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Principal Engineer
Posted: 07/31/2026
Job Number: 1304
Job Description
Join a highly technical engineering organization developing advanced rotary-wing training and simulation systems supporting military aviation. We are seeking a Principal Engineer to provide technical leadership across the full system lifecycle, from architecture and design through integration, testing, qualification, deployment, and sustainment.
This role serves as the technical authority for assigned programs, leading multidisciplinary engineering teams while partnering closely with Program Management to ensure technical excellence, cost performance, schedule execution, and customer satisfaction. The ideal candidate brings deep experience with complex defense systems, distributed simulation architectures, and flight simulation technologies, along with the leadership skills to mentor engineers and guide technical strategy across multiple disciplines.
Key Responsibilities Technical Leadership
- Serve as the technical lead and system architect for assigned engineering programs.
- Own the overall technical solution, ensuring system performance, quality, and requirements compliance.
- Lead engineering activities across design, development, integration, testing, qualification, production, and operational support.
- Establish technical direction, engineering standards, and development best practices.
- Conduct design reviews, technical assessments, and architecture evaluations.
- Resolve complex technical issues and guide engineering teams toward effective solutions.
- Mentor engineers across multiple disciplines while fostering technical growth and collaboration.
- Develop engineering estimates and support project planning and scheduling activities.
- Lead multidisciplinary engineering teams in partnership with Program Management.
- Ensure technical execution aligns with cost, schedule, and contractual requirements.
- Coordinate activities across systems engineering, software, hardware, integration, test, and quality organizations.
- Identify technical risks and develop practical mitigation strategies.
- Support engineering change management, configuration management, and technical decision-making throughout the program lifecycle.
- Translate customer and contractual requirements into system architectures and technical solutions.
- Manage requirements allocation, traceability, verification, and validation throughout development.
- Maintain comprehensive engineering documentation, technical baselines, and design artifacts.
- Support proposal development by providing technical approaches, architectures, schedules, and engineering estimates.
- Ensure compliance with applicable DoD standards, military specifications, and systems engineering processes.
- Serve as the primary technical interface with government customers, subcontractors, suppliers, and internal stakeholders.
- Present technical solutions, program status, and engineering recommendations to senior leadership and customers.
- Participate in Technical Interchange Meetings (TIMs), design reviews, program reviews, and customer demonstrations.
- Support business development activities by providing technical expertise during capture and proposal efforts.
- Bachelor's degree in Systems Engineering, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Simulation, or a related technical discipline.
- 10+ years of engineering experience developing complex hardware and/or software systems within defense, modeling & simulation, or related technical environments.
- 10+ years of progressive engineering leadership experience leading multidisciplinary technical teams.
- Strong background in systems architecture, system design, systems integration, and technical documentation.
- Experience supporting DoD acquisition programs and working within defense engineering standards and compliance requirements.
- Demonstrated success leading cross-functional engineering teams through complex development programs.
- Experience with distributed simulation architectures and military training systems.
- Knowledge of military specifications (MIL-STD), systems engineering methodologies, and verification processes.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to present technical information to executive leadership and government customers.
- Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
- U.S. Citizenship required.
- Active Secret Security Clearance or the ability to obtain one.
- Experience qualifying Full Flight Simulators (FFS) Level D or Flight Training Devices (FTD) Level 3 with a National Aviation Authority.
- Experience supporting international system deployments and logistics.
- Experience with rotorcraft, aviation training systems, or flight simulation technologies.
- Knowledge of visual system qualification, motion cueing, flight controls, and aural cueing performance.
- Experience with simulation interoperability standards such as HLA, RTI, DIS, TENA, and FOM/SOM development.
- Experience with Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) and systems engineering standards such as INCOSE and ISO/IEC 15288.
- Familiarity with verification & validation (V&V), configuration management, and risk management processes.
- Knowledge of virtual, constructive, and live (LVC) training environments.
- Experience with After Action Review (AAR) systems.
- Understanding of real-time systems, networking, and distributed computing architectures.
- Ability to interpret engineering drawings, interface control documents (ICDs), wiring diagrams, and vendor documentation.
Experience with one or more of the following is highly desirable:
- Windows and Linux operating systems
- Microsoft Office Suite
- JAMA Connect
- Atlassian JIRA
- Atlassian Confluence
- Systems integration and distributed simulation technologies
- Real-time software and hardware integration
- Modeling & Simulation frameworks and architectures
- Up to 25% travel within the United States and internationally.
- Ability to obtain and maintain a valid passport.
This is an opportunity to play a key technical leadership role on advanced military aviation simulation programs that directly support warfighter readiness. You'll work alongside highly skilled engineers, influence the technical direction of complex defense systems, mentor the next generation of engineering talent, and help deliver cutting-edge training capabilities for military customers worldwide.
Meet Your Recruiter
Chris Wanitshka
CEO
Meet our CEO, Chris Wanitshka. Hard work and dedication have always been driving forces for Chris. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a minor in sociology from Stetson University. Leveraging his ability to create strategic partnerships and with over a decade of experience, Wanitshka revived two staffing companies, delivering multimillion-dollar growth and building a large book of business as a Business Development Executive. In 2020, he launched X-Force, specializing in executive and high-impact candidates for simulation, aviation, gaming, and high-tech companies.
Outside work, he has a very active lifestyle as an avid snowboarder, mountain bike enthusiast, scuba diver, Muay Thai Martial Artist/former competitive kickboxer, and muscle car aficionado.
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