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defense contractor

title: Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Defense Contractor
salary: $ - $
categories: [Defense, Engineering, Program Management, Systems Engineering, Cybersecurity]
description: A comprehensive overview of the key responsibilities, required technical skills and professional background for the role of a Defense Contractor.
Comprehensive list of responsibilities, core functions, and required skills for Defense Contractor roles.
SEO-optimized and recruiter-written content targeting DoD/Defense Contractor keywords: systems engineering, program management,
security clearance, ITAR, DFARS, test and evaluation, integration & test, MBSE, embedded systems, sustainment, EVM, PMP.

🎯 Role Definition

A Defense Contractor is responsible for delivering complex, safety- and mission-critical systems and services to U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), federal agencies, and allied partners. This role typically spans systems engineering, program management, integration & test, cybersecurity, logistics, and contract compliance. Candidates are expected to manage multi-disciplinary teams, shepherd large budgets and schedules, ensure adherence to ITAR/DFARS/FAR and security clearance requirements, and deliver hardware/software solutions through full lifecycle phases from requirements and design through verification, validation, fielding, and sustainment.

Key search terms: Defense Contractor job responsibilities, DoD program manager, systems engineer defense, integration and test, security clearance required, ITAR DFARS compliance.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Systems Engineer II / III (Aerospace, Avionics, RF)
  • Software Engineer (Embedded/Real-Time) with DoD experience
  • Test Engineer or Integration & Test Lead supporting DoD programs

Advancement To:

  • Program Manager / Capture Manager for Defense Programs
  • Senior Systems Engineer / Chief Systems Engineer
  • Director of Engineering or Product Line Manager (Defense Portfolio)

Lateral Moves:

  • Transition to Cybersecurity Lead or Compliance Manager (DoD 8570/DoD IA)
  • Move into Business Development / Capture Management for defense contracts

