principal capability architect

SCYTALYS is currently for Principal Capability Architect responsible for making software delivery faster, safer, and more efficient for Scytalys mission systems. These systems support command and control, intelligence, surveillance, tactical communications, data sharing, and system compatibility for international and NATO customers.

The Principal Capability Architect is the enterprise technical authority for SCYTALYS’ products and solution portfolio. You will own the end-to-end architecture (platform, products, solutions) that underpins C2/C4ISR and Tactical Data Link (TDL) capabilities—ensuring interoperability, scalability, cyber-hardening, and rapid delivery across programs. You will set technical guardrails, lead key design decisions, and coach teams to deliver world-class, mission-ready systems.

Enterprise & Product Architecture

• Own the SCYTALYS Capability Architecture for product lines, platforms, runtime deployments (edge/airborne/naval/ground/command centres).

• Define, develop and maintain Reference Architectures for C2/C4ISR solutions and tactical data link (TDL) gateways.

• Govern system qualities: reliability, latency, availability in denied environments, cyber resilience, safety (airborne contexts), and exportability.

Interoperability & Data Links

• Architect multi-link interoperability (e.g., Link-11/16/22, JREAP), including national sovereign link strategies and translation/forwarding via modular TDL processors.  

• Specify schema and ontologies for tactical objects/tracks, metadata normalization, and de-duplication across heterogeneous inputs (sensors, comms, ISR feeds).

• Oversee test & validation against coalition test suites and customer acceptance criteria (lab/field/T&E).

Platform & Software Engineering

• Drive MBSE (e.g., SysML), architecture decision records, and non-functional requirements budgeting (latency, throughput, SWaP-C).

• Lead and deliver architectural activities, threat modelling, and performance tuning; unblock product / solution engineering teams.

• Set technology choices for real-time and near-real-time services, middleware, containerization where appropriate, and edge deployments with intermittent connectivity.

• Lead newer technology development activities.

• Drive DevOps and DevSecOps mindset.

Cybersecurity & Compliance

• Institute safety and security-by-design: crypto interfaces, key management integration, hardening baselines (e.g., ISO/IEC 27001, NIST 800-53/171, IEC 62443), secure coding, and supply-chain controls.

• Ensure designs respect export control constraints and customer security classifications.

AI/ML Integration

• Define/support insertion points for AI/ML initiatives.

Customer, Partner & Ecosystem Leadership

• Serve as technical face of architecture with key customers and partners.  

• Engage with radios, terminals, and platform OEMs to ensure end-to-end fit.

• Contribute to standards, demos and trials.

Governance & People

• Chair the Architecture Review Board, set coding/quality bars, and mentor internal staff.

• Drive reuse and productization (shared services, SDKs, integration kits) to accelerate delivery and reduce lifecycle cost.

• Partner with Program, Product, and QA/IV&V leads to land releases on time with quality.

Required Experience

• 10+ years in systems/software architecture for mission or safety-critical C2/C4ISR, comms, or defense platforms; 3+ years leading cross-functional architecture teams.

• Proven delivery of interoperable tactical systems (track/cue/engagement workflows, COP, sensor fusion) and multi-TDL gateways.  

• Hands-on depth in at least three of: real-time distributed systems, data fusion/track correlation, geospatial services, message brokering, edge computing, waveform/terminal integration, or airborne/naval mission systems.

• Strong familiarity with TDL protocols and gateway patterns; understanding of sovereign link concepts and NDL design trade-offs.  

• Cybersecurity for defense systems (threat models, hardening, secure comms, crypto interfaces) and experience operating under classified environments.

• Excellence in MBSE, interface control, requirements decomposition, and non-functional requirements management.

Desirable Experience:

• Knowledge of relevant NATO STANAGs and industry specs commonly used in C4ISR

• Airborne software/safety exposure and secure avionics.

• Experience with AI/ML in ISR/C2 contexts and secure MLOps.

• Working knowledge of export controls and international defense program delivery.

Core Competencies

• Systems Thinking & Pragmatism: balances elegant design with field realities (EW, GNSS-denied ops, contested spectrum).

• Leadership & Influence: mentors deeply technical teams; gains trust of customers and certifiers.

• Communication: crisp specs and design write-ups; confident external representation.

• Delivery Discipline: evidence-based decisions, measurable architecture fitness functions, steady program cadence.

Tools & Tech (experience with several is highly desirable)

• Languages: C/C++, Java/Kotlin, C#, Python (for tooling).

• Middleware & data: DDS, gRPC, message buses, time-series/graph stores, geospatial DBs, protobuf/ASN.1.

• Platforms: Linux, embedded RTOS, containerized edge, virtualization.

• Engineering: SysML/UML, Cameo/Capella, Git, CI/CD, IaC, static/dynamic analysis, fuzzing, SIL/HIL test.

Education & Clearance

• MSc / PhD in Computer Science, Electrical/Computer Engineering, or related; PhD a plus.