Job Details

Prescient Edge is seeking a Systems Engineer to support U.S. Navy Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) waterfront operations, vessel readiness, technology integration, test execution, and schedule coordination for the Program Acquisition Executive Robotic Autonomous Systems (PAE RAS) Unmanned Surface Program Management Office. This is an on-site facilitator and advisor role supporting the Combatant Craft Division (CCD) and associated waterfront stakeholders. The Systems Engineer will coordinate operational schedules, track maintenance and technical issues, support test and integration activities, and maintain clear communication across Government, fleet, warfare-center, shipyard, payload, and contractor support teams.

Benefits:

At Prescient Edge, we believe that acting with integrity and serving our employees is the key to everyone's success. To that end, we provide employees with a best-in-class benefits package that includes:

• A competitive salary with performance bonus opportunities.
• Comprehensive healthcare benefits, including medical, vision, dental, and orthodontia coverage.
• A substantial retirement plan with no vesting schedule. Career development opportunities, including on-the-job training, tuition reimbursement, and networking.
• A positive work environment where employees are respected, supported, and engaged.

Key Responsibilities

Operational & Schedule Coordination

• Coordinate and facilitate vessel operations, shipboard testing, technology-maturation activities, and other waterfront events in alignment with Government-approved schedules.
• Maintain and monitor the master operational schedule for assigned USVs, serving as a central coordination point for planning updates, dependencies, milestones, and execution status.
• Support planning for post-repair sea trials, waterfront evolutions, and related execution logistics under the direction of the designated Government representative.
• Track schedule risks, conflicts, and emerging constraints; communicate impacts early and help coordinate practical recovery or mitigation actions among responsible stakeholders.

Testing & Integration Support

• Draft and coordinate test plans, test-package documentation, and supporting materials to align waterfront test activities with assigned Government objectives.
• Facilitate integration of Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) and Contractor Furnished Equipment (CFE) payloads, including hardware and software, by tracking installation and checkout progress.
• Monitor and report the status of system installations, technical checkouts, test events, discrepancies, corrective actions, and verification milestones.
• Coordinate with engineering, test, operations, payload, and maintenance personnel to maintain visibility of integration dependencies and support safe, efficient test execution.

Maintenance, Availability & Readiness Tracking

• Track and report open maintenance and readiness issues and assist in coordinating resolution efforts among the responsible technical, maintenance, vendor, and waterfront organizations.
• Monitor and log technical issues in designated Government-approved databases and tracking systems, including the NAVSEA JIRA TOR Database or successor tools as applicable.
• Draft technical inputs for shipyard availability work packages and Statements of Work (SOWs), and support verification of vendor task completion against established criteria.
• Maintain clear records of vessel status, maintenance actions, technical issues, readiness constraints, and follow-up actions to support informed Government decision-making.

Stakeholder Liaison & Program Support

• Serve as an on-site coordination point among PAE RAS, NAVSEA, PEO IWS, Warfare Centers, USVRON-1, ship's force, payload teams, shipyards, vendors, and the waterfront technical community.
• Prepare and present technical updates, milestone status, schedule information, and action-item summaries at status conferences, Integrated Product Teams (IPTs), Technical Exchange Meetings (TEMs), and similar forums.
• Operate within defined contractor support boundaries: do not direct Government personnel or other contractors, commit the Government to a course of action, or make final Government operational decisions.   

Required Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's or advanced degree in a business or technical field.
• Experience: Minimum ten (10) years of professional experience in engineering/science management, operations research analysis, or financial/cost analysis, including significant experience supporting U.S. Navy programs or operations.
• Strong knowledge of project coordination principles, including schedule tracking, risk tracking, cost-estimation support, action-item management, and technical writing.
• General knowledge of vessel engineering, systems integration, design concepts, acquisition processes, maintenance/readiness activities, and test and evaluation (T&E) methodologies.
• Experience coordinating complex technical or operational activities involving multiple Government, military, engineering, maintenance, vendor, or contractor stakeholders.
• Familiarity with Navy financial-management and administrative processes, including Navy ERP or comparable systems, and contractual or procurement-support procedures.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to prepare clear technical updates, briefings, schedules, status reports, and decision-support information.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a SECRET security clearance and meet applicable safety, security, site-access, and physical requirements for waterfront and vessel-support environments.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting unmanned surface vehicles, autonomous maritime systems, military boats/craft, or comparable Navy waterfront programs.
• Experience supporting PMS 406, PAE RAS, USV program offices, warfare centers, fleet organizations, or similar Navy acquisition and operational stakeholders.
• Experience with waterfront operations, shipboard test events, post-repair sea trials, shipyard availabilities, vessel maintenance, or readiness coordination.
• Experience coordinating GFE/CFE payload installation, integration, checkout, test-package development, or technical milestone tracking.
• Familiarity with NAVSEA JIRA/TOR or comparable issue-tracking, action-management, configuration, or maintenance-status databases.
• Experience preparing shipyard work-package or SOW inputs and supporting IPTs, TEMs, status conferences, or senior-level technical and programmatic briefings.

Travel / Work Environment

• This position primarily supports on-site waterfront and vessel activities in Port Hueneme, California. Periodic travel to other Government, shipyard, test, or operational locations may be required based on mission and vessel schedules. Work may occur in office, waterfront, pier-side, shipboard, industrial, and outdoor maritime environments. Candidates must be comfortable with changing operational schedules, adverse weather, vessel access, and supporting underway or extended test and readiness events as required.