Daniel P.

Ground Systems Engineer Sr. | Skunk Works T&E | TS | Mission Infrastructure, Test-Site Readiness & Configuration Control | ΣAπ

United States

About

TS-cleared Senior Ground Systems Engineer supporting Skunk Works T&E / ADP operations. I support and sustain mission infrastructure, validate test-site readiness, integrate systems under configuration control, produce technical documentation, troubleshoot in real time, and support control-room operations in high-security aerospace environments. My background spans defense electronics, classified systems administration, RF test range support, tactical threat range systems, OT/ICS cybersecurity, SIEM/NDR visibility, and mission-critical infrastructure across defense, aerospace, and national security programs. Each step added transferable depth: configuration discipline, system hardening, operational troubleshooting, infrastructure visibility, and mission-readiness support. That progression shaped a consistent approach: understand the environment, validate configuration, build visibility, document what matters, and keep the mission moving. I work well when technical ambiguity and operational pressure meet mission-readiness requirements. I translate technical issues into clear, direct language for managers, engineers, operators, and program stakeholders: what is happening, why it matters, the risks, and what happens next.

Experience

  • Ground Systems Engineer Sr. - Skunk Works T&E / ADP Operations at Lockheed Martin
    Aug 2025 - Present · 1 yr

    Ground Systems Engineer Sr. supporting Skunk Works T&E / ADP operations. I maintain mission infrastructure, validate test-site readiness, integrate systems under configuration control, and troubleshoot in real time in high-security aerospace environments. - Support the sustainment, readiness, and integration of a large ground-systems technology stack used by flight test engineers and control-room mission teams during advanced aerospace Test & Evaluation operations. - Execute readiness checks, pre/post-test procedures, configuration validation, and asset verification to maintain test continuity. - Troubleshoot complex hardware and software anomalies and maintain disciplined technical documentation. - Translate technical issues into clear, action-oriented updates for managers, engineers, operators, and program stakeholders.

  • Security Engineer - NNSA / Mission-Critical Infrastructure at Intelligent Technologies Inc.
    Apr 2025 - Aug 2025 · 5 mos

    Contracted to the Department of Energy / National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), supporting the Enterprise Detection Engineering team within the Information Assurance Response Center (IARC) and Enterprise Security Operations Center (ESOC), focused on mission-critical infrastructure monitoring across ICS/OT environments. - Gained hands-on experience with secure infrastructure visibility, enterprise packet broker workflows, and industrial network monitoring using Gigamon, Suricata, Zeek, Corelight, and Splunk. - Collaborated with NDR, Enterprise Detection, and threat intelligence stakeholders, gaining daily exposure to threat contextualization, rule management, campaign tracking, vulnerability prioritization, automation, and orchestration workflows. - Strengthened my systems engineering foundation in observability, telemetry, configuration discipline, anomaly detection, and operational readiness within national security environments.

  • Field Engineer II - NTTR Mission & Range Systems at Arcata Associates, Inc.
    Mar 2024 - Apr 2025 · 1 yr 2 mos

    Supported NTTR mission and range systems for high-security operational training and test environments under the JT4 J-Tech II contract. - Provided mission-specific field support across range infrastructure, integrated mission systems, and tactical threat range systems. - Collaborated with technical and operations stakeholders to implement mission-networking solutions across Starlink-enabled connectivity, radio/VoIP communications, and firewall configurations. - Maintained fielded infrastructure supporting air-picture visualization and mission-support technologies. - Supported COMSEC related communications activities to improve situational awareness, training realism, compliance, and operational readiness across complex range environments.

  • Raytheon Intelligence & Space ()
    • Systems Administrator - Classified Infrastructure / APC Programs
      Aug 2022 - Dec 2023 · 1 yr 5 mos

      Supported classified Raytheon Intelligence & Space programs across infrastructure, database, security, and robotics environments. - Maintained secure systems administration, configuration compliance, and patching across classified infrastructure aligned to NIST RMF and DCSA requirements. - Performed endpoint protection updates, Windows patching, and SIEM visibility support. - Validated SCAP/STIG compliance and applied STIG-aligned system hardening. - Supported backup, UPS, redundancy, failover, and disaster recovery readiness, helping maintain 99.9% uptime and mission availability.

    • User Acceptance Tester III - Integrated Test Range / RF Antenna Test
      Apr 2022 - Aug 2022 · 5 mos

      Performed RF antenna acceptance testing within Raytheon Intelligence & Space Integrated Test Range and Antenna Integration Factory environments, supporting production validation for advanced missile and radar systems. - Conducted near-field testing, instrumentation setup, calibration, and configuration in anechoic chamber and range environments. - Supported data acquisition and test execution throughout production validation cycles. - Troubleshot equipment issues and performed hardware adjustments and rework. - Verified quality compliance against engineering procedures, technical drawings, and production standards.

  • Sierra Nevada Corporation ()
    • Engineering Technician II - MST Special Programs / Classified Integration
      Sep 2019 - Oct 2021 · 2 yrs 2 mos

      Selected for MST Special Programs, supporting low-volume, rapid-turn electronics integration for fixed-wing defense applications, where schedule discipline, configuration accuracy, and mission readiness were critical. - Applied IPC-certified workmanship standards across SMT component soldering, cable and harness assembly, and connector work. - Performed inspection and rework to meet mission-specific build quality requirements. - Supported X-ray quality inspection prior to final build assembly.

    • Production Technician III - MST APC / Depot Bench Repair
      Aug 2018 - Sep 2019 · 1 yr 2 mos

      Entered the defense industry through SNC MST APC, supporting production, configuration, automated testing, functional validation, environmental stress testing, and depot bench repair for mission-support electronic systems. Built on 10+ years of prior break-fix troubleshooting, configuration, and high-volume electronic systems experience. - Built, configured, tested, and repaired field-returned units using software configuration, CLI-based automated testing, and functional test procedures. - Verified unit performance using multimeter testing and environmental chamber testing. - Performed depot rework and supported final assembly to meet build quality standards. - Supported QA/DCMA inspection readiness, IPC-certified workmanship, and Lean Manufacturing adoption to improve throughput and production quality.