Staff Spacecraft Systems Engineer – Electronics

The Staff Spacecraft Systems Engineer - Electronics provides technical leadership in the development, integration, verification, and lifecycle management of complex aerospace systems. This role is responsible for translating customer requirements, mission objectives, and operational concepts into system architectures, technical requirements, and engineering solutions that enable successful mission execution.

Working with a high degree of independence, the Staff Systems Engineer leads multidisciplinary engineering efforts across the system lifecycle, from concept development through design, integration, verification, production, launch, and operational support. This role collaborates closely with software, electrical, mechanical, manufacturing, integration and test, mission operations, and program management teams to ensure systems meet technical, performance, schedule, and customer requirements while supporting sound engineering practices and technical decision-making.

ESSENTIAL ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Systems Engineering & Architecture

• Lead development, analysis, allocation, and management of system and subsystem requirements throughout the product lifecycle.
• Responsible for systems engineering of new electronics subsystems for CesiumAstro satellites
• Collaborate with technical design leads to bring new spacecraft electronics products to life, integrating requirements across multiple satellites and missions to drive design implementation
• Communicate technical needs across the spacecraft team, using data from flight operations to drive requirement evolution in future design cycles
• Analyze customer, mission, and system-level requirements and decompose them into clear, verifiable subsystem requirements.
• Ensure subsystem requirements maintain end-to-end traceability to customer requirements, system architecture, and Concept of Operations (CONOPS).
• Translate customer requirements and operational concepts into technical requirements, system architectures, and engineering solutions.
• Lead system architecture development, technical trade studies, and engineering analyses to evaluate design alternatives and optimize system performance.
• Collaborate with systems, software, hardware, electrical, mechanical, manufacturing, and integration teams to ensure requirements are complete, feasible, and technically sound.
• Define and manage hardware, software, electrical, mechanical, thermal, and data interfaces across system elements.
• Support requirements management, configuration management, baseline control, and engineering change activities throughout the development lifecycle.
• Identify technical risks, requirement gaps, ambiguities, and integration challenges early in the design process and develop effective mitigation strategies.

Systems Integration, Verification, & Validation

• Develop system verification and validation strategies aligned with customer requirements, system architecture, and program objectives.
• Define verification approaches including verification methods (test, analysis, demonstration, and inspection), verification levels, acceptance criteria, and required evidence.
• Identify verification configurations including hardware setups, software loads, firmware versions, and test environments required to support verification activities.
• Lead development and maintenance of verification documentation, including verification cross-reference matrices (VCRM), requirements traceability matrices, and compliance evidence packages.
• Partner with Integration & Test teams to plan, coordinate, and execute system integration, qualification, environmental, and functional verification activities.
• Evaluate verification results, support technical issue resolution, and drive closure of verification gaps.
• Support technical reviews, design certification activities, and program milestones.

Technical Leadership & Program Execution

• Serve as the technical lead for assigned systems or major subsystems throughout the development lifecycle.
• Lead systems engineering execution for assigned programs, ensuring technical deliverables support program milestones and customer commitments.
• Support engineering planning, technical execution, and program readiness activities.
• Prioritize systems engineering activities to meet technical objectives, schedule commitments, and program requirements.
• Lead multidisciplinary technical discussions and provide engineering guidance across cross-functional teams.
• Participate in customer technical interchange meetings, architecture reviews, design reviews, and program milestone reviews.
• Provide technical mentorship to engineers on requirements development, traceability, verification planning, and systems engineering practices.
• Influence technical decisions through engineering analysis, technical trade studies, risk assessments, and data-driven recommendations.
• Drive continuous improvement of systems engineering processes, documentation quality, and technical rigor.
• Perform additional duties and responsibilities as assigned.

JOB REQUIREMENTS AND MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Physics, or a related technical discipline with typically 8-12 years of relevant experience. Master’s degree in a related technical discipline with typically 6-8 years of relevant experience. PhD in a related technical discipline with typically 3-5 years of relevant experience.
• Advanced knowledge of systems engineering principles, lifecycle processes, and aerospace development practices.
• Experience developing, allocating, managing, and verifying complex system and subsystem requirements.
• Strong understanding of system architecture, interface management, integration, configuration management, and technical risk management.
• Experience leading technical trade studies, system analyses, and design assessments.
• Knowledge of verification, validation, qualification, and compliance methodologies.
• Ability to translate customer requirements, mission objectives, and CONOPS into technical solutions.
• Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio)
• Requirements Management tools (Jama, IBM DOORS, or similar)
• Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) tools (CATIA Magic/Cameo, MagicDraw, or similar)
• Systems modeling and simulation tools
• Collaboration platforms (Confluence, SharePoint, or similar)
• Configuration management and version control systems (Git, GitLab, Bitbucket, or similar)
• Issue tracking tools (Jira or similar)
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, communication, and collaboration skills.
• Ability to provide technical leadership, mentor engineers, and influence cross-functional engineering decisions.

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE

• Experience supporting complex aerospace, defense, or other highly regulated engineering programs.