Satellite Design System Engineer

MDA • Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC

53d

About The Position

MDA is seeking a Satellite Design System Engineer for design, integration, verification, and operational support for current and next‑generation remote sensing and communications satellites. The design system engineer is the technical hub that ensures every spacecraft subsystem (structures, thermal, power, propulsion, C&DH, TT&C/PDT, GNC, payload‑interface, etc.) works together to meet mission objectives, cost targets and schedule constraints. The role spans the full lifecycle, from concept, designs and requirements capture through design, integration, verification, launch‑site support and on‑orbit operations.

Requirements

• Sc. in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace or Physics with 10 + years of satellite system design experience on LEO/MEO/GEO missions.
• Comprehensive knowledge of Spacecraft subsystems and their interactions.
• Proficiency in multi‑disciplinary engineering environment (structural, thermal, power, dynamics…etc.) and ability to interpret results for design decisions.
• Strong understanding of aerospace system engineering fundamentals.
• Hands-on individual who can support systems integration processes and capability to test systems and resolve problems.
• Experience with Confluence and JIRA.
• Demonstrated capability to efficiently work with little supervision.
• Ability to distill complex problems to fundamentals to solve with analysis, similarity, or creativity.
• Demonstrate excellent written and oral communication skills in English

Nice To Haves

• knowledge of French will be considered an asset (Contact with clients outside Quebec and work on deliverables in English).

Responsibilities

• Support or define and convert mission level and mission planning requirements, reliability, cost and schedule goals into spacecraft wide system design requirements.
• Develop the Satellite Architecture Description Document, Interface Control Documents (ICD) and Compliance Matrices.
• Perform requirement management and maintain bidirectional traceability throughout the program life cycle.
• Lead multi‑disciplinary trade studies (mass vs. power vs. volume, redundancy philosophy, reliability, end of life, bus modularity, launch‑vehicle fit, de-orbiting, re-entry...etc.).
• Produce trade‑off matrices and recommendation reports for senior management.
• Support detailed design of all major platform subsystems (structures, TCS, EPS, PROP, C&DH, C&T, GNC, payload interfaces).
• Own and maintain Satellite Electrical MBSE (SysML modeling)
• Support electrical harnesses, power‑distribution topology, grounding scheme and redundancy philosophy.
• Conduct FMECA in support to FDIR, Fault‑Tree Analysis, reliability and availability predictions.
• Review or coordinate integrated analyses: Structural & vibration Environmental modeling Power and Mass budget, CoG, battery‑state‑of‑charge, power sizing…etc. Orbit dynamics, pointing accuracy and knowledge, attitude stability, ΔV budgeting, DOTL. Demisability, apparent visibility, MMOD.
• Communicate technical status, risk assessments and trade‑study results to senior management and/or customers or partners.
• Negotiate and manage ICDs with payload and platform, ground‑segment and supplier teams.
• Support B&P (Phase 0 & pre-phase A).
• Develop or support verification plans, test matrices and validation procedures for spacecraft level tests.
• Support FSW integration and Reference Database
• Coordinate and/or supervise: Structural vibration and acoustic testing Thermal vacuum cycling and thermal balance tests Electrical functional tests on PFM & FMs, review & approve test data
• Mentor, guide junior engineers and interns.
• Act as technical liaison with customers, partners and external vendors
• Act as Continuous Improvement stakeholder
• Contribute to MDA’s knowledge‑base, process enhancements, and standards development.
• Author and maintain MDA satellite standards (margin philosophy, redundancy, safety…etc.).
• Conduct Design‑for‑Manufacturability (DFM) and Design‑for‑Testability (DFT) reviews; incorporate supplier feedback into GDIR.
• Ensure all artefacts, analysis, software, deliverables and documentations are version controlled in PLM environment.
• Lead and Support design reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR, MRR/TRR…etc.).
• Support Technology Road‑Mapping & Innovation.
• Support launch‑site checklists with LVI engineer, pre‑launch checkout procedures, early‑orbit checkout scripts and on‑orbit commissioning.
• Provide technical support to Mission Operations for routine payload and bus health monitoring, contingency handling and performance trending.
• Lead root‑cause investigations for on‑orbit anomalies; update design baselines and lessons‑learned.
• Analyse on‑orbit telemetry, update filter parameters, and generate performance reports.
• Support SOOH development and associated operator training.

Benefits

• MDA provides competitive compensation and benefits packages for its employees at all locations.
• As a team member of MDA, you and your qualified dependents are eligible to participate in a benefit plan that ensures a comprehensive level of protection through competitive health care including; extended healthcare and flexible drug plans, dental and vision benefits, disability income protection, life insurance, group retirement savings plans; and an employee and family assistance program.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 501-1,000 employees