Distinguished Space Systems Engineer

The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory•Cambridge, MA

5d•$100,000 - $275,000

About The Position

Draper is seeking a Space Systems Engineer for its Space and Mission Critical Systems group. The role works on multidisciplinary teams to design, develop, test, and support systems for crewed spaceflight and lunar activities. Work may include identifying customer needs; developing use cases and requirements; conducting requirements analysis and flow-down; developing system concepts, architectures, and alternatives; designing systems and missions; defining and controlling interfaces; planning integration, verification, and testing; producing systems engineering documentation and models; developing vehicle- and mission-level simulations; assessing performance; documenting analysis results; and presenting results to internal and external stakeholders. The successful candidate will independently drive solutions to complex multidisciplinary problems, understand customers’ strategic priorities, and help shape customer needs and requirements. They will provide systems engineering subject-matter expertise, lead large multidisciplinary teams, contribute to state-of-the-art solutions, support Draper’s strategic capability growth, identify and mitigate risks across programs, improve enterprise operations, and mentor others. Candidates are encouraged to include a cover letter describing their interest in the position. The position is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The US base salary range for this full-time position is $100,000 to $275,000. Compensation depends on role level, location, and job-related skills, experience, education, or training. Draper describes workplace flexibility and employee clubs, workshops, off-site social events, and discounts to local museums and cultural activities as part of its work-life-balance programs.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in engineering, physics, mathematics, or a related field.
10–15 or more years of experience as a systems engineer or in a related role.
Current active Top Secret clearance is required; SCI eligibility is highly desirable.
At least two of the following: requirements management; spacecraft subsystems analysis; MBSE (MagicDraw/Cameo) or CONOPs development; ICD management; or analysis-tool and script development.
Requirements management experience decomposing mission-level requirements to subsystem level and tracing them through the project lifecycle.
Spacecraft subsystems analysis experience, including propellant budgeting, on-orbit fuel needs, RF link budgets, mission-life estimations, and day-in-the-life assessments.
Experience with MBSE (MagicDraw/Cameo) or CONOPs development to capture functional flows and system behavior.
Experience drafting, reviewing, and managing ICDs and maintaining clear interface baselines across disciplines.
Experience creating and maintaining analysis tools and scripts, such as Python, MATLAB, STK, STOL, or similar, to automate calculations and visualizations.
Strong interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to develop and deliver technical presentations.
Highly organized, with the ability to approach problems from a system-level perspective.
Strong oral and written communication skills.
Practical experience with simulation-based performance analysis.
Practical experience with the systems engineering process.
Demonstrated ability to lead large multidisciplinary teams of more than 10 people.
Demonstrated experience fostering a culture of inclusion in the workplace.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree or higher.
SCI eligibility.
Proficiency with modeling and simulation, computer-language coding, descriptive modeling such as SysML, STPA, and/or other engineering analysis tools, as applicable to the role.
Knowledge of GN&C, avionics architectures, fault tolerance, cyber/security, communications/encryption, threat modeling, or other technologies, as applicable to the role.

Responsibilities

Independently drive solutions to complex, multidisciplinary problems with a deep understanding of customer strategic priorities.
Help customers shape their needs and develop requirements for programs addressing challenging technical problems.
Lead large multidisciplinary teams of more than 10 people, aligning them toward program goals and building trust.
Serve as a systems engineering subject-matter expert.
Contribute to advancing state-of-the-art solutions and techniques in the field.
Analyze Draper strategy and work with management to build capabilities in key areas that sustain business growth.
Identify risks common across programs or technology areas and develop and execute mitigation strategies.
Improve enterprise operations by identifying organizational improvement areas and collaborating to achieve change.
Mentor colleagues and build depth in areas of expertise, recognizing others’ strengths and weaknesses and providing constructive feedback.
Perform other duties as assigned.
Support systems engineering work for crewed spaceflight and lunar activities, potentially including customer-needs identification, use-case and requirements development, architecture and mission design, interface definition, integration and verification planning, modeling and simulation, performance assessment, documentation, and presentations.
Develop or contribute to and review program data products, design reference missions, and mission-level models.
Develop and deliver technical presentations for program milestones, readiness reviews, and senior-level briefings.
Foster a culture of inclusion in the workplace.