Senior Spacecraft Systems Engineer – Software

CesiumAstro•Westminster, CO

About The Position

The Senior Spacecraft Systems Engineer – Software translates system-level operational concepts, customer requirements, and architecture into detailed software requirements, verification strategies, and integrated technical solutions for complex embedded systems. The role bridges Systems Engineering and Software Engineering, ensuring requirements are decomposed, traceable, testable, and aligned with program objectives. It is organizationally aligned with Systems Engineering and works closely with Software Engineering on planning, development, integration, and verification. The position defines software verification approaches and required hardware/software configurations, helping ensure system functionality meets mission and performance objectives. It also supports program execution, integration planning, technical reviews, issue resolution, and mentorship of junior engineers.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Systems Engineering, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
5–8 years of experience in systems engineering, software engineering, embedded systems, or integration environments.
Experience decomposing system requirements into software-level requirements.
Experience creating verification plans, descriptions, procedures, or acceptance criteria.
Strong understanding of embedded systems and software development lifecycles.
Experience with hardware/software interfaces and communication protocols.
Ability to interpret and apply system-level CONOPS to engineering execution.
Familiarity with programming languages such as Python, C++, C, Java, Bash, or similar.
Familiarity with development tools such as Git, IDEs, debuggers, and CI/CD platforms.
Familiarity with Linux, Windows, or Unix operating systems.
Familiarity with protocols and interfaces such as TCP/IP, UDP, Serial, USB, Ethernet, and APIs.
Familiarity with requirements tools, issue tracking systems, and automated test tools.
Must meet U.S. Government space technology export eligibility requirements: be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, conditional resident, asylee, or refugee (protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)), or be eligible to obtain required U.S. Department of State authorizations.

Responsibilities

Analyze customer, mission, and system-level requirements and decompose them into clear, verifiable software-level requirements.
Maintain traceability between software requirements and higher-level system requirements, architecture, and Concept of Operations (CONOPS).
Collaborate with systems, software, and hardware teams to refine requirements for completeness, feasibility, and technical accuracy.
Support requirements management, baseline control, and change impact assessments; identify gaps, ambiguities, and risks.
Develop software verification approaches, including verification descriptions, methods, levels, and acceptance criteria aligned with system and program requirements.
Identify verification configurations, including hardware setups, software loads, firmware versions, and test environments.
Support verification cross-reference matrices (VCRM), traceability matrices, and evidence packages.
Partner with test and software teams to support efficient execution of planned verification activities.
Act as a technical liaison between Systems Engineering and Software Engineering.
Support software integration planning, readiness reviews, and release coordination.
Evaluate the impact of software changes on system behavior, interfaces, and verification scope.
Participate in architecture, design, and interface reviews to ensure requirements alignment.
Support resolution of issues involving system functionality, interoperability, and software performance.
Apply working knowledge of embedded-system architectures, constraints, and development environments.
Support interface definition and validation among embedded devices, processors, sensors, payloads, and external systems.
Assess integration and verification implications of firmware, software, and hardware revisions.
Support Program Increment (PI) planning, staffing assessments, and execution readiness activities.
Prioritize verification and requirements activities to meet schedule and milestone commitments.
Mentor junior engineers on requirements quality, traceability, and verification planning.
Drive continuous improvement in systems/software collaboration, process efficiency, and engineering rigor.