Space Protection Operations Engineer
Location: Chantilly, VA, US
Date Posted: 2026-05-28
Category: Engineering and Sciences
Subcategory: Systems Engineer
Schedule: Full-Time
Shift: Day Job
Travel: Yes - 10% of the time
Minimum Clearance Required: TS.SCI_wPoly
Clearance Level Must Be Able to Obtain: None
Potential for Remote Work: ORA_ON_SITE
Description
SAIC is seeking a Space Protection Operations Engineer to join the Air Force, Space, and Intelligence Business Group providing systems engineering and technical advisory services to a rapidly expanding Government Intelligence Community (IC) customer.The customer is developing the next generation of space and ground systems, architectures, and hardware and software solutions.
The Space Protection Operations Engineer will serve as the subject matter expert (SME) and System Program Office (SPO) representative coordinating with the development contractor and stakeholders (including end user operators) for deployment of new protection capabilities into space operations.The Space Protection Operations Engineer collaborates within a team of mission-related SMEs to support system testing, propel transition to operations planning, facilitate user/operator training, participate in Operations and Maintenance (O&M) planning and Deficiency Report (DR) management, and the SPO focal point for coordinating with Operations stakeholders.
The Space Protection Operations Engineer responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
- Provides space protection operations mission expertise to acquisition managers and software engineers in the development of tools that provide operators Indications and Warning against Space threats
- Elicits system capability needs and user interface/experience (UI/UX) preferences from operational users
- Collaborates with software developers to inform/guide mission application enhancements
- Manages the transition of new capabilities and software deliveries to operations
- Leads the review and coordination of system documentation and training materials
- Evaluates developer solutions, guides software deployment activities, and assesses software patches/fixes
Qualifications
Required:
- Bachelor's and 9 or more years of experience; master's and 7 or more years of experience; PhD and 4 or more years of experience
- Active Top Secret/SCI clearance with Poly
- Experience in space mission operations
- Experience transitioning new capabilities/software deployments to operations in a 24/7 operations center and managing mission operations opportunities, challenges, and risks
- Knowledge of agile software development principles
Desired:
- Experience supporting the NRO
- Experience in Space Protection operations and familiarity with protection technologies
- Experience authoring operator-related or software deployment documentation
- Experience in Space system testing, simulation, and modeling environments
- Familiarity with transitioning software into operations within IC (preferably NRO) or DoW
- Knowledge of the fundamentals of orbital mechanics and orbit determination
SAIC's approximately 15,000 employees are driven by integrity and mission focus to serve customers in the U.S. federal government. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, SAIC has annual revenues of approximately $4.5 billion. For more information, visit saic.com. For information on the benefits SAIC offers, see .