Senior Systems Engineer - ISA Mission Systems & RF Payloads

HawkEye 360•Richardson, TX

About The Position

The Senior Systems Engineer will lead mission-level systems engineering activities for advanced aerospace and space-based RF payload systems. This role is responsible for translating mission needs into executable architectures, developing Concepts of Operations (CONOPS), and leading end-to-end systems engineering across mission analysis, RF payload design, integration, verification, and operational readiness. The position requires deep expertise in mission systems engineering, aerospace RF payload architectures, and cross-disciplinary technical leadership.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Systems Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related field
10+ years of experience in aerospace or space systems engineering
Demonstrated experience leading RF payload design for airborne or space-based platforms
Strong background in RF systems, link analysis, spectrum management, and antenna systems
Experience developing CONOPS for complex aerospace missions
Proven experience supporting major technical reviews (SRR/PDR/CDR/TRR/ORR)
Ability to acquire and maintain a Top-Secret security clearance with SSBI and Polygraph

Nice To Haves

Experience with space missions in LEO, MEO, or GEO
Experience with digital beamforming, phased arrays, or software-defined radios
Existing Top-Secret clearance with SSBI

Responsibilities

Lead mission definition, requirements development, and architecture trades from concept through deployment.
Translate stakeholder and customer mission needs into validated system-level requirements and technical baselines.
Develop and maintain system architecture baselines and solutions.
Conduct mission analysis including performance modeling, link budgets, coverage analysis, and operational scenarios.
Lead technical reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR, ORR) and ensure mission-level technical integrity.
Lead system-level design of RF payloads including antennas, receivers, transmitters, frequency conversion chains, digital processing, and command/telemetry interfaces.
Develop and validate RF link budgets, interference analysis, and spectrum compliance strategies.
Define payload performance requirements (gain, noise figure, EIRP, G/T, bandwidth, dynamic range, etc.).
Coordinate with hardware, firmware, software, mechanical, thermal, and power teams to ensure integrated payload performance.
Support environmental qualification and verification activities for flight hardware (vibration, thermal vacuum, EMI/EMC, radiation)
Develop detailed Concepts of Operations (CONOPS) aligned to mission objectives and user needs.
Define operational modes, timelines, command sequences, and contingency operations.
Perform operational trade studies to optimize performance, resiliency, and lifecycle cost.
Support mission readiness assessments and operational validation exercises.
Lead requirements decomposition, traceability, and verification planning.
Develop verification and validation strategies for mission and payload performance.
Support integration and test planning, including system-level functional and performance verification.
Ensure technical compliance with customer and program requirements.
Serve as technical authority for mission and payload architecture decisions.
Mentor junior systems engineers and support cross-functional integration efforts.
Identify and manage technical risks and mitigation strategies.
Interface directly with customers, subcontractors, and program leadership