--- title: 'Principal Systems Engineer at Red 6' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/principal-systems-engineer-red-6-denver-yxyak7ns926c' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-10-14' --- # Principal Systems Engineer at Red 6 - **Company:** Red 6 - **Location:** Denver, CO - **Compensation:** $160k–$200k - **Employment:** full-time - **Work type:** onsite - **Posted:** 2026-09-23 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-14 - **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/red6/3cf92b58-04c3-4723-8a8d-8512a4782817 ## Job description Company Overview Red 6 is an innovative Augmented Reality (AR) technology startup leading the way in synthetic air combat training. Our primary technology, supporting our ATARS product, enables pilots to simulate the cognitive challenges of flying while accessing realistic, scalable training in dynamic outdoor environments. ## THE ROLE We are seeking a Principal Systems Engineer to support the development, integration, and verification of the Airborne Tactical Augmented Reality System (ATARS) across the full product lifecycle. This role supports the overall system development of ATARS via requirements development and traceability, architecture definition, interface management, hardware/software integration, and conducting formal design milestone reviews. In addition, this role will lead requirements, architecture, and design work for the early lifecycle of the next generation ATARS. The Principal Systems Engineer will operate in a cross-functional environment supporting hardware, software, optics, test, and airworthiness teams to ensure technical performance, compliance, and mission readiness of complex integrated systems. ## KEY RESPONSIBILIITES - Lead cross functional teams across Systems Engineering, Configuration Management, and Systems Integration & Test to align technical execution, drive solutions, and guide discussions. - Develop, decompose, and manage system and subsystem requirements using approved requirements management tools. - Establish and maintain the Requirements Verification Traceability Matrix (RVTM), ensuring bidirectional traceability from system requirements through verification artifacts. - Develop and manage Interface Control Documents (ICDs) for internal and external system integrations (hardware, software, avionics, and platform interfaces). - Lead and support design milestone reviews, including SRR, PDR, CDR, and SVR. - Apply Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) methodologies (SysML) to develop system architectures, functional decompositions, use cases, and interface models. - Conduct trade studies and technical analysis to support design decisions and performance optimization. - Manage allocations of weight, power, and other system resources across components. - Coordinate and oversee system integration and verification activities in both lab and aircraft environments. - Identify and manage technical risks, ensuring mitigation plans are in place. - Serve as a technical point of contact across internal teams and with external partners to ensure alignment on system design and performance. ## REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS - Bachelor’s degree in systems engineering, aerospace engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, or related STEM field. - 12 years+ of experience in aerospace, defense, or mission-critical system development. - Demonstrated experience across the full systems development lifecycle, from early concept and requirements through design, integration, verification, validation, production, and operations & maintenance. - Proficiency with requirements management tools and products, including requirements development, decomposition, tracing, validation and verification. - Experience authoring and reviewing Interface Control Documents (ICDs), Concepts of Operation, Trade Studies, Documentation Trees, Engineering Management Plans, Engineering Change Packages or similar systems engineering artifacts. - Experience supporting or leading formal design milestone reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR). - Effective written and verbal communication skills for technical documentation and cross-team coordination. - Demonstrated familiarity with the software development lifecycle and software architecture, including the integration of software within complex hardware and mission systems. - Knowledge of MIL-STD documentation standards and defense acquisition lifecycle processes. - Ability to obtain and maintain a DoD Secret security clearance. This requires U.S. Citizenship ## PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS - Master’s