Chief Engineer

Merrimack, NH · Manchester, NHFull-time$153k–$261kPosted Aug 3, 2026

Job Description

We are looking for a self-motivated engineering leader to join our Countermeasures and Electromagnetic Attack Solutions (CEMA) business area as a Chief Engineer on cutting edge, next generation EO/IR systems.

What is it like working for a company whose mission is “We Protect Those Who Protect Us®”, with some of the most brilliant technical minds, developing the world’s most advanced airborne Electro-Optical Infrared (EO/IR) systems? Rewarding. As part of our Advanced Optical Systems (AOS) team, you’ll join a diverse group of driven professionals who architect, design, develop, build, integrate, test, and support products and systems that enable our service men and women to execute their missions and return home safely. The AOS portfolio of programs takes early-TRL technology and matures early-TRL technology into deployable systems that provide our service members with a decisive advantage. You’ll contribute to all phases of development, from architecture and design to testing and field support.

As a Chief Engineer on a project or product family, you are the technical conscience of the program, ensuring the system(s), product(s), and service(s) being developed and delivered are viable, fit for purpose, and will satisfy customer needs, product/system requirements, and the mission and/or application. The Chief Engineer is the primary owner of the technical solution and the technical interface to Program, Engineering, Functional and Executive leadership.

The Role: As an EO/IR Chief Engineer, you will:

  • Understand requirements, missions, use cases, and constraints
  • Define the technical solution, viability, and adequacy
  • Lead system architecture design and optimization activities, trades and analyses
  • Ensure system design and implementation meet technical requirements and customer / mission needs within allocated engineering cost & schedule
  • Ensure system design is realizable, maintainable, supportable, and testable
  • Drive technical risk and opportunity definition, identification, and mitigation/realization
  • Be the technical interface to our customer, Program Management Office, and executive leadership
  • Collaborate with our FAST Labs R&D organization to plan and transition new technologies into the business area
Who you are:
  • Collaborative: You love working with a team to realize innovative solutions to complex problem
  • Customer-Oriented: You’re always anticipating your customer’s needs and working to exceed their expectations
  • Innovative: You are always looking for ways to do things better and faster
Because of the need for consistent, in-person collaboration and/or the requirement to perform all work onsite due to the nature of this particular role, it will be performed full-time on site. This position will require you to be onsite in Manchester, NH and/or Merrimack, NH.

Required Education, Experience, & Skills
  • Bachelors Degree (or equivalent experience in a relevant field) with a minimum work experience of:
    • 12+ years with BS
    • 10+ years with MS/PhD
  • Possess an active US Government Secret (or higher) security clearance, SCI eligible
  • Minimum 10 years of technical experience with EO/IR systems such as passive sensors, precision pointing devices, lasers, and their associated concepts
  • Expert in effectively documenting, communicating, leading and working with a team on designs, results, reports, and presentations


Preferred Education, Experience, & Skills
  • 10+ years of experience as an engineering leader in the development of EO/IR systems
  • Experience with technical performance measurements
  • odel based systems engineering experience with tools such as MagicDraw
  • Active US Government Top Secret security clearance
  • Expertise in System Architectures
  • Experience performing systems engineering activities across the development cycle (analysis/decomposition/derivation/allocation of requirements, system modeling & simulation, system design & development, system integration & test) through production
  • Experience developing viable concept solutions, identifying and tracking technical risks, and leading technical teams on complex programs


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 Electronic Systems
BAE Systems, Inc. is the U.S. subsidiary of BAE Systems plc, an international defense, aerospace and security company which delivers a full range of products and services for air, land and naval forces, as well as advanced electronics, security, information technology solutions and customer support services. Improving the future and protecting lives is an ambitious mission, but it’s what we do at BAE Systems. Working here means using your passion and ingenuity where it counts – defending national security with breakthrough technology, superior products, and intelligence solutions. As you develop the latest technology and defend national security, you will continually hone your skills on a team—making a big impact on a global scale. At BAE Systems, you’ll find a rewarding career that truly makes a difference. Electronic Systems (ES) is the global innovator behind BAE Systems’ game-changing defense and commercial electronics. Exploiting every electron, we push the limits of what is possible, giving our customers the edge and our employees opportunities to change the world. Our products and capabilities can be found everywhere – from the depths of the ocean to the far reaches of space. At our core are more than 14,000 highly talented Electronic Systems employees with the brightest minds in the industry, we make an impact – for our customers and the communities we serve.

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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