Senior Spacecraft Systems Engineer - Optical Comms

 

The Senior Spacecraft Systems Engineer – Optical Comms is responsible for leading the systems engineering activities required to define, develop, integrate, verify, and support complex aerospace systems throughout the product lifecycle. This role translates mission objectives, customer requirements, and system architecture into technical solutions that enable successful system integration and mission execution.

Working within a multidisciplinary engineering environment, the Senior Systems Engineer collaborates with software, hardware, mechanical, electrical, manufacturing, integration and test, mission operations, and program management teams to ensure systems meet technical, operational, cost, and schedule objectives. This role provides technical leadership from concept development through design, integration, verification, launch, and operational support while contributing to technical decision-making and risk management.

Systems Engineering & Architecture

• Analyze customer, mission, and system-level requirements and decompose them into clear, verifiable system and subsystem requirements.
• Establish clear definitions for all hardware and software interfaces between optical communication payloads and the space vehicle
• Research commercially available optical communication payloads and conduct source selection
• Serve as primary technical contact with vendors through the full program lifecycleEnsure requirements maintain end-to-end traceability to customer requirements, system architecture, and Concept of Operations (CONOPS).
• Define and manage hardware, software, electrical, mechanical, and data interfaces between system elements.
• Collaborate with cross-functional engineering teams to refine requirements for completeness, feasibility, technical accuracy, and manufacturability.
• Support requirements management, configuration management, baseline control, and engineering change activities.
• Identify technical risks, requirement gaps, ambiguities, and design issues early in the development lifecycle.
• Support system architecture development, technical trade studies, and engineering analyses to evaluate design alternatives and optimize system performance.

Verification, Validation & Integration

• Develop system verification and validation strategies, including verification methods (test, analysis, demonstration, and inspection), acceptance criteria, and verification levels aligned with program requirements.
• Define verification configurations, including hardware, software, firmware, and test environments required to support verification activities.
• Develop and maintain verification documentation, verification cross-reference matrices (VCRM), requirements traceability matrices, and verification evidence packages.
• Partner with Integration & Test teams to plan, coordinate, and support system integration and verification activities.
• Evaluate test results, resolve technical discrepancies, and support corrective actions to ensure compliance with system requirements.

Technical Leadership & Program Execution

• Support technical planning, Program Increment (PI) planning, staffing assessments, and engineering execution activities.
• Prioritize systems engineering activities to meet technical, cost, schedule, and program milestones.
• Participate in technical reviews, design reviews, customer meetings, and engineering milestone activities.
• Mentor junior engineers on systems engineering best practices, requirements development, traceability, verification, and technical documentation.
• Drive continuous improvement of engineering processes, systems engineering rigor, and technical documentation.
• Collaborate across multidisciplinary engineering teams to support successful program execution.
• Perform additional duties and responsibilities as assigned.

• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Physics, or a related technical discipline with typically 5–8 years of relevant experience; Master’s degree in a related technical discipline with typically 3–6 years of relevant experience; or PhD in a related technical discipline with typically 0–3 years of relevant experience.
• Strong knowledge of systems engineering principles and the systems development lifecycle.
• Experience developing, managing, and verifying system and subsystem requirements.
• Knowledge of systems architecture, interface management, systems integration, and configuration management.
• Understanding verification, validation, and systems integration processes.
• Ability to interpret customer requirements, Concept of Operations (CONOPS), and technical specifications to develop engineering 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 tools (Git, GitLab, Bitbucket, or similar)
• Issue tracking tools (Jira or similar)
• Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Effective written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Ability to collaborate effectively within multidisciplinary engineering teams.

• Familiarity with spacecraft mission planning, launch support, and on-orbit operations.
• Experience supporting spacecraft system integration, mission readiness, and operational activities.
• Experience supporting aerospace, defense, or other highly regulated engineering programs.