degree in engineering, physics, or a related technical field. - INCOSE CSEP Certification. - Experience with AR/VR technologies and head-mounted display systems. - Familiarity with avionics systems, aircraft integration, or similar platforms. - Experience applying MBSE methodologies using SysML tools such as Cameo, MagicDraw, or Rhapsody. - Familiarity with airworthiness certification processes and safety-critical system development. ## COMPENSTATION Estimated Base Salary: $160,000 - $200,000 Full-Time Employee Benefits - Healthcare, Dental, and Vision (100% coverage for Employees) - Paid time off, including vacation, sick, paid holidays, and parental leave - Short and Long-Term Disability - Flexible Spending Account (FSA) - 401(k) Retirement Plan - Voluntary Worksite Benefits (Accident, Critical Illness, and Hospital Indemnity) - May be eligible for a discretionary annual bonus based on individual and company performance, subject to plan terms. Note Red 6 reserves the right to change its current benefits program at any time, in a manner that is consistent with applicable federal and state regulations. This job description is not a contract and confers no contractual rights, privileges, or benefits on any applicant or potential applicant. Red 6 has the right to change any and all terms of this job description, including, but not limited to, job responsibilities, qualifications, and benefits. Nothing in this job description constitutes an offer or guarantee of employment. Red Six Aerospace, Inc, is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. California: https://www.caljobs.ca.gov/vosnet/Default.aspx Colorado: https://www.connectingcolorado.com/ Florida: https://www.employflorida.com/vosnet/Default.aspx Under the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”), Red 6 Aerospace, Inc. operating company you are applying to work for (hereinafter, “we”, “our”, or “us”) may collect personal information and use it for certain business purposes as described below in this Job Applicant and Employee Privacy Notice. We are required to disclose the following information to California “consumers” regarding our collection of their personal information. Under the CCPA, “consumers” means California residents, including job applicants, employees, or contractors of a business. [Candidate Privacy Notice](https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:VA6C2:a94896ca-279e-421c-a4eb-8c50a46fcbf4) ## About Red 6 ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: Red 6 develops a revolutionary outdoor augmented reality system for military flight training, enabling pilots to see and interact with synthetic threats in real-world environments at high speeds. - **Entity Type**: Private (Series B, last round in 2022; $111.3M total funding) - **Headquarters**: Orlando, Florida, United States - **Founded**: 2018 - **Founders**: Daniel Robinson (CEO/Founder) and Jeremy Stovall (CPO/Founder) ## Core Business - **Primary industries**: Defense and Space Manufacturing; Military Flight Training; Augmented Reality Hardware/Software - **Target customers**: Government defense agencies (U.S. Air Force, Royal Air Force, NATO), prime defense contractors (Lockheed Martin, SNC, Northrop Grumman), and allied air forces. - **Mission or purpose statement**: “Create adaptive, immersive, simulated environments, outdoors to solve a national security problem threatening the readiness of warfighters; a chronic lack of relevant, affordable training delivered at scale and frequency.” (from team page) ## Products & Services - **Advanced Tactical Augmented Reality System (ATARS)**: A platform that generates fully immersive, data-driven, AI-enabled 3D synthetic training worlds outdoors. ATARS uses extremely low-latency, waveform-agnostic protocols to enable multi-player AR experiences at high speeds. It is designed to work with fighter jets, collaborative combat aircraft (CCA), and ground systems. - **EVE Headset (Enhanced Visual Environment)**: A wearable AR headset purpose-built for outdoor, high-speed environments. It offers 18,000 nits brightness (usable in full daylight), a wide field of view, low latency (~10 ms), and high optical efficiency. The headset enables pilots to see virtual assets overlaid on the real world while maneuvering. ## Market Standing - **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not disclosed - **Key Metric**: Annual Revenue $15M (LinkedIn estimate) | Total Funding $111.3M as of 2026 - **Notable Investors/Partners**: Lockheed Martin Ventures (lead), Disney Accelerator, SNC (Sierra Nevada Corporation), Palantir Technologies, AERALIS, and the U.K. Royal Air Force. - **Growth Signals**: Headcount grew 