Sr. Director, Systems Engineering

Lanteris Space Systems • Palo Alto, CA

1d • $222,000 - $370,000 • Onsite

About The Position

Intuitive Machines - West is currently seeking a Sr. Director of Systems Engineering with world-class systems engineering skills to join our team in Palo Alto, CA. This senior leadership position is responsible for strategic systems engineering, technical excellence, and organizational development across the company-wide portfolio of programs. This person will lead systems engineering strategy, establishing enterprise-level processes and standards, and ensure technical execution excellence across a diverse set of missions and customers. Examples include lunar exploration, communication, and remote sensing for commercial and government customers.

Requirements

• Must be a US Citizen with ability to obtain and maintain a TS/SCI security clearance
• Bachelor's degree in engineering discipline or equivalent technical degree
• Minimum of 12 years of engineering experience in aerospace systems engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, or related discipline
• Minimum of 8 years in technical leadership roles with demonstrated people leadership and organizational development experience
• Experience leading systems engineering across multiple programs
• Experience with complex aerospace systems including mechanical, electrical, thermal, propulsion, and software subsystems
• Demonstrated expertise conducting complex trade studies optimizing technical performance, mass, power, thermal, cost, schedule, and risk
• Experience with requirements development, decomposition, and verification across system lifecycles

Nice To Haves

• Active TS/SCI security clearance
• Master's degree or higher in Engineering, Physics, or related technical field; MBA or technical management degree a plus
• Deep knowledge of commercial space architectures, missions, systems, requirements, and acquisition methods
• Deep knowledge of USG space architectures, missions, systems, requirements, and acquisition methods
• Experience working with agile development teams, understanding of software architecture as relevant to mission needs, close collaboration with software teams, and software requirements decomposition
• Experience with diverse mission types: lunar systems, GEO/LEO satellites, cislunar infrastructure, Earth observation, communications, interplanetary
• Working knowledge of MBSE tools and digital engineering approaches
• Expertise in applicable aerospace standards (NASA, MIL-STD, ECSS, AIAA, IEEE, etc.)
• Outstanding written and verbal communication with executive presence
• Superior customer relationship building ability and business acumen
• Strong written and verbal presentation skills for technical and non-technical audiences
• Strategic thinking with ability to adapt to changing constraints, requirements, and organizational dynamics
• Strong team building and mentoring capabilities with proven success developing technical talent

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and develop a multi-program systems engineering organization supporting spacecraft development across Intuitive Machines - West's portfolio
• Build and sustain a high-performing systems engineering culture emphasizing technical rigor, innovation, and continuous improvement
• Establish career development frameworks and technical excellence pathways for systems engineers at all levels
• Participate in recruiting, interviewing, and hiring processes to grow organizational capability
• Foster cross-program collaboration and knowledge sharing to maximize organizational learning
• Define and champion systems engineering vision, strategy, and roadmap aligned with company growth objectives
• Establish enterprise-level systems engineering processes, standards, tools (including artificial intelligence applications), and best practices adaptable across diverse mission types (lunar, LEO/GEO satellites, cislunar infrastructure, national security space)
• Lead transformation initiatives to keep Intuitive Machines - West at the forefront of aerospace systems engineering approaches
• Drive adoption of model-based systems engineering (MBSE) and digital engineering practices
• Ensure consistency in systems engineering approaches while enabling program-specific tailoring
• Provide senior technical oversight ensuring quality, rigor, and discipline across all programs
• Lead critical technical reviews, trade studies, and decision-making processes for high-impact, high-complexity initiatives
• Advise executive leadership on technical risks, opportunities, and strategic program positions
• Participate in and support Quality team to drive significant Material Review Boards (MRB) and Failure Review Boards (FRB)
• Formulate resolutions to complex technical challenges spanning development and production environments
• Support program systems engineering teams across the company in: Requirements development, decomposition, validation, and verification; System architecture definition and interface management; Trade studies optimizing technical performance, mass, power, thermal, cost, schedule, and risk; System budget development and margin allocation strategies; Heritage application and technology insertion decisions; Verification planning and execution
• Drive risk management process including identification, assessment, and mitigation of risks and opportunities. Provide recommendations to program leadership based on balancing technical, cost, and schedule risk.
• Ensure development teams manage technical risks and opportunities, with appropriate mitigation plans and retirement strategies
• Validate that AIT verification plans and results fully confirm compliance with customer requirements
• Work effectively with internal and external customers to understand system needs and mission objectives
• Provide technical interface leadership with customers, including DoD, NASA, commercial partners, and international entities
• Support business development activities with technical insights for new pursuits
• Build and maintain strong relationships across Engineering, PMO, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and Quality organizations
• Support Mission Architecture team with studies and concept development for new opportunities as required
• Guide requirements formulation appropriate to mission scope, development level, and customer needs
• Ensure proper requirement flow-down from customer needs through subsystem specifications
• Champion balanced approaches addressing cost, technical performance, schedule, and risk throughout all development phases

Benefits

• paid time off
• health and welfare insurance
• 401(k)
• incentive eligible with a target based on contribution, company performance, and/or individual results achieved

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director