Senior Specialist, Systems Engineer - Space Vehicle

L3Harris Technologies•Palm Bay, FL

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The L3Harris Spectral Solutions division is seeking a Systems Engineer to support space vehicle–level development for missile warning and missile defense missions. This role contributes to the technical planning, requirements development, integration, verification, and lifecycle support of advanced space-based systems supporting critical national security objectives. The Systems Engineer works across multidisciplinary teams to help define, allocate, and manage interfaces among payload, bus, software, ground, and mission elements in alignment with program goals and customer needs. This position supports system architecture trades, technical assessments, and risk identification to help deliver balanced solutions that meet performance, schedule, cost, and mission assurance requirements. The role assists in translating mission needs into system and subsystem requirements and helps maintain traceability throughout design, integration, and test activities. The Systems Engineer may lead small technical efforts or coordinate with cross-functional contributors to resolve system-level issues and support program execution. This position also contributes to verification and validation planning, anomaly resolution, configuration management, and technical reviews across the space vehicle lifecycle. The ideal candidate brings strong systems thinking, collaboration, and communication skills, along with experience supporting complex aerospace or defense programs in a team-oriented engineering environment.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Systems Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or a related STEM discipline and a minimum of 6 years of relevant experience; or a Graduate degree and a minimum of 4 years of relevant experience. In lieu of a degree, minimum of 10 years of prior related experience.
Ability to obtain a DoD Secret security clearance.

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting space vehicle systems engineering on government, civil, or commercial satellite programs.
Experience supporting spacecraft integration and test, environmental qualification, launch site operations, or on-orbit anomaly resolution.
Familiarity with Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE), requirements management tools, and configuration management processes.
Familiarity with System-level performance analysis (e.g., image analysis, thermal analysis, structural analysis, end-to-end performance, reliability analysis)
Strong understanding in space vehicle design considerations in various orbital regimes: radiation, space charging, thermal, telecom, power, propulsion, disposal, etc.
Familiarity with top level mission analysis and trades such as conops, DITL, coverage maps, revisit rates, etc. in support of mission formulation
Well versed in functions, responsibilities and interconnectivities between Space Segment, Ground Segment and Launch Segment
Active security clearance
Experience in spacecraft, satellite, or other complex aerospace system development with responsibility at the subsystem, system, or vehicle level.
Experience with requirements management, interface control, system integration, verification and validation, and technical baseline management across the product lifecycle.
Ability to work effectively across cross-functional engineering teams, communicate technical issues clearly to leadership and customers, and support execution in a multi-site development environment.

Responsibilities

Support space vehicle-level systems engineering for satellite programs from concept development through design, integration, test, launch, and mission operations support.
Contribute to the development, decomposition, allocation, and management of spacecraft system requirements to subsystem and component levels.
Coordinate with cross-functional technical teams including systems, payload, avionics, flight software, mechanical, thermal, power, propulsion, guidance and control, integration and test, and mission operations to support successful program execution.
Assist in the development and maintenance of the space vehicle architecture, technical baseline, and interface definitions to help ensure system compatibility and mission success.
Perform system-level trades, performance analyses, and technical assessments affecting spacecraft capability, cost, schedule, reliability, and risk.
Support system integration, verification, validation, and test planning to ensure compliance with program requirements and mission objectives.
Participate in major technical reviews, including SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR, FRR, and post-launch readiness activities, and communicate technical status to internal and external stakeholders.
Identify, assess, and help mitigate technical risks and opportunities associated with spacecraft design, manufacturing, integration, environmental test, and launch vehicle interfaces.
Collaborate with program management, production, quality, supply chain, and subcontractor teams to support successful execution of the space vehicle build and delivery.
May lead small technical efforts and provide guidance to less experienced engineers while supporting disciplined engineering execution and continuous improvement.