs enabling third-party connector development\nArchitect edge deployment patterns for disconnected, intermittent, and low-bandwidth environments common in defense and industrial settings\nDefine data flow architectures supporting token-based consumption metering (ingestion, transformation, query/export tiers)\nEstablish platform scalability patterns from hundreds to tens of thousands of connected endpoints\nTechnical Leadership & Standards\nProduce and maintain comprehensive architecture documentation: system context diagrams, component diagrams, sequence diagrams, interface specifications, and Architecture Decision Records\nEstablish and enforce engineering standards for configuration control, version management, and reproducible builds\nLead technical design reviews and serve as the final technical authority on architectural decisions\nDefine and implement the CI/CD pipeline strategy incorporating DevSecOps practices across the full software development lifecycle\nTranslate high-level product requirements into detailed technical specifications and executable engineering tasks\nMentor and guide engineers across the team, establishing a culture of technical rigor, thorough documentation, and disciplined execution\nData Interoperability & Protocol Engineering\nArchitect the data normalization pipeline converting heterogeneous formats\nDesign real-time and near-real-time data fusion architectures integrating multiple sensor modalities and data sources\nDefine protocol-level integration patterns for the communications layer, including multicast, fault tolerance, and contested environment resilience\nArchitect bi-directional data serving patterns supporting both cloud-based and edge-deployed topologies\nDesign data provenance and settlement mechanisms for multi-party data exchange scenarios\nSecurity, Compliance & Dual-Use Architecture\nArchitect systems that satisfy defense compliance frameworks (CMMC, NIST SP 800-171/800-53) while remaining commercially viable\nDesign Trusted Execution Environment integration for hardware-backed data security\nEnsure secure coding practices and threat modeling are embedded in the development process, not bolted on\nArchitect role-based access control, audit logging, and data handling appropriate for sensitive but unclassified environments\nDesign platform architecture that cleanly separates defense and commercial deployments while maximizing code reuse\nCross-Functional Collaboration\nPartner with the CTO on technical vision, technology roadmap, and build-vs-buy decisions\nCollaborate with the Growth Team to translate customer requirements and field feedback into architectural priorities\nWork to evaluate and integrate emerging technologies into the platform roadmap\nSupport the contracts team in technical proposal writing and solution architecture for government bids\n\nRequired Qualifications\nEducation\nBachelor's degree in Systems Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a closely related engineering discipline\nMaster's degree preferred, particularly in Systems Engineering, Software Architecture, or a related field\n\nExperience\n12+ years in systems engineering, software architecture, or platform engineering, with substantial experience delivering production systems at scale\n5+ years in a technical leadership role — leading architecture decisions, mentoring engineers, and owning system-level design across multi-component platforms\nDemonstrated experience architecting distributed systems that span edge, cloud, and hybrid deployment topologies\nProven track record integrating heterogeneous data sources and protocols into unified platforms (ETL/ELT pipelines, data normalization, format conversion)\nExperience with real-time or near-real-time systems — low-latency data processing, streaming architectures, or embedded/IoT system integration\nPublic sector delivery experience — architecting or delivering systems for DoD, federal civilian agencies, or defense primes, with working knowledge of defense compliance frameworks\n\nTechnical Expertise\nSystems design: Deep proficiency in designing scalable, fault-tolerant distributed systems using microservices, event-driven, and message-based architectures\nLanguages: Strong proficiency in Python and C++ required; experience with Rust, Go, highly valued\nData engineering: Experience with spatial data formats, 3D data pipelines, or geospatial data processing\nNetworking & protocols: Solid understanding of transport-layer protocols (UDP, TCP), multicast, and reliable messaging patterns; experience with IoT protocols (MQTT, CoAP, OPC UA, DDS) a plus\nCloud & infrastructure: Proficiency with containerization (Docker, Kubernetes), infrastructure-as-code (Terraform), and at least one major cloud platform (AWS, Azure, GCP)\nSecurity: Working knowledge of secure system design, encryption at rest/in transit, zero-trust architecture principles, and compliance frameworks (NIST 800-171, CMMC)\nDevSecOps: Experience establishing CI/CD pipelines with integrated security scanning, automated testing, and configuration management\n\nPreferred Qualifications\nBackground in AI/ML system integration — deploying models into production pipelines, sensor fusion, or multi-modal AI architectures\nExperience with TAK