50.4% YoY to 139 employees (2026). Active job postings (12 positions as of mid-2026). Secured a U.S. Air Force contract to revolutionize F-16 pilot training with ATARS (Aug 2025). Signed strategic partnership with SNC to transform military flight training (Jul 2025). RAF Hawk jets successfully trialed Red 6 AR technology (2024–2025). Expansion into Denver and Santa Monica offices. ## Competitive Advantages - **First-mover in outdoor airborne AR**: No other company has demonstrated an augmented reality system that works reliably in full daylight, at high speeds, and in dynamic outdoor environments. - **Deep domain expertise**: Founded by a former RAF pilot and augmented reality veterans; leadership includes retired USAF Major General, former Lockheed Martin/Sierra Space executives, and F-22/F-35 instructors. - **Low-latency, waveform-agnostic architecture**: ATARS can run on existing military networks without requiring new hardware, enabling rapid integration with current aircraft. - **Strong government and prime contractor partnerships**: Direct contracts with U.S. Air Force and RAF, plus strategic alliances with Lockheed Martin, SNC, Palantir, and Northrop Grumman. ## Strategic Focus - **Scaling ATARS across multiple platforms**: Expanding from fighter jets (F-16, Hawk) to include collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) and ground-based training. - **International expansion**: Deepening presence in the United Kingdom (subsidiary in UK, trials with RAF) and pursuing NATO allies. - **Integration with AI and data analytics**: Partnering with Palantir to leverage ontology software for real-time data fusion and readiness measurement. - **Contract growth**: Targeting larger production contracts and multi-year programs as ATARS moves from prototype to operational deployment. ## Why Work Here - **Culture**: Described as “an agile startup changing the way the world engages with digital information.” Emphasis on impact (every employee closely involved with tech), autonomy (trusted contributor from Day 1), and community (unique team sharing a common mission). - **Locations**: Three primary offices – Santa Monica, CA; Denver, CO (Louisville); and Orlando, FL (HQ). Roles are likely on-site given the hardware/defense nature. - **Work environment**: Fast iteration cycles (concept to flying prototype in days), collaboration with veterans and top aerospace engineers. Typical startup perks are not explicitly listed but the reviews on LinkedIn give a 4.2/5 rating (25 reviews) with high marks for Culture (4.3) and Work-Life (4.2). - **Engineering culture**: Heavy technical focus – 37% of employees work in technical roles, tech stack includes Unreal Engine, Python, Docker, TypeScript, JavaScript, Altium, NetSuite, Confluence. Cross-functional teams include optics, systems engineering, mechanical engineering, and software. ## Sources 1. [red6ar.com – Company home and team page](https://red6ar.com) 2. [red6ar.com – ATARS product page](https://red6ar.com/atars/) 3. [red6ar.com – Careers page](https://red6ar.com/careers/) 4. [linkedin.com – Red 6 company profile](https://www.linkedin.com/company/red6) 5. [prnewswire.co.uk – US Air Force contract announcement](https://prnewswire.co.uk) 6. [washingtontechnology.com – Northrop autonomous flight cohort](https://washingtontechnology.com) 7. [prnewswire.co.uk – SNC partnership](https://prnewswire.co.uk) ## Other roles at Red 6 - [Senior Program Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-program-manager-red-6-denver-cx5hah7g723a) — Denver, CO - [Principal Engineer – Structural and Vibration Analyst](https://feeny.ai/job/principal-engineer-structural-and-vibration-analyst-red-6-denver-haktcrr262zd) — Denver, CO - [Director of Optics](https://feeny.ai/job/director-of-optics-red-6-santa-monica-nq82jvhc2qf2) — Santa Monica, CA - [Capture Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/capture-manager-red-6-remote-6wqknzrtxkrx) - [Manufacturing Production and Test Technican](https://feeny.ai/job/manufacturing-production-and-test-technican-red-6-denver-jpjw31zzhz0h) — Denver, CO - [Chief Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/chief-engineer-red-6-denver-fq4d8w6reb5w) — Denver, CO - [Principal Electrical Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/principal-electrical-engineer-red-6-denver-p53n52z074b8) — Denver, CO - [Program Planner](https://feeny.ai/job/program-planner-red-6-denver-bygk5pd6mvh7) — Denver, CO - [Mechanical Engineer II](https://feeny.ai/job/mechanical-engineer-ii-red-6-denver-wdq2zte8f7ba) — Denver, CO - [Staff Software Architect](https://feeny.ai/job/staff-software-architect-red-6-santa-monica-xnzrjagdd9sf) — Santa Monica, CA