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Job description
Senior Principal Systems Engineer – Weapons Fuzing
Location: Fort Wayne, Indiana / Remote Considered
Work Arrangement: Onsite, Hybrid/Flex, or Remote for highly qualified candidates
Travel: Approximately 25%+ to Fort Wayne for remote candidates
Industry: Aerospace / Defense
Security Clearance: Active DoD Secret required
Employment Type: Full-Time
Northwest Talent Solutions (NWTS) is conducting a highly targeted search for a Senior Principal Systems Engineer – Weapons Fuzing to help build and advance a next-generation weapons fuzing capability within a major defense technology organization.
This is not a traditional systems engineering position.
We're looking for an accomplished engineer who has actually designed, developed, qualified and fielded fuze systems and can bring that expertise to next-generation autonomous ground munitions, precision-guided weapons and related defense programs.
You’ll serve as a senior technical authority while helping develop the next generation of fuze engineers.
What You'll Do:
You’ll provide hands-on technical leadership across the fuze development lifecycle, including:
Architecting and developing Electronic Safe Arm Fuze/Device (ESAF/ESAD) systems
Designing Safe & Arm (S&A) mechanisms
Developing environmental sensing for release, setback, spin and all-up-round environments
Leading environmental qualification and testing of fuze systems
Designing firing chains, including CDU/EFI technologies
Supporting self-destruct and self-neutralization solutions designed to reduce unexploded ordnance
Decomposing system requirements across ESD, S&A, firing circuitry and software
Developing Built-in Test (BIT) capabilities for S&A, battery and sensor health
Conducting or overseeing failure analysis, root-cause investigation and technical risk resolution
Supporting fuze safety certification and review activities
Mentoring engineers and helping establish a sustainable technical capability within the organization
What You Must Bring:
Because of the specialized nature of this work, several qualifications are essential:
Active Department of Defense Secret clearance at the time of hire
U.S. citizenship
Significant hands-on fuze systems experience
Environmental sensing design experience
Environmental testing/qualification experience for fuze systemsSafe & Arm mechanism design
Firing chain design, including CDU/EFI
Fuze system‑level requirements decomposition
Self‑destruct/self‑neutralization design experience
Built‑in Test (BIT) design experience
Experience developing high‑reliability electronics for safety- or mission‑critical systems
Candidates should also bring familiarity with applicable standards and qualification environments such as MIL-STD-1316 or MIL-STD-1911, MIL-STD-331 and MIL-STD-810 .
A bachelor's degree in Systems Engineering or a related engineering, science or mathematics discipline with 10+ years of relevant experience is expected. A master's degree with 8+ years of relevant experience may also qualify.
Experience That Will Set You Apart:
This team is particularly interested in engineers who have one or more of these harder‑to‑find capabilities:
Personally presented before AFSRB or other fuze/explosives safety review boards
Developed fielded fuzes for multiple military services
Designed proximity or active‑sensing fuze systems using RF, laser, acoustic or related technologies
Integrated fuzing technology with autonomous UAS/UGV platforms
Developed systems using MOSA/open‑architecture principles
Built physics‑based simulations or digital twins for fuze applications
Worked within organizations such as Picatinny Arsenal, NSWC, AFRL or comparable DoD laboratories
Established relationships within the Army, Navy, Air Force or broader DoD fuze engineering community
Why This Opportunity?
You’ll have the opportunity to become a foundational technical leader within an expanding weapons fuzing capability rather than simply joining an established program.
The work supports next‑generation national security technologies , with access to sophisticated engineering programs and multidisciplinary teams.
The organization also offers significant flexibility for the right expert. The position may be performed onsite or in a hybrid arrangement in Fort Wayne, and fully remote/telework may be considered for candidates with particularly strong weapons‑fuzing expertise . Remote employees should expect approximately 25% travel to Fort Wayne, with occasional additional travel around major program events.
Additional offerings include comprehensive benefits, retirement matching, paid time off, parental leave, professional development opportunities and the potential for a 9/80 schedule with every other Friday off .
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Worksite address
fort wayne, IN, 46804, US
Who can apply
Review the original listing for work authorization, qualifications and employer requirements.