ecosystem integration or tactical edge computing platforms\nFamiliarity with consumption-based pricing architectures (metering, usage tracking, billing integration)\nExperience architecting multi-tenant SaaS platforms with per-customer isolation\nActive or recent security clearance, or ability to obtain one\nRelevant certifications: AWS Solutions Architect Professional, Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA), TOGAF, INCOSE CSEP, or similar\n\nWhat We Value\nHands-on technical leaders who architect systems AND contribute to solving the hardest integration problems — not those who only draw diagrams\nSystems thinkers who see the full picture from protocol layers through application logic to user-facing delivery and can make principled trade-offs across the stack\nClear communicators who produce documentation that engineers actually use and who can explain complex technical architecture to non-technical stakeholders and investors\nPragmatic engineers who ship production systems, not perfectionists who endlessly refine prototypes — we need someone who can integrate proven components into a working platform on a startup timeline\nDual-use mindset — comfort operating at the intersection of defense requirements and commercial product development, understanding that the same platform must serve both","company":"Brightlineinteractive","rawCompany":"brightlineinteractive","city":"Ashburn","state":"VA","isRemote":false,"isActive":false,"createdAt":"2026-08-04T21:01:59.000Z","occupations":[{"code":"15-1299.08","title":"Computer Systems Engineers/Architects","slug":"computer-systems-engineers-architects"},{"code":"11-9041.00","title":"Architectural and Engineering Managers","slug":"architectural-and-engineering-managers"},{"code":"15-1211.00","title":"Computer Systems Analysts","slug":"computer-systems-analysts"}],"industries":[{"code":"541512","title":"Computer Systems Design Services","slug":"computer-systems-design-services"},{"code":"541330","title":"Engineering Services","slug":"engineering-services"},{"code":"513210","title":"Software Publishers","slug":"software-publishers"}],"jobPosting":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"JobPosting","title":"Lead Systems Engineer/Architect","description":"We are seeking a hands-on Lead Systems Engineer / Architect to own the end-to-end systems architecture of the SpatialCore platform, from data ingestion and AI/ML fusion through real-time bi-directional data serving and edge deployment. You will architect the system that ties together existing built components with new infrastructure into a cohesive, scalable, and secure platform.\n\nYou will write architecture decision records, produce system design specifications, lead design reviews, and contribute directly to the most complex integration challenges. You will set the technical standards for a rapidly growing engineering team while ensuring every architectural decision supports both defense compliance requirements and commercial scalability.\n\nKey Responsibilities:\n\nSystems Architecture & Platform Integration\nDefine and own the end-to-end systems architecture for SpatialCore, encompassing data ingestion, transformation, AI/ML fusion, real-time data serving, and client-side rendering\nArchitect the integration of existing platform components into a unified, production-grade system\nDesign extensible APIs and SDKs enabling third-party connector development\nArchitect edge deployment patterns for disconnected, intermittent, and low-bandwidth environments common in defense and industrial settings\nDefine data flow architectures supporting token-based consumption metering (ingestion, transformation, query/export tiers)\nEstablish platform scalability patterns from hundreds to tens of thousands of connected endpoints\nTechnical Leadership & Standards\nProduce and maintain comprehensive architecture documentation: system context diagrams, component diagrams, sequence diagrams, interface specifications, and Architecture Decision Records\nEstablish and enforce engineering standards for configuration control, version management, and reproducible builds\nLead technical design reviews and serve as the final technical authority on architectural decisions\nDefine and implement the CI/CD pipeline strategy incorporating DevSecOps practices across the full software development lifecycle\nTranslate high-level product requirements into detailed technical specifications and executable engineering tasks\nMentor and guide engineers across the team, establishing a culture of technical rigor, thorough documentation, and disciplined execution\nData Interoperability & Protocol Engineering\nArchitect the data normalization pipeline converting heterogeneous formats\nDesign real-time and near-real-time data fusion architectures integrating multiple sensor modalities and data sources\nDefine protocol-level integration patterns for the communications layer, including multicast, fault tolerance, and contested environment resilience\nArchitect bi-directional data serving patterns supporting both cloud-based and edge-deployed topologies\nDesign data provenance and settlement mechanisms for multi-party data exchange scenarios\nSecurity, Compliance & Dual-Use Architecture\nArchitect systems