10 SAIC engineering leaders
Vice president of engineering, director of engineering and director of digital engineering are among the roles held by these ten SAIC engineering leaders, one of whom has since moved on. A reader can learn how engineering leaders work at SAIC from people who have held the role.
Professionals to explore
Brandon Jennings
LinkedInExperience: Director of Digital Engineering · SAIC
Brandon Jennings has been Director of Digital Engineering at SAIC in Summerville, South Carolina since February 2025, specializing in digital engineering and systems design according to the profile. Brandon Jennings was Chief Engineer of Development (2021–2025), Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle Controls Lead (2018–2022) and Senior Mechanical Engineer (2016–2018) at SAIC.
Chris Powell
LinkedInExperience: Senior Director, Office of CTO and Fellow, SAIC · SAIC
Chris Powell has been Senior Director, Office of CTO and Fellow, SAIC at SAIC in Harrogate, Tennessee since April 2015, pursuing strategy and practice in quantum information science and high performance computing according to the profile. Chris Powell also held Senior Director, Technical Excellence & Fellow (2023–2024) and Lead Expert Systems Engineer, Complex Architectures (2019–2024) roles at SAIC.
Christopher Finlay
LinkedInExperience: Former VP of Engineering Innovation · SAIC
Christopher Finlay was VP of Engineering Innovation at SAIC (2022–2026), creating the digital thread through digital engineering solutions according to the profile, and has been Digital Systems Engineering Director at Raytheon since July 2026. Christopher Finlay was Director - Digital Engineering (2020–2022) at SAIC and Senior Principal Systems Engineer at Raytheon (2013–2020).
Dan Plucinski
LinkedInExperience: Director of AI · SAIC
Dan Plucinski has been Director of AI at SAIC since February 2026. Dan Plucinski was Director of Application Engineering (2024–2026), Director of Software Engineering (2022–2024), Director of Proprietary Systems (2021–2022) and Automation Manager (2020–2021) at SAIC, and the profile places the AI and application engineering roles in the engineering and technical department.
Eric Smay
LinkedInExperience: Vice President of Engineering · SAIC
Eric Smay has been Vice President of Engineering at SAIC in Charleston, South Carolina since August 2026, and also lists Director of Engineering Program Manager there since 2019. Eric Smay was Chief Engineer - Ground Systems at SAIC (2018–2019), Department Manager, Maneuver Collaboration Center at General Dynamics Land Systems (2016–2018) and Product Line Manager at General Dynamics Land Systems - Force Protection (2009–2016).
Matthew Mullican
LinkedInExperience: Director of Cloud Computing and Engineering · SAIC
Matthew Mullican has been Director of Cloud Computing and Engineering at SAIC since July 2021, a role the profile lists in the engineering and technical department. Matthew Mullican was Director of Cloud Operations at Halfaker and Associates, LLC (2019–2021), Principal Cloud Architect at Cognosante (2019) and VP of Professional Services at NocPlace (2015–2018).
Michael Lee
LinkedInExperience: Executive Director · SAIC
Michael Lee has been Executive Director at SAIC in Middletown, Rhode Island since August 2026, and the profile describes the role as Director of Undersea Systems Development and Test Systems. Michael Lee was Director (2024–2026), Program Manager (2008–2024) and Computer Engineer (2007–2008) at SAIC, and has served on the SENEDIA board of directors since 2026.
Michael Vinarcik
LinkedInExperience: Director | Solutions and Technology Group · SAIC
Michael Vinarcik has been Director | Solutions and Technology Group at SAIC in Belleville, Michigan since January 2026. Michael Vinarcik held Director | Mission, Systems, and Lifecycle Engineering | Innovation Factory (2025–2026), Director | Digital Architecture and Requirements Engineering | Engineering Innovation Factory (2022–2025) and Chief Digital Engineer | Engineering Innovation Factory (2021–2022) roles at SAIC.
Ralph Zampitella
LinkedInExperience: Director of Engineering · SAIC
Ralph Zampitella has been Director of Engineering at SAIC in Indianapolis since May 2025, and the profile headline places the role in Surface and Aviation Solutions within the Navy Business Group. Ralph Zampitella was Chief Engineer at UMM (2001–2003), Software Manager / Software Design & Development Engineer at Mei Technology Company (1996–2000) and Electrical Engineer / Software Engineer at Raytheon (1989–1996).
Ronald F. Clemens
LinkedInExperience: Director of Digital Engineering for Undersea Warfare and Navy Training · SAIC
Ronald F. Clemens has been Director of Digital Engineering for Undersea Warfare and Navy Training at SAIC in Middletown, Rhode Island since March 2021. Ronald F. Clemens was Systems Engineer Program Manager at Research and Development Solutions (2017–2021), Systems Engineer at BAE Systems (2013–2017) and Mechanical Systems Engineer at Naval Undersea Warfare Center Newport (2004–2012).
Choose the right perspective
Pick the person whose engineering area, such as Navy surface, aviation or undersea systems, digital engineering, software, cloud and AI engineering, or the office of the CTO, matches the decision you are working on. Weigh their scope, since a director and a vice president will describe the same problem differently.
Questions to take into the conversation
- 01What took most of your time in your engineering role, and how did you decide what to handle yourself and what to delegate?
- 02How did you balance delivery commitments against investment in engineering tools and methods?
- 03What did you carry over from earlier roles that changed how you lead engineering teams?
Reaching SAIC engineering leaders
How can I contact one of these SAIC engineering leaders?
Pick one of the 10 people on this page and choose "Book a paid call", or describe your project to find others. You offer a fee for a 15-minute call or a written answer, Instant Expert finds the person's work email and sends the invitation, and they decide whether to accept. The list covers 1 company: SAIC, based on profile data retrieved on October 18, 2026. Being listed here doesn't mean someone has agreed to take calls.
How much does it cost to reach SAIC engineering leaders?
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Can an AI agent ask one of these SAIC engineering leaders a question?
Yes. An agent with a USDC wallet on Base can ask one question without an Instant Expert account. It names the person, for example by the LinkedIn URL on this page, and pays per ask over x402 (HTTP 402). The person answers in writing or by voice note, and if nobody answers within 7 days, the payment goes back to the wallet automatically. Claude and ChatGPT can do the same through the Instant Expert connector: setup is at /docs/mcp for Claude and /docs/chatgpt for ChatGPT. x402 docs
About this directory
This is a professional research starting point based on business profile data retrieved on . Titles and companies reflect that source snapshot; roles marked former had ended by then. Check the linked profiles for current details. Inclusion does not imply Instant Expert membership or availability.
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