Sr Staff Software Systems Engineer - Core Mission Systems
- US citizenship
- ITAR / US person
- TS/SCI clearance
How this pay compares
This posting states $128k–$170k a year. Open software engineer jobs in Colorado post a median of $159k a year, the middle half $135k–$198k, across 249 jobs that state their pay, so this one is within the middle half of what they post.
About the job
Vantor is forging the new frontier of spatial intelligence, helping decision makers and operators navigate what’s happening now and shape what’s coming next. Vantor is a place for problem solvers, changemakers, and go-getters - where people are working together to help our customers see the world differently, and in doing so, be seen differently.
Come be part of a mission, not just a job, where you can: Shape your own future, build the next big thing, and change the world. To be eligible for this position, you must be a U.S. Person, defined as a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, Asylee, or Refugee. Export Control/ITAR: Certain roles may be subject to U.S. export control laws, requiring U.S. person status as defined by 8 U.S.C.
1324b(a)(3). ## Responsibilities - ## Serve as the senior technical authority across one or more mission-system domains, providing technical leadership throughout the system lifecycle. - ## Partner directly with U.S.
Government customers and internal stakeholders to understand mission needs, validate requirements, and translate operational objectives into technical direction. - ## Lead system architecture, technical trade studies, and engineering decisions that balance mission performance, interoperability, cybersecurity, resiliency, schedule, and long-term sustainability. - ## Guide the integration of software, cloud infrastructure, networking, cybersecurity, and operational capabilities into cohesive, mission-ready systems. - ## Identify and mitigate technical risks, resolve cross-domain integration challenges, and ensure successful delivery of complex system capabilities. - ## Serve as a trusted technical advisor to customers, program leadership, and engineering teams. - ## Mentor engineers, foster technical excellence, and establish systems engineering practices across multiple teams. - ## Champion the responsible use of AI-assisted engineering to improve systems analysis, architecture development, technical documentation, and engineering efficiency. ## Artificial Intelligence is changing how software-intensive systems are engineered.
We are seeking engineers who understand that as AI accelerates software development, strong systems engineering becomes increasingly critical. - ## Apply AI-assisted engineering techniques to improve systems analysis, architecture development, requirements evaluation, interface analysis, risk identification, documentation, and engineering workflows. - ## Evaluate AI-generated technical work products using sound engineering judgment and mission context. - ## Identify opportunities to improve engineering efficiency while maintaining the rigor required for mission-critical and classified environments. - ## Ensure AI-assisted engineering practices align with security, data protection, and customer requirements. ## Basic Qualifications - ## Bachelor's degree in Systems Engineering, Computer Science, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Geographic Information Systems, or a related technical discipline. - ## Minimum of eight years of progressively responsible experience designing, integrating, or operating complex software-intensive systems. - ## Active TS/SCI security clearance. - ## Demonstrated experience applying systems engineering principles to complex software-intensive systems. - ## Strong understanding of modern software architecture, including distributed systems, APIs, cloud computing, data flows, integration patterns, resiliency, and cybersecurity principles. - ## Experience developing or evaluating system architectures and conducting technical trade studies. - ## Experience integrating complex systems across multiple engineering disciplines. - ## Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills. - ## Demonstrated ability to influence technical decisions across organizational boundaries. - ## Experience using AI-assisted engineering tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, or similar. - ## Working knowledge of AWS cloud environments. - ## Ability to travel approximately once per quarter. ## Preferred Qualifications - ## Experience supporting National Security Space, Intelligence Community, or Department of Defense programs. - ## Working knowledge of spacecraft subsystems, satellite operations, or other mission-critical software-intensive systems. - ## Experience with MBSE and SysML tools (Teamcenter, MagicDraw, Enterprise Architect, Cameo, or similar). - ## Experience with service-oriented, microservices, or event-driven architectures. - ## Experience integrating systems across multiple security domains or Cross Domain Solutions. - ## Experience with cloud-native architectures and containerized environments. - ## Experience leading technical modernization efforts. - ## Demonstrated success mentoring senior engineers and providing technical leadership across multiple engineering teams. ## What Success Looks Like - ## Shape technical direction across mission-system domains. - ## Build alignment across engineering organizations while maintaining a focus on mission outcomes. - ## Resolve complex integration challenges before they become program risks. - ## Balance customer needs with sound engineering judgment and long-term architectural sustainability. - ## Improve engineering practices and technical decision-making across multiple teams. - ## Develop other technical leaders. - ## Deliver resilient, secure, and mission-ready capabilities.
Pay Transparency:To support pay transparency, Vantor includes salary ranges in all U.S. job postings. Starting pay for this role will fall within the listed range and will be based on factors such as experience, qualifications, skills, location, and market conditions. Candidates who meet the minimum requirements for the role should not expect to receive compensation at the top of the range.
The listed range reflects the expected pay for this position, and final offers will be determined based on each candidate’s experience, expertise, and alignment with the role. - The base pay for this position within Colorado is: $128,000.00 - $170,000.00 - $187,000.00 annually.
For all other states, we use geographic cost of labor as an input to develop market-driven ranges for our roles, and as such, each location where we hire may have a different range.
Benefits:Vantor offers a competitive total rewards package that goes beyond the standard, including a robust 401(k) with company match, mental health resources, and unique perks like student loan repayment assistance, adoption reimbursement and pet insurance to support all aspects of your life.
You can find more information on our benefits at: https://www.Vantor.com/careers Additionally, this position is incentive eligible with a target based on contribution, company performance, and/or individual results achieved; the specific incentive plan and target amount will be determined based on the role and breadth of contributions.
The application window is three days from the date the job is posted and will remain posted until a qualified candidate has been identified for hire. If the job is reposted regardless of reason, it will remain posted three days from the date the job is reposted and will remain reposted until a qualified candidate has been identified for hire.
The date of posting can be found on Vantor's Career page at the top of each job posting. To apply, submit your application via Vantor's Career page.
From Vantor'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 Vantor
Earth-imaging satellites and geospatial intelligence, formerly Maxar Intelligence.
Pay on its listings: 71.4% of its open jobs state an hourly rate
How it pays: Paid as an employee on Vantor's own payroll (salaried or hourly, as each posting states).
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