Specialist, Systems Engineer - Integrated Protection Strategy Analyst
How this pay compares
This posting does not state its pay. Open systems engineer jobs in Virginia post a median of $157k a year, the middle half $122k–$182k, across 58 jobs that state their pay.
About the job
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: Specialist, Systems Engineer – Integrated Protection Strategy Analyst Job Code: 45252 Job Location: Springfield, Virginia Job Schedule: 5/8 – Monday-Friday ## Job Description L3Harris has an opening for an Integrated Protection Strategy Analyst in Springfield, VA to join a dynamic team supporting critical national space mission operations. Our team is tight-knit, collaborative, and mission focused.
We are regularly asked to develop operational solutions to meet unique and evolving mission objectives across a complex operational environment. The team supports integrated mission protection, enterprise operations synchronization, threat-informed mission assurance, and operational planning for high-priority space mission systems.
This role supports mission protection activities spanning launch, on-orbit, re-entry, and contingency operations.
Responsibilities include monitoring mission systems and operational hazards, supporting conjunction and collision avoidance analysis, assessing threats to mission systems, supporting spectrum protection and interference mitigation activities, contributing to anomaly response, and helping develop procedures, checklists, training materials, and decision-support products.
The position also supports the policy and governance aspects of integrated protection efforts by helping translate customer guidance, mission directives, operational policies, and enterprise protection frameworks into executable plans, procedures, concepts, and operational response options.
The selected candidate will coordinate with multiple internal and external stakeholders to maintain operational awareness, support readiness activities, contribute to mission protection planning, and improve mission protection effectiveness across the enterprise. We are looking for candidates who lean forward to not only identify issues, but also work with the team to propose solutions and implement improvements.
Ability to thrive in a dynamic and ever-changing work environment is preferred.
In addition to the required experience below, our ideal candidate needs to demonstrate exceptional personal initiative, strong analytical rigor, effective communication skills, and the ability to maintain composure and a good attitude in a demanding operational environment. ## Essential Functions - Help translate mission policy, operational guidance, enterprise directives, and protection frameworks into executable procedures, operational plans, and response actions. - Support integrated mission protection and enterprise operations synchronization for assigned mission systems. - Monitor mission systems, operational status, hazards, and threat activity to identify risks and mission impacts. - Perform operational analysis in support of conjunction and collision avoidance, mission assurance, anomaly response, operational risk assessment, and contingency operations. - Support spectrum protection, RF interference analysis, and deconfliction activities as required. - Support launch, on-orbit, re-entry, and contingency operations, including development and execution of procedures, checklists, and operational timelines. - Assist in the preparation and maintenance of operational products including briefings, status reports, mission assessments, and decision-support materials. - Support development and refinement of tactics, techniques, procedures, concepts of operations, checklists, and training materials. - Assist with mission protection planning, operational plan development, readiness events, and exercise support. - Support evaluation of courses of action, mission protection concepts, and operational recommendations for alignment with customer guidance, mission objectives, and protection priorities. - Integrate threat reporting, operational reporting, and system status information into mission impact assessments and mitigation recommendations. ## Qualifications - Bachelor’s Degree and minimum 4 years of prior relevant experience.
Graduate Degree and a minimum of 2 years of prior related experience.
In lieu of a degree, minimum of 8 years of prior related experience. - Active Top-Secret/SCI clearance with CI Poly required. - Experience supporting mission protection, integrated protection strategy, space protection, or other threat-informed operations in space or national security environments. - Ability to translate mission guidance, doctrine, policy, and operational direction into executable mission protection actions, response options, and operational recommendations aligned with mission objectives and protection priorities. ## Preferred Additional Skills - Experience working on operations teams in a national security space, satellite operations, mission management, operations integration, or policy/planning environment. - Experience monitoring and assessing hazards, threats, and impacts to mission systems. - Experience with conjunction assessment, collision avoidance, orbital state data, and associated tools such as STK, MATLAB, FreeFlyer, or similar. - Experience supporting launch, early orbit, on-orbit, re-entry, or contingency operations. - Experience developing procedures, checklists, TTPs, CONOPS, operational plans, policy implementation guidance, training materials, or operational briefings. - Experience supporting exercises, readiness events, continuity activities, or operational rehearsals. - Experience with software languages for scripting, modeling, simulations, and data transfers including Python and PERL. - Experience with Microsoft Office suite programs, MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
In compliance with pay transparency requirements, the salary range for this role in Virginia - Greater Washington, D.C. Area $92,500 - $171,500.00. This is not a guarantee of compensation or salary, as final offer amount may vary based on factors including but not limited to experience and geographic location.
L3Harris also offers a variety of benefits, including health and disability insurance, 401(k) match, flexible spending accounts, EAP, education assistance, parental leave, paid time off, and company-paid holidays.
The specific programs and options available to an employee may vary depending on date of hire, schedule type, and the applicability of collective bargaining agreements. #LI-ZB1 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
From L3Harris's job posting, checked 7 Nov 2026. The employer's own page is the final word on requirements and availability.
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About L3Harris
Satellites, space sensors and rocket engines, inside a defense and aerospace prime.
Pay on its listings: 41.4% of its open jobs state an hourly rate
How it pays: Paid as an employee on L3Harris's own payroll (salaried or hourly, as each posting states).
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