Specialist, Systems Engineer

Virgin Galactic•Tustin, CA

10h•$136,063 - $207,596

About The Position

Virgin Galactic is seeking a Specialist, Systems Engineer to lead the team responsible for designing, developing, and verifying our groundbreaking spaceflight systems. Guided by our values, “Safety Above All”, we proactively manage the risks inherent in human spaceflight through our daily actions in the design and assembly efforts. This role combines technical and people leadership — driving engineering excellence while developing and helping support a team of talented systems engineers.

Requirements

Typically requires a bachelor’s degree in STEM with 12 or more years of systems engineering experience; a master’s degree with 8 years of experience; or a PhD with 5 years of experience.
Strong background in requirements definition, integration, and verification for aerospace systems (avionics, structures, mechanical, electrical, or interiors).
Knowledge of systems engineering processes (V-diagram), requirements management tools, and milestone reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR, etc.).
Excellent communication and collaboration skills.
Self-motivated, adaptable, and capable of managing multiple priorities.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree in Systems Engineering.
Experience with DOORS, CAMEO, ENOVIA, SysML, MBSE, or similar tools.
INCOSE CSEP certification.
Familiarity with aerospace quality and certification standards (AS9100, DO-178/254, ARP4754A, etc.).
Strong systems architecting skills and big-picture mindset.
Positive, proactive, and adaptable in dynamic environments.
Commitment to mentoring and challenging the status quo.

Responsibilities

Lead, mentor, and help develop a high-performing systems engineering team.
Drive requirements management: capture, decomposition, allocation, traceability, and change control from concept through verification.
Oversee system architecture definition, modeling, and interface control to ensure seamless integration across subsystems.
Lead verification and validation planning, execution, and documentation in compliance with aerospace standards.
Ensure rigorous configuration management, documentation control, and compliance with certification and regulatory requirements.
Apply quality engineering practices, including defect tracking, root cause analysis, corrective/preventive actions, and lessons learned.
Guide risk management, trade studies, and technical decision-making to optimize safety, reliability, and performance.
Ensure adherence to aerospace systems engineering processes (V-model, DO-178/DO-254, ARP4754A) and support major design reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR, etc.).
Define vision, goals, and expectations while fostering an inclusive, growth-oriented culture.
Ensure quality and integrity of engineering deliverables across the system lifecycle.
Collaborate closely with Engineering, Program Management, and Technical Leadership.
Lead staffing, budgets, schedules, and project plans.