Staff Spacecraft Systems Engineer – Electronics

CesiumAstro • Westminster, CO

5d • $158,012 - $189,969

About The Position

The Staff Spacecraft Systems Engineer – Electronics provides technical leadership in the development, integration, verification, and lifecycle management of complex aerospace systems. The role translates customer requirements, mission objectives, and operational concepts into system architectures, technical requirements, and engineering solutions that enable mission execution.

Working with a high degree of independence, the engineer leads multidisciplinary efforts across the system lifecycle, from concept development through design, integration, verification, production, launch, and operational support. The role collaborates with software, electrical, mechanical, manufacturing, integration and test, mission operations, and program management teams to ensure systems satisfy technical, performance, schedule, and customer requirements. The position is responsible for systems engineering of new electronics subsystems for CesiumAstro satellites and supports sound engineering practices and technical decision-making.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Physics, or a related technical discipline with typically 8–12 years of relevant experience; or a related master’s degree with typically 6–8 years; or a related PhD with typically 3–5 years.
• Advanced knowledge of systems engineering principles, lifecycle processes, and aerospace development practices.
• Experience developing, allocating, managing, and verifying complex system and subsystem requirements.
• Strong understanding of system architecture, interface management, integration, configuration management, and technical risk management.
• Experience leading technical trade studies, system analyses, and design assessments.
• Knowledge of verification, validation, qualification, and compliance methodologies.
• Ability to translate customer requirements, mission objectives, and CONOPS into technical solutions.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Visio.
• Experience with requirements management tools such as Jama, IBM DOORS, or similar.
• Experience with MBSE tools such as CATIA Magic/Cameo, MagicDraw, or similar.
• Experience with systems modeling and simulation tools.
• Experience with collaboration platforms such as Confluence, SharePoint, or similar.
• Experience with configuration management and version control systems such as Git, GitLab, Bitbucket, or similar.
• Experience with issue tracking tools such as Jira or similar.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, communication, and collaboration skills.
• Ability to provide technical leadership, mentor engineers, and influence cross-functional engineering decisions.
• Must meet U.S. Government Space Technology Export Regulations eligibility requirements: be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, conditional resident, asylee or refugee (protected individuals as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)), or be eligible to obtain required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

Nice To Haves

• Experience supporting complex aerospace, defense, or other highly regulated engineering programs.

Responsibilities

• Lead development, analysis, allocation, and management of system and subsystem requirements throughout the product lifecycle.
• Perform systems engineering for new electronics subsystems for CesiumAstro satellites.
• Collaborate with technical design leads to develop spacecraft electronics products and integrate requirements across satellites and missions.
• Communicate technical needs across the spacecraft team and use flight-operations data to inform requirements in future design cycles.
• Analyze customer, mission, and system-level requirements and decompose them into clear, verifiable subsystem requirements.
• Maintain end-to-end traceability from subsystem requirements to customer requirements, system architecture, and CONOPS.
• Translate customer requirements and operational concepts into technical requirements, system architectures, and engineering solutions.
• Lead system architecture development, technical trade studies, and engineering analyses to evaluate alternatives and optimize performance.
• Collaborate with cross-functional engineering teams to ensure requirements are complete, feasible, and technically sound.
• Define and manage hardware, software, electrical, mechanical, thermal, and data interfaces across system elements.
• Support requirements and configuration management, baseline control, and engineering change activities.
• Identify technical risks, requirement gaps, ambiguities, and integration challenges, and develop mitigation strategies.
• Develop system verification and validation strategies aligned with customer requirements, system architecture, and program objectives.
• Define verification methods, levels, acceptance criteria, evidence, configurations, and test environments.
• Lead development and maintenance of verification documentation, including VCRMs, requirements traceability matrices, and compliance evidence packages.
• Partner with Integration & Test teams to plan, coordinate, and execute integration, qualification, environmental, and functional verification activities.
• Evaluate verification results, support technical issue resolution, and drive closure of verification gaps.
• Support technical reviews, design certification activities, and program milestones.
• Serve as technical lead for assigned systems or major subsystems through the development lifecycle.
• Lead systems engineering execution for assigned programs and ensure technical deliverables support milestones and customer commitments.
• Support engineering planning, technical execution, and program readiness activities.
• Prioritize systems engineering activities to meet technical objectives, schedules, and program requirements.
• Lead multidisciplinary technical discussions and provide engineering guidance across cross-functional teams.
• Participate in customer technical interchange meetings, architecture reviews, design reviews, and program milestone reviews.
• Mentor engineers in requirements development, traceability, verification planning, and systems engineering practices.
• Influence technical decisions through analysis, trade studies, risk assessments, and data-driven recommendations.
• Drive continuous improvement in systems engineering processes, documentation quality, and technical rigor.
• Perform additional duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Benefits

• Company stock options.
• Health, dental, and vision plans.
• Health Savings Account (HSA) and Flexible Spending Account (FSA).
• Life and disability plans.
• Retirement plans.

What This Job Offers

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