New

Sr. Mission Integration Engineer

nLIGHT, Inc.
paid time off, paid holidays, long term disability, tuition assistance, 401(k)
United States, Colorado, Longmont
Jul 21, 2026
Description Experience: 10+ Years of Experience Education: Bachelors Degree in Engineering, Science, or related Field Location: Longmont, CO (Onsite) Compensation: $180,000 - $225,000 depending on experience Who We Are nLIGHT-DEFENSE Systems, Inc. is one of the nation's leading developers of Directed Energy systems, which is a top modernization priority of the Department of Defense. Our High Energy Laser (HEL) systems, Adaptive Optical (AO) systems, and Acquisition / Pointing / Tracking (APT) solutions are designed to overcome the most difficult challenges facing the deployment of high energy laser solutions to the United States military and our allies. Located in Longmont, Colorado, nLIGHT-DEFENSE Systems, Inc. is a vertically integrated business that leverages internal capabilities - from semiconductor device through target identification - to develop systems that are both high-performance and cost-effective. We continue to invest in capabilities, facilities and technology to bring leading edge HEL solutions to the warfighter. This is a great opportunity to work at a company that is on the leading edge of the HEL industry and provides a culture of excellence and commitment to delivering solutions to the warfighter and our country. Headquartered in Camas, Washington, nLIGHT is a publicly listed company (NASDAQ: LASR). Summary: The Sr. Mission Integration Engineer is responsible for transforming advanced technologies into operational capabilities that can be successfully employed and sustained by military forces. As part of the HADES Product Line Management organization, this role serves as the critical link between customers, operational users, and internal engineering teams to ensure products are developed with a deep understanding of mission needs, tactical employment, and real-world operational constraints. Working directly with military users, government stakeholders, prime contractors, and industry partners, the Sr. Mission Integration Engineer develops trusted customer relationships, defines operational requirements, and identifies the capabilities necessary to successfully field and sustain our products. This role translates operational insight into actionable product requirements and capability recommendations, influencing product strategy while enabling engineering teams to deliver solutions that solve meaningful customer problems. Success in this role is measured by the successful adoption of our products by operational forces-ensuring capabilities are not only technically effective, but intuitive to operate, maintainable by military personnel, and aligned with customer missions throughout their lifecycle. All applicants must possess or be qualified to obtain a U.S. DoD Personnel Security Clearance. Preference will be given to candidates with an existing U.S. DoD Personnel Security Clearance.Further information on requirements to obtain a security clearance is available at:https://www.dcsa.mil/mc/pv/mbi/gicp/.Please review this information before applying. Responsibilities: Serve as the primary operational advocate for the product line, ensuring customer missions and operational needs are represented throughout product development Mentor engineering and product teams on operational employment concepts and customer perspectives to strengthen mission-focused product development. Define Concepts of Operations (CONOPS), operational employment concepts, and mission workflows that guide product development and customer adoption Develop and maintain trusted relationships with military customers, operational users, government agencies, prime contractors, and industry partners. Influence and translate customer missions, operational concepts, and user feedback into actionable requirements and capability recommendations for improved product strategy. Identify operational capability gaps and recommend product enhancements to improve mission effectiveness, usability, survivability, and sustainment. Evaluate operational impact of technical decisions, balancing mission effectiveness, technical risk, schedule, and customer priorities. Identify supporting capabilities required for successful fielding, including training, documentation, logistics, maintenance, support equipment, and standard operating procedures (SOP). Establish and maintain continuous feedback mechanisms with operational users and stakeholders. Required Experience \ Capability: Commitment to Excellence. Attention to Detail. Pride in Workmanship. Ability to work in a dynamic environment and maintain composure and strong working relationships under pressure. Ability to independently plan, prioritize, and execute work with minimal oversight, meeting mid- to long-term program milestones. Advanced problem-solving capability, with the ability to synthesize information from multiple technical disciplines to reach sound engineering decisions. Demonstrated ability to translate operational concepts, mission needs, and customer feedback into actionable product or system requirements. Demonstrated experience transitioning advanced technologies into operationally deployable military capabilities. Experience engaging directly with DoD customers, operational users, and acquisition organizations to define operational needs and influence product direction. Strong understanding of military acquisition, technology maturation, and the transition of science and technology efforts into fielded systems. Experience developing and maintaining trusted relationships across government, industry, and operational communities. Working knowledge of systems engineering principles and their application throughout the product lifecycle. Demonstrated ability to influence technical direction and drive cross-functional alignment without direct organizational authority. Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present technical concepts to customers, executive leadership, and multidisciplinary engineering teams. Ability to travel up to 25% in support of customer engagements and operational demonstrations. Desired Experinece: Experience supporting the development, review, or validation of software requirements, Interface Control Documents (ICDs), and system interfaces. Experience collaborating across engineering disciplines to consolidate system requirements. Familiarity with military kill chains, sensor-to-shooter architectures, command and control (C2), and weapons engagement authorities. Experience supporting the transition of advanced technologies from research and development into military acquisition programs or fielded capabilities. Experience planning and executing laboratory, field, or operational testing of complex defense systems as well as participating in customer demonstrations/exercises. Experience with high-energy laser systems, directed energy technologies, electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) sensors, or advanced targeting systems. Experience employing data from test sources to inform system performance, and/or AI/ML model development. Familiarity with Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE), Digital Engineering, and requirements management tools. Prior military service or experience working directly with operational military organizations. Benefits Summary: 4 weeks of Paid Time Off per year 11 paid Holidays Employee Stock Purchase Plan Tuition Assistance Program Health (ACA Gold Plan), Vision and Dental Care paid by employer 100% for Employee and 75% for Dependents Paid Family Leave, Short and Long Term Disability paid by employer 100% Competitive 401k with company match and immediate vesting Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or age. For more information about our commitment to equal employment opportunity, please see this government poster:Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal. If you are an individual with a disability and need a reasonable accommodation in the application or hiring process, please contact Human Resources at[emailprotected].