Advanced Capabilities Engineer - NRO Programs Lead

Welcome page Returning candidate? Log back in! Advanced Capabilities Engineer - NRO Programs Lead Job Locations US-VA-Reston Requisition ID 2026-166292 Position Category Growth Clearance Top Secret/SCI w/Poly Responsibilities Advanced Capabilities Engineer – NRO Programs Lead Within Peraton's Space and Mission Solutions sector, there is an immediate need for a cleared Advanced Capabilities Engineer (ACE) to serve as the primary technical proposal lead for National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) opportunities. This is a full-time, on-site position based at Peraton locations in the Northern Virginia area, with regular presence at NRO facilities and program offices as required. As an ACE, you sit at the intersection of technical strategy and proposal execution. You are not a pure technologist and you are not a pure proposal writer — you are the person who translates deep NRO mission understanding into winning technical approaches. You have spent enough of your career on NRO programs to understand how the NRO thinks, what it values, and what a credible technical solution looks like in their eyes. This role is designed for a mid-career systems engineer or technical architect who has led or significantly contributed to technical volumes on competitive NRO proposals — and who is ready to step into a role where that skill is the primary contribution. You will work closely with the NRO Mission Domain Expert, the CTO Office's Next-Gen Technology Engineers, and the Growth Organization to ensure Peraton's NRO pursuits are technically differentiated from the first day of capture through final proposal submission. What you'll do:Lead the development of technical volumes and technical approaches for NRO proposals, owning the content from outline through final submissionEngage with NRO program offices and technical directorates during pre-RFP phases to build understanding of requirements, evaluation criteria, and mission prioritiesCollaborate with the NRO Mission Domain Expert to translate customer relationships and mission insight into technically differentiated proposal strategiesWork with Next-Gen Technology Engineers in AI/data fusion, networking, and cloud to incorporate emerging capabilities into NRO technical solutionsConduct competitive analysis and develop differentiation strategies that highlight Peraton's unique technical value for NRO pursuitsSupport bid/no-bid assessments by providing technically grounded Pwin analysis and honest evaluation of Peraton's competitive positionParticipate in color team reviews — both as author and as reviewer — providing and receiving substantive technical feedbackMaintain awareness of NRO acquisition pipeline, technology priorities, and program office activity to inform pursuit strategyMentor junior engineers and proposal contributors on technical writing, solution architecture, and proposal best practices Qualifications Required Qualifications:A minimum of 8+ years of experience with a BS/BA in Systems Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Information Technology, or related field; OR 6+ years with MS/MA; OR 3+ years with PhD. 4 years of additional work experience may be considered in lieu of a Bachelor's degreeDirect experience supporting NRO programs — you understand NRO's organizational structure, acquisition processes, and mission priorities from having worked within that environmentDemonstrated experience leading or significantly contributing to technical volumes on competitive NRO proposals — you have owned sections, not just reviewed themStrong systems engineering background — ability to architect solutions, develop concepts of operations, and translate requirements into technical approachesExperience with one or more of the following NRO mission areas: enterprise IT and infrastructure, intelligence data processing and exploitation, ground systems and base-end networking, or systems engineering and integrationProven ability to work effectively in fast-paced...