{"id":657751,"url":"https://alion.io/job/redcanyonsoftware-principal-software-systems-engineer","title":"Principal Software Systems Engineer","company":{"id":684680,"name":"Red Canyon Engineering & Software","domain":"redcanyonsoftware.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/redcanyonsoftware","size_band":null,"is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Lever","truth_index":{"grade":"B","score":75,"open_postings":5,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":1,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":null,"computed_at":"2026-11-02T06:13:15Z"}},"role":"Backend","role_family":"Backend","seniority":"lead","employment_type":"contractor","work_mode":"remote","remote_scope":"stated_countries","remote_scope_basis":"board_field","remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":["US"],"hiring_countries_total":1,"salary":{"min":75,"max":95,"currency":"USD","period":"hour","gross":null,"usd_annual":190000},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":15,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"IBM DOORS","optional":false},{"name":"MBSE","optional":false},{"name":"Verification & Validation","optional":false}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-09-10T15:48:51Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-09-10","last_verified_at":"2026-11-02T21:44:17Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":53,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":53},"description":"Red Canyon Software is looking for an enthusiastic and creative Principal Software Systems Engineer (Contract) to design and analyze new satellite and aerospace systems. We're looking for candidates who can bring exceptional engineering skills and strong experience in aerospace programs to the team.\nPosition Responsibilities:\nThe Principal Software Systems Engineer's primary responsibility will be driving the development of customer satellite systems with a focus on flight software delivery. This engineer will be involved in the full lifecycle of development, from requirements definition, validation, verification and operations. Being at the cutting edge of space technology, we need someone who is eager to learn, grow, and take on new and potentially unfamiliar challenges. There is no shortage of fascinating problems to solve.\nThe Principal Software Systems Engineer will provide autonomous solutions of complex problems, through direct work or delegation, under the leadership of the Systems Engineering Manager. The Principal Systems Engineer will have project and subject matter responsibility and authority.\nSystems Engineering 75%\nPerform systems engineering tasks for satellite software systems, including the heritage platform:Requirements development - initial definition, decomposition and flow down, management of Software and Avionics Subsystem requirements\nSystem design and trade studies - high level concept trades to support subsequent detail design\nVerification planning and testing - verification matrices, buy-off / sell-off, test planning, analysis planning, etc.\nEnsure proper Systems Engineering processes are followed including requirements traces / RVTMs\nCoordinate and collaborate with internal and external stake holders to ensure that technical requirements are met\nFlight Software anomaly resolution and troubleshooting\n\nDemonstrated ability to participate in cross-functional planning, coordination, and task execution situations involving the full spectrum of engineering and integration activities\nRoadmap Development 15%\nSupport spacecraft development product roadmap; includes design adjustments, schedule, and cost targets aligned for future business captures\nSupport the definition of spacecraft customization process for customer mission needs\nAdditional Responsibilities 10%\nPerform all the necessary systems engineering activities to build, to maintain and to evolve the spacecraft products\nPromote and optimize cost savings by reuse of the heritage platform designs and manufacturing infrastructures in the pursuit of various constellation prospects.\nQualified Experience / Skills / Training:\nEducation:\nBachelor's degree in STEM (Science, Technical, Engineering, Math) or related scientific areas\nPreferred: Masters in STEM (Science, Technical, Engineering, Math) or related scientific areas\nExperience:\nA minimum of 15 years with a bachelor's degree, or 12 years with a master's degree\nProven track-record of working with aerospace software systems, starting from conceptual designs and tradeoffs thru detailed design, development, integration, test, deployment, and operations\nProven track-record of leading multi-disciplinary teams to solve problems\nKnowledge, Skills, Demonstrated Capabilities:\nFamiliarity with elements of space mission architectures extending beyond the satellite platform - including launch, flight operations, mission CONOPS, user interfaces, etc.\nExperience with systems architecture, requirements definition and decomposition, and requirements verification and validation (e.g. Requirements Verification and Traceability Matrices)\nExperience with Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) tools and methods\nExperience with requirements management tools (DOORS or similar)\nExperience leading and/or performing analyses for affordability, safety, reliability, maintainability, testability, human systems integration, survivability, vulnerability, susceptibility, system security, regulatory, certification, product assurance or other specialties engineering disciplines\nCommunicate in a clear and concise manner effectively across multiple levels\nBe team-minded and ready to work in a multi-functional and multi-cultural, fast-moving and complex/technical environment\nFlexible attitude and strong initiative\nDemonstrated ability to deliver results\nMUST BE A US CITIZEN","description_format":"text","description_chars":4341,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":15,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"bachelor","optional":false},"security_clearance":true,"languages":[]},"benefits":[],"hiring_locations":[{"name":"United States","iso":"US","kind":"country"}],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Custom Software Development"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-09-10T21:13:47Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":{"score":28,"band":"fade","label":"Fading","p_open":1,"p_active":0.613,"p_room":0.45,"age_days":52,"expected_fill_days":28,"reasons":["conf:2","win:tail"],"computed_at":"2026-11-02T06:13:15Z"},"pay":{"stated_usd_annual":190000,"is_top_pay":false},"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/redcanyonsoftware-principal-software-systems-engineer","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/redcanyonsoftware-principal-software-systems-engineer.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-11-03T01:43:29Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":2310,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-11-04T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":684680},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=684680"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fredcanyonsoftware-principal-software-systems-engineer"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Fredcanyonsoftware-principal-software-systems-engineer"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Fredcanyonsoftware-principal-software-systems-engineer"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/redcanyonsoftware-principal-software-systems-engineer\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fredcanyonsoftware-principal-software-systems-engineer"}],"agent":{"mcp":"https://alion.io/mcp/jobs","mcp_open":"https://alion.io/mcp/open","next":[{"tool":"get_job","arguments":{"id":657751}},{"tool":"search_jobs","arguments":{"company":"redcanyonsoftware.com","detail":"compact"}},{"tool":"match_people","arguments":{"job_id":657751},"note":"people open to offers who fit this vacancy"}],"note":"The same data through MCP tools: https://alion.io/mcp/open needs no sign-in (compact searches, postings, people); https://alion.io/mcp with an Alion account has everything. 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