that satisfy defense compliance frameworks (CMMC, NIST SP 800-171/800-53) while remaining commercially viable\nDesign Trusted Execution Environment integration for hardware-backed data security\nEnsure secure coding practices and threat modeling are embedded in the development process, not bolted on\nArchitect role-based access control, audit logging, and data handling appropriate for sensitive but unclassified environments\nDesign platform architecture that cleanly separates defense and commercial deployments while maximizing code reuse\nCross-Functional Collaboration\nPartner with the CTO on technical vision, technology roadmap, and build-vs-buy decisions\nCollaborate with the Growth Team to translate customer requirements and field feedback into architectural priorities\nWork to evaluate and integrate emerging technologies into the platform roadmap\nSupport the contracts team in technical proposal writing and solution architecture for government bids\n\nRequired Qualifications\nEducation\nBachelor's degree in Systems Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a closely related engineering discipline\nMaster's degree preferred, particularly in Systems Engineering, Software Architecture, or a related field\n\nExperience\n12+ years in systems engineering, software architecture, or platform engineering, with substantial experience delivering production systems at scale\n5+ years in a technical leadership role — leading architecture decisions, mentoring engineers, and owning system-level design across multi-component platforms\nDemonstrated experience architecting distributed systems that span edge, cloud, and hybrid deployment topologies\nProven track record integrating heterogeneous data sources and protocols into unified platforms (ETL/ELT pipelines, data normalization, format conversion)\nExperience with real-time or near-real-time systems — low-latency data processing, streaming architectures, or embedded/IoT system integration\nPublic sector delivery experience — architecting or delivering systems for DoD, federal civilian agencies, or defense primes, with working knowledge of defense compliance frameworks\n\nTechnical Expertise\nSystems design: Deep proficiency in designing scalable, fault-tolerant distributed systems using microservices, event-driven, and message-based architectures\nLanguages: Strong proficiency in Python and C++ required; experience with Rust, Go, highly valued\nData engineering: Experience with spatial data formats, 3D data pipelines, or geospatial data processing\nNetworking & protocols: Solid understanding of transport-layer protocols (UDP, TCP), multicast, and reliable messaging patterns; experience with IoT protocols (MQTT, CoAP, OPC UA, DDS) a plus\nCloud & infrastructure: Proficiency with containerization (Docker, Kubernetes), infrastructure-as-code (Terraform), and at least one major cloud platform (AWS, Azure, GCP)\nSecurity: Working knowledge of secure system design, encryption at rest/in transit, zero-trust architecture principles, and compliance frameworks (NIST 800-171, CMMC)\nDevSecOps: Experience establishing CI/CD pipelines with integrated security scanning, automated testing, and configuration management\n\nPreferred Qualifications\nBackground in AI/ML system integration — deploying models into production pipelines, sensor fusion, or multi-modal AI architectures\nExperience with TAK ecosystem integration or tactical edge computing platforms\nFamiliarity with consumption-based pricing architectures (metering, usage tracking, billing integration)\nExperience architecting multi-tenant SaaS platforms with per-customer isolation\nActive or recent security clearance, or ability to obtain one\nRelevant certifications: AWS Solutions Architect Professional, Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA), TOGAF, INCOSE CSEP, or similar\n\nWhat We Value\nHands-on technical leaders who architect systems AND contribute to solving the hardest integration problems — not those who only draw diagrams\nSystems thinkers who see the full picture from protocol layers through application logic to user-facing delivery and can make principled trade-offs across the stack\nClear communicators who produce documentation that engineers actually use and who can explain complex technical architecture to non-technical stakeholders and investors\nPragmatic engineers who ship production systems, not perfectionists who endlessly refine prototypes — we need someone who can integrate proven components into a working platform on a startup timeline\nDual-use mindset — comfort operating at the intersection of defense requirements and commercial product development, understanding that the same platform must serve both","datePosted":"2026-08-04T21:01:59.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T21:01:59.000Z","hiringOrganization":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Brightlineinteractive","sameAs":"https://jobsearcher.com"},"jobLocation":{"@type":"Place","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","addressLocality":"Ashburn","addressRegion":"VA","addressCountry":"US"}},"identifier":{"@type":"PropertyValue","name":"JobSearcher","value":"340af0c19754b51ddb3ea708"},"url":"https://jobsearcher.com/jobs/340af0c19754b51ddb3ea708"}}