Systems Engineer III, On-Orbit Test Coordinator

Iridium Satellite•Grand Forks AFB, ND

11h•Hybrid

About The Position

Iridium is seeking an experienced systems engineer to support its SDA (Space Development Agency) Project. The Systems Engineer III independently delivers engineering work and drives projects and deliverables to completion, including development and execution of on-orbit test procedures and systems engineering artifacts for SDA operations. The role provides operations and integration support by developing processes, procedures, checklists, and software tools for ground and satellite operations. It also involves working with U.S. government stakeholders on Iridium systems engineering documents that govern operations at SDA operation centers. The position focuses on designing, developing, maintaining, and executing functional on-orbit test procedures, coordinating tests across satellite vendors, assisting SDA with operational test procedures, and serving as a liaison among space contractors, ground contractors, and government teams during operations. The engineer supports satellite checkout and commissioning, ground-segment activities, telemetry analysis, anomaly resolution, technical briefings, documentation, and operational process improvement. The work is performed onsite with a team in a 24/7, multi-satellite operations environment. The schedule is four days on and four days off, with 12-hour shifts. The role is primarily office-based and sedentary, with substantial computer use. Under Iridium’s Hybrid Work Policy, employees are expected to work at least four days per week in an Iridium office. Travel may be required up to 10% of the time. An active/current Secret Security Clearance and U.S. citizenship are required.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering, electrical engineering, or a related field, or equivalent on-orbit test experience in lieu of a degree.
At least 5 years of relevant experience in satellite operations, satellite on-orbit testing, ground system engineