Senior Datalinks Engineer

Offset Strategic Services (OSS) is a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business headquartered in Huntsville Alabama. We are focused on Making a Difference in the lives of our customers employees and communities. Our greatest strength is our people. We value competence and character and we seek skilled passionate individuals who share our commitment to the mission.

We take great care of our employees through a benefits package that includes health insurance additional coverage options through Principal and a 401(k) plan with an employer match and eligibility beginning on the first day of employment. OSS pays 75% of the cost of health insurance coverage. If you are interested in supporting an important mission alongside a growing team we would like to hear from you.

We are seeking a Senior Datalinks Engineer to support the PM UAS Technical Management Division (TMD) as its primary division-level technical expert for UAS datalinks. This individual will directly support the Chief Engineer PM UAS Product Offices the Component Technology Branch and special projects aligned with the PM UAS mission.

This senior technical leadership position requires someone who can work with significant autonomy across engineering and acquisition disciplines solve complex and sometimes ambiguous technical problems and represent PM UAS technical strategy to internal and external stakeholders.

The position is full-time and primarily on-site with limited telework eligibility. The selected candidate is expected to begin as soon as practical and transition responsibilities from the current subject matter expert over several months.

The Senior Datalinks Engineer will serve as the primary division-level datalinks subject matter expert for PM UAS supporting the Chief Engineer and providing technical leadership across the PM UAS enterprise.

The individual will provide technical oversight and expertise for UAS datalink system development integration qualification fielding sustainment modernization and issue resolution.

Relevant technologies include:

• Modems and radio frequency (RF) equipment
• Antennas and radomes
• RF interfaces and architectures
• Communication protocols and datalink standards
• Software firmware and waveforms
• Frequency management
• EMI/EMC design and qualification
• Electronic warfare (EW) hardening and resiliency
• RF modeling and analysis
• Encryption including AES-256 and Type 1 encryption concepts
• Communications security (COMSEC) and transmission security (TRANSEC)

The ideal candidate will combine substantial RF and datalink expertise with sound systems engineering judgment strategic thinking acquisition awareness strong communication skills and the ability to lead through complex technical and organizational challenges.

• Support frequency management activities across the PM UAS enterprise.
• Lead or support the JSIL Interface Control Working Group (ICWG) for datalinks.
• Develop maintain and communicate an overarching PM UAS datalink strategy and technical roadmap.
• Coordinate with government laboratories agencies military organizations development organizations and other stakeholders.
• Coordinate as applicable with organizations such as AvMC C5ISR NSA NATO OSW and C2N.
• Maintain awareness of Army joint partner service coalition and government investments and activities that may affect UAS datalink capabilities.
• Represent PM UAS/TMD datalink strategy in internal and external technical and programmatic forums.

Provide datalink engineering expertise and direct support across PM UAS Product Offices including Small UAS (SUAS) Tactical UAS (TUAS) UAS Launched Effects and related portfolios Long Endurance and applicable UAS portfolios and emerging UAS and future product portfolios.

Activities may include:

• System architecture and design reviews
• Requirements development and assessment
• RF and communications engineering
• Integration and qualification
• System upgrades and modernization
• Field issue investigation and resolution
• Engineering trade studies and technical risk assessments
• Acquisition planning
• Government-furnished equipment and information coordination
• Contractor technical oversight
• Sustainment engineering and datalink interoperability

• Support technical issues and special projects assigned by the Chief Engineer division leadership or branch leadership.
• Investigate emerging technical issues promptly and provide technically defensible recommendations.
• Support cross-functional engineering and acquisition activities outside the traditional datalinks portfolio when needed.
• Apply broad systems engineering judgment to new or evolving PM UAS challenges.

• Develop and coordinate a comprehensive UAS datalink strategy consistent with PM UAS objectives missions architectures and future capabilities.
• Serve as the principal datalink technical advisor to the Chief Engineer TMD leadership Product Offices and other PM UAS stakeholders.
• Provide technical oversight for datalink system development integration qualification production fielding modernization and sustainment.
• Evaluate systems subsystems and components involving RF equipment antennas modems radomes communications protocols interfaces software waveforms and related technologies.
• Assess relevant threat environments and their potential effects on UAS RF and communications systems.
• Evaluate datalink resiliency interoperability spectrum encryption COMSEC TRANSEC EMI/EMC and EW considerations.
• Assess current and emerging datalink capabilities technologies standards and architectures.
• Maintain awareness of relevant government military service laboratory industry and coalition datalink initiatives.
• Lead and participate in technical working groups interface control working groups engineering reviews and acquisition forums.
• Coordinate with government laboratories development organizations contractors other Product Offices and external stakeholders.
• Recommend technical direction architectures standards policies and investments to improve UAS mission effectiveness and survivability.
• Represent PM UAS in external forums and communicate technical and programmatic considerations effectively.
• Coordinate with peer organizations on government-furnished equipment and information development production integration and sustainment activities.
• Plan coordinate and execute changes that address critical system upgrades modernization efforts obsolescence issues and field problems.
• Develop and review Performance Work Statements Statements of Work technical requirements evaluation criteria and other acquisition documentation associated with datalink development and modification.
• Evaluate competing technical approaches and recommend solutions based on performance integration risk schedule cost sustainment and mission requirements.
• Communicate effectively with government personnel contractors engineers logisticians program managers acquisition professionals business personnel and senior leadership.
• Work through differing technical opinions and organizational priorities to develop executable technical approaches.
• Perform additional technical and systems engineering activities as assigned by the Team Lead Branch Chief Division Lead or Chief Engineer.

• Bachelors degree in engineering computer science physics mathematics or another relevant technical discipline.
• Experience supporting complex technical systems engineering programs or acquisition programs.
• Strong understanding of RF communications datalink or related mission system technologies.
• Ability to independently investigate complex technical issues and develop technically sound recommendations.
• Ability to develop and present technical reports briefings assessments and recommendations to management and senior leadership.
• Strong verbal written and interpersonal communication skills including the ability to communicate with technical personnel and nontechnical stakeholders.
• Proficiency with Microsoft PowerPoint Excel Word and Outlook.
• Ability to work primarily on-site with limited telework eligibility.
• Ability to travel up to 25%.
• U.S. citizenship.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DoD Secret security clearance.

• More than five years of directly relevant professional experience; substantially greater experience is preferred for this senior-level role.
• Experience with a Product Management Office Program Management Office or equivalent acquisition organization.
• Army Aviation UAS aviation systems or related DoD acquisition experience.
• Industry experience supporting RF communications networking datalinks EW or UAS systems.
• Current TS/SCI clearance or demonstrated ability to obtain and maintain one.
• Significant experience with UAS datalink systems RF systems tactical communications systems or related mission systems.
• Experience with RF system architecture link budgets RF modeling antennas modems waveforms or spectrum management.
• Understanding of AES-256 and Type 1 encryption concepts and their application to tactical communications.
• Working knowledge of COMSEC and TRANSEC principles and implementation considerations.
• Experience interpreting applying developing or maintaining communications and datalink standards.
• Experience with frequency management and spectrum coordination.
• Experience supporting EMI/EMC qualification EW resiliency electronic protection or communications system hardening.
• Experience coordinating with government laboratories C5ISR organizations other government agencies military services coalition partners NATO organizations and industry.
• Experience developing or reviewing Performance Work Statements Statements of Work technical requirements source selection documentation or other technical acquisition documents.
• Experience supporting system development integration qualification production sustainment modernization upgrades and field issue resolution.
• Experience leading technical working groups interface control working groups or similar engineering forums involving multiple organizations.

The successful candidate will be a technically credible adaptable senior engineer who can work effectively across a broad range of challenges. Desired attributes include:

• Technical depth: Strong understanding of RF datalinks communications encryption standards COMSEC TRANSEC and related technologies.
• Technical curiosity: Willingness to investigate unfamiliar areas identify unknowns ask useful questions and quickly build understanding.
• Systems thinking: Ability to understand how technical decisions affect platforms networks acquisition programs operations logistics sustainment interoperability and mission outcomes.
• Strategic thinking: Ability to address individual technical issues while developing an enterprise-level strategy and roadmap.
• Sound technical judgment: Ability to prioritize critical issues and focus investigations where they will have the greatest value.
• Autonomy: Ability to engage stakeholders work through problems and operate across engineering and acquisition functions with limited supervision.
• Executive communication: Ability to explain technical strategies risks recommendations and decisions clearly to senior leaders and external organizations.
• Interpersonal skills: Ability to work effectively with people who have different organizational interests technical opinions and priorities.
• Team building: Ability to establish productive relationships and build consensus while maintaining technical rigor.
• Professional conviction: Ability to develop and explain a technically supportable position consider competing perspectives and adjust when the evidence warrants.
• Results orientation: Focus on delivering executable solutions and advancing program objectives.
• Problem solving: Ability to work through ambiguous complex cross-functional technical challenges.
• Initiative: Willingness to identify issues early and take ownership of solutions.
• Adaptability: Ability to support an evolving UAS mission technology acquisition and threat environment.

The physical demands described below are representative of those required to perform the essential functions of this position.

• The employee will regularly be required to communicate verbally and listen; frequently stand walk handle objects and reach with hands and arms; and occasionally sit climb balance stoop kneel crouch or crawl.
• The employee must be able to routinely lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.
• Required vision abilities may include close vision distance vision peripheral vision depth perception and the ability to adjust focus.
• Regular and punctual attendance is required. Additional hours may occasionally be necessary based on mission and program requirements.

OSS is proud to employ professionals who bring excellence integrity and commitment to every engagement. The responsibilities and qualifications listed here represent the expected scope of the role and may evolve to meet customer needs or organizational growth.

Offset Strategic Services is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to supporting our employees and reflecting the values of service professionalism and continuous improvement. We welcome qualified applicants who share our dedication to serving the warfighter and advancing national defense capabilities.

Required Experience:

Senior IC