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Lead end-to-end program execution for DoD contracts including requirements refinement, technical risk assessment, milestone planning, budget forecasting, Schedule & Cost control (EVM), and delivery to the customer in accordance with FAR/DFARS and prime contract terms.
  • Develop, review and manage system-level requirements, allocate requirements to hardware and software subsystems, and maintain bidirectional traceability using DOORS, Jama, or other requirements management tools.
  • Serve as the systems engineering lead to architect and document system-of-systems interactions, perform trade studies, and validate design decisions against mission performance, safety, and maintainability criteria.
  • Plan, coordinate and execute integration and test (I&T) campaigns: create I&T plans, test procedures, data collection methods, and witness and evaluate system verification and validation activities in lab, HIL (hardware-in-the-loop), and field environments.
  • Maintain program technical baseline and configuration management (CM): drive engineering change proposals (ECPs), manage product data (PDM/PLM), and ensure strict change control in accordance with MIL-STD document requirements and customer CM directives.
  • Manage cybersecurity and information assurance tasks including STIG implementation, RMF/DIACAP compliance, vulnerability remediation, and coordination with program ISSOs to ensure systems meet DoD cyber posture and secure architecture guidelines.
  • Direct design and development of embedded real-time software and firmware including requirements decomposition, coding standards, code review, static/dynamic analysis, and software verification in compliance with DO-178C or relevant software lifecycle standards.
  • Oversee RF, avionics, communications, or weapons subsystem integration; conduct EMI/EMC and environmental testing to MIL-STD-461 and MIL-STD-810; interpret results and drive corrective actions with design and manufacturing teams.
  • Develop and maintain systems safety and reliability programs: perform FMEA/FMECA, MTBF/MTTR modeling, hazard analyses, and ensure Safety Assessment Reports and Product Safety Data packages are delivered.
  • Lead technical proposals and capture activities: author technical volume content, develop work breakdown structures (WBS), resource-loading, cost estimates, and respond to RFP/RFI/BAAs supporting win strategy and competitive positioning.
  • Manage subcontractors, suppliers and vendor relationships: flow-down contractual requirements (ITAR, DFARS, quality clauses), monitor supplier performance, lead supplier audits, and ensure timely delivery of parts and documentation.
  • Establish and manage test ranges, labs and field support operations for system demonstration and acceptance: coordinate logistics, personnel, instrumentation, safety, and hazard control for system fielding events.
  • Drive sustainment, logistics and depot-level maintenance planning: develop spares strategy, technical manuals (TMs), training curricula, and life-cycle cost models to support long-term fleet supportability.
  • Implement Earned Value Management (EVM) practices: maintain IMS, reconcile schedule and cost variances, produce monthly program reviews and CPARS inputs, and present EVM metrics to the customer and internal leadership.
  • Ensure export control and export licensing compliance including ITAR and EAR assessments, coordinate with export control officers, and maintain documentation for foreign disclosure reviews and controlled technical data transfers.
  • Perform government interface and stakeholder engagement: prepare for and lead design reviews (PDR/CDR), gate reviews, program milestone meetings, and customer deliverable reviews while maintaining high levels of customer satisfaction.
  • Create and maintain program technical documentation including system design descriptions (SDD), interface control documents (ICDs), integration manuals, test reports, and source code baselines for audits and inspections.
  • Build and mentor cross-functional engineering teams: provide performance feedback, career development, hiring recommendations, and lead continuous improvement initiatives for process optimization and technical excellence.
  • Execute risk management: develop risk registers, mitigation plans, and contingency budgets; quantify technical, schedule, and cost risk and present mitigation strategies to program leadership and customers.
  • Manage physical and personnel security programs related to cleared workspaces: oversee badge access, protect controlled unclassified information (CUI), and ensure cleared staff assignments meet contract security requirements.
  • Coordinate manufacturing, production transition and quality assurance: validate supplier production plans, resolve manufacturing non-conformances, and ensure final acceptance test procedures support contract acceptance criteria.
  • Provide field engineering and sustainment support during deployment: lead on-site troubleshooting, corrective action implementation, warranty support and ensure rapid resolution of mission-critical issues.
  • Maintain compliance with Quality Management Systems (ISO, AS9100) and lead internal and external audits, corrective action plans, and quality improvement initiatives to ensure product integrity.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis.
  • Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap.
  • Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering requirements.
  • Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the data engineering team.
  • Assist proposals and capture teams with technical appendices, compliance matrices, and staffing plans for RFP responses.
  • Prepare and present technical briefings, status reports, and executive summaries for program reviews and customer briefings.
  • Support knowledge management initiatives: curate lessons learned, best practices, and reusable engineering artifacts to accelerate future program delivery.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Systems engineering & requirements management (DOORS, Jama, ReqIF) — requirement decomposition, traceability, verification strategies.
  • Program management & contract execution — FAR/DFARS knowledge, CPARS, SOW development, contract change management.
  • Integration & Test (I&T) planning and execution — test procedure development, HIL, lab & field testing, data acquisition systems.
  • Cybersecurity & RMF/DIACAP experience — STIGs, security controls, vulnerability management, DIACAP/RMF artifacts.
  • Embedded systems & firmware development — C/C++, Ada, RTOS (VXWorks, FreeRTOS), Linux-based systems, board support packages.
  • Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) & SysML — model-driven architectures and toolchains (MagicDraw, Cameo Systems Modeler).
  • Regulatory & standards knowledge — MIL-STD-810, MIL-STD-461, DO-178C, DO-254, ISO/AS9100 quality systems.
  • Earned Value Management (EVM) & cost/schedule control — experience with EVMS systems, MS Project, Primavera, Deltek Costpoint.
  • RF, Avionics, and sensor integration — antenna characterization, spectrum management, EMI/EMC testing and mitigation.
  • Configuration management (CM) and PLM tools — Windchill, Teamcenter, PDM/PLM workflows and release processes.
  • Test instrumentation and lab tools — oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers, logic analyzers, environmental chambers, HIL rigs.
  • Export control and compliance — ITAR, EAR licensing processes and foreign disclosure procedures.
  • Proposal writing and capture — RFP analysis, compliance matrices, technical volume authorship.
  • Data analysis and scripting for test automation — Python, MATLAB, LabVIEW, Jenkins/CI for automated test workflows.

Soft Skills

  • Clear, concise technical communication tailored to technical and executive audiences.
  • Strong leadership with the ability to motivate multi-disciplinary teams and manage cross-functional stakeholders.
  • Customer-focused mindset with proven ability to maintain and grow customer relationships.
  • Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills; calm under pressure during integration, test, or field events.
  • High ethical standards, accountability, and respect for security and program confidentiality.
  • Adaptability and flexibility to respond to changing program priorities and emergent technical issues.
  • Strong negotiation and conflict resolution skills for supplier and partner management.
  • Mentoring and people development to grow technical bench strength and succession planning.
  • Detail-oriented organization and documentation discipline for audit-ready deliverables.
  • Effective presentation skills for design reviews, executive status updates, and customer briefings.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, Systems Engineering, or related STEM field.

Preferred Education:

  • Master’s degree in Systems Engineering, Engineering Management, Business Administration (MBA) with defense industry focus, or related advanced degree.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Systems Engineering
  • Aerospace / Avionics Engineering
  • Electrical / Electronic Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Computer Science / Embedded Systems

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 5–15+ years of relevant defense industry experience depending on level (mid to senior roles).

Preferred:

  • 7+ years leading DoD programs or as a lead systems engineer on major defense platforms.
  • Active or recent US Government security clearance (Secret, Top Secret, or Top Secret/SCI) depending on contract requirements.
  • Certifications such as PMP, Certified Systems Engineering Professional (CSEP), CISSP, or DoD 8570 baseline certifications are highly desirable.
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