C4ISR Advanced RF (ARF) Chief Engineer
BAE Systems· Defense & Space· Oct 23, 2026 · 5d ago
Hudson, New Hampshire
Hybrid
Full-time
Mid
$153K–$261K
Job description
Job Description Because this role involves a combination of collaborative/in-person and independent work, it will take the form of a hybrid work format, with time split between working onsite and remotely.
See what you’re missing. Our employees work on the world’s most advanced electronics – from detecting threats for F-35 pilots to illuminating the night for soldiers. Spanning air, land, sea, and space, we are developing the technology of tomorrow, delivered today. Drawing strength from our differences, we’re innovating for the future. And you can, too. Our flexible work environment provides you a chance to change the world without giving up your personal life. We put our customers first – exemplified by our mission: “We Protect Those Who Protect Us®.” Sound like a team you want to be a part of? Come build your career with BAE Systems.
In Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) Systems, you’ll help develop systems that sense, control, exploit and disseminate actionable information to warfighters supporting a variety of missions.
The Advanced RF (ARF) product line is seeking an experienced and energetic Chief Engineer (CE) to lead our ARF product area. This is a unique Chief Engineer opportunity spanning a highly diverse portfolio of commercial and defense products – from open-architecture hardware and software and emerging RF technologies to signals intelligence, signal exploitation, and weapon data link capabilities. A key element of this role is maturing and transitioning capabilities from Fast Labs and other advanced development organizations through integration, demonstration, testing, certification, production, and ultimately fielded systems. It requires a broad systems thinker who can connect diverse technical disciplines, navigate technology transition, and provide strong technical leadership across the full product lifecycle. This portfolio is a highly diverse and evolving set of products, with a strong emphasis on transitioning emerging technologies into operational capabilities.
This portfolio includes commercial products and developing commercial offerings, subsystems, RF technologies, signals intelligence and signal exploitation products, and emerging-threat capabilities, offering a particularly unique opportunity to connect emerging technology with real customer needs and support the full lifecycle from development and integration through production and operational use.
Responsibilities Include: • Serve as the technical advocate across a diverse portfolio, guiding engineering teams, influencing customer discussions, and supporting strategic business growth.
• Lead system architecture design and optimization activities, including trades and analyses, ensuring technical rigor, interoperability, performance, and mission effectiveness.
• Ensure system design and implementation meet technical requirements and customer/mission needs within allocated engineering cost & schedule.
• Drive technical risk and opportunity definition, identification, and mitigation/realization.
• Act as the primary technical interface to the Customer, Program Management Office, and executive leadership, translating evolving customer and emerging-threat needs into practical technical strategies and product roadmaps.
• Foster collaboration and alignment of technical strategies across engineering teams – including Fast Labs, business-area engineering organizations.
• Develop and drive a cohesive technology roadmap across the Advanced RF portfolio, balancing sustainment of legacy products with modernization initiatives, emerging mission capabilities, and future customer requirements.
• Maximize technical leverage and reuse across products by driving common architectures, shared processing capabilities, and scalable engineering solutions that improve affordability and execution.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives, including engineering process maturity, technology reuse, design standardization, risk reduction, and cross-product collaboration to accelerate development and transition to production .
Required Education, Experience, & Skills • Active TS/SCI.
• Demonstrated experience taking emerging or advanced technologies from early maturation through integration, demonstration, qualification, operational testing, and production.
• Ability to serve as a technical integrator across a diverse portfolio of Chief Engineers, fostering collaboration, aligning technical strategies, identifying synergies, and ensuring consistent execution of portfolio-wide technology investments.
• Demonstrated ability to apply performance models to evaluate system performance and guide design decisions.
• Experience leading diverse, multi-disciplinary teams in the solution of complex technical problems.
Preferred Education, Experience, & Skills • Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) experience with tools such as MagicDraw.
• Experience leveraging signal-processing capabilities and integrating software within established frameworks.
• Technical leadership in continuous improvement initiatives, including development process maturity, engineering efficiency, design reuse, and risk reduction.
• Experience with NSA certification processes for secure communications products, including Crypto Modernization (CM1/CM2) or similar certification efforts.
Pay Information
Full-Time Salary Range: $153377 - $260743
Please note: This range is based on our market pay structures. However, individual salaries are determined by a variety of factors including, but not limited to: business considerations, local market conditions, and internal equity, as well as candidate qualifications, such as skills, education, and experience.
Employee Benefits: At BAE Systems, we support our employees in all aspects of their life, including their health and financial well-being. Regular employees scheduled to work 20+ hours per week are offered: health, dental, and vision insurance; health savings accounts; a 401(k) savings plan; disability coverage; and life and accident insurance. We also have an employee assistance program, a legal plan, and other perks including discounts on things like home, auto, and pet insurance. Our leave programs include paid time off, paid holidays, as well as other types of leave, including paid parental, military, bereavement, and any applicable federal and state sick leave. Employees may participate in the company recognition program to receive monetary or non-monetary recognition awards. Other incentives may be available based on position level and/or job specifics.
About BAE Systems, Inc. BAE Systems, Inc. is a defense, aerospace, and security company headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, with more than 40,000 employees worldwide. We serve, supply, and protect those who protect us. As one of the most geographically diverse international defense companies, we deliver a full range of products and services spanning air, land, maritime, space, and cyber, including advanced electronics, intelligence solutions, and dedicated customer support.
Our culture is performance-driven and values-led, built on curiosity, creativity, and collaboration. Purpose isn't a tagline here. It's what drives us. We're developing breakthrough technologies that defend national security and make a lasting impact on our communities and our planet. When you join BAE Systems, you're not just building a career. You're contributing to a mission that truly matters.
This position will be posted for at least 5 calendar days. The posting will remain active until the position is filled, or a qualified pool of candidates is identified.
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