Optical Engineer Jobs in Orem, UT (NOW HIRING)

L3Harris is dedicated to recruiting and developing high-performing talent who are passionate about what they do. Our employees are unified in a shared dedication to our customers’ mission and quest for professional growth. L3Harris provides an inclusive, engaging environment designed to empower employees and promote work-life success. Fundamental to our culture is an unwavering focus on values, dedication to our communities, and commitment to excellence in everything we do.

L3Harris is the Trusted Disruptor in defense tech. With customers’ mission-critical needs always in mind, our employees deliver end-to-end technology solutions connecting the space, air, land, sea and cyber domains in the interest of national security.

Job Title: Senior Manager, System Engineering

Job Code: 39284

Job Location: Salt Lake City, UT

Job Schedule: 9/80- employees work 9 out of 14 days- totaling 80 hours worked- and have every other Friday off

Job Description:

L3Harris Spectrum Superiority (S2) is seeking a Senior Manager, Systems Engineering to lead systems engineering teams and technical execution across Free Space Optics (FSO), other classified technologies, and closely related advanced mission systems initiatives within the business area. This leader will be responsible for guiding the technical direction, people leadership, and life-cycle execution of complex development and production efforts from concept development through fielding and sustainment.

The Senior Manager, Systems Engineering will serve as a key technical and organizational leader for internal and external customers, partnering closely with Program Management, Business Development, Chief Engineers, and functional engineering teams. The role includes leadership of systems architecture, customer engagement, requirements management, technical planning, design and development oversight, integration and test execution, risk management, and technical staffing and mentoring. This position also supports capture and growth activities for emerging FSO and other classified mission opportunities.

Essential Functions:

• Lead and develop systems engineering teams supporting FSO and other classified technology programs, including assignment of resources, prioritization of work, employee development, and performance management.
• Partner with Program Management and customer stakeholders to ensure technical execution aligns with program objectives, mission needs, schedule, budget, and contractual requirements.
• Provide technical leadership across the full system life cycle, including concept development, architecture, requirements analysis, design synthesis, integration, verification, validation, qualification, deployment, and operational support.
• Lead the development of system architectures and technical roadmaps for advanced optical, electro-optical, communications, and other classified mission solutions, including growth and modernization strategies.
• Oversee requirements decomposition, allocation, traceability, and verification planning across hardware, software, firmware, networking, and subsystem interfaces.
• Ensure development of high-quality technical artifacts including specifications, interface control documents, test plans, procedures, verification cross-reference matrices, and other customer deliverables.
• Lead internal and external technical reviews, customer briefings, milestone assessments, and program status reviews as the responsible systems engineering leader.
• Drive technical risk identification, mitigation planning, issue resolution, and opportunity management across development and production efforts.
• Coordinate cross-functional engineering execution among systems, optical, electrical, software, mechanical, test, manufacturing, quality, and supply chain teams.
• Support proposal strategy, basis of estimate development, technical volume creation, technical interchange meetings, and customer demonstrations for new business pursuits in FSO and classified technology areas.
• Establish and enforce disciplined systems engineering processes, tools, and metrics to ensure technical quality, configuration control, and compliance with company and customer standards.
• Provide leadership in staffing, mentoring, succession planning, and building a high-performing engineering organization capable of supporting multiple concurrent programs.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Systems Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Software Engineering, or another relevant engineering or technical discipline and a minimum of 12 years of prior related experience, or a Graduate degree and a minimum of 10 years of prior related experience.
• Active Secret clearance required with the ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret clearance; ability to access additional classified programs as required.

Preferred Additional Skills:

• Minimum of 5 years of technical leadership, functional leadership, or engineering management experience leading cross-disciplinary teams on complex defense or aerospace programs.
• Active Top Secret clearance preferred; TS/SCI eligibility or access is strongly desired.
• Demonstrated experience leading systems engineering for Free Space Optics (FSO), electro-optical/infrared systems, advanced communications, space, airborne, or other classified mission technologies.
• Strong knowledge of systems engineering processes spanning requirements management, architecture development, interface definition, integration, verification, validation, and qualification.
• Experience leading teams through complex customer engagements with DoD, IC, or other national security customers.
• Ability to guide technical strategy and investment planning for emerging capabilities, including technology maturation, transition to production, and mission-relevant roadmap development.
• Experience with risk management, earned value or schedule-driven technical execution, and coordination across internal teams, subcontractors, and suppliers.
• Strong understanding of secure development environments, classified program execution, and the operational discipline required for sensitive technologies.
• Experience supporting captures, RFIs, RFPs, and new business pursuits, including technical writing, solution shaping, and formal presentations to internal and external stakeholders.
• Effective communication and presentation skills, with the ability to translate complex technical concepts for executive leadership, customers, and engineering teams.
• Working knowledge of tools such as DOORS or equivalent requirements tools, Microsoft Office applications, MS Project, and model-based or document-based systems engineering environments.
• Experience in military, national security, or mission-critical product development environments is strongly desired.

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L3Harris Technologies is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. L3Harris is committed to treating all employees and applicants for employment with respect and dignity and maintaining a workplace that is free from unlawful discrimination. All applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding or other related medical conditions), gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, disability, genetic information, citizenship status, characteristic or membership in any other group protected by federal, state or local laws. L3Harris maintains a drug-free workplace and performs pre-employment substance abuse testing and background checks, where permitted by law.

Please be aware many of our positions require the ability to obtain a security clearance. Security clearances may only be granted to U.S. citizens. In addition, applicants who accept a conditional offer of employment may be subject to government security investigation(s) and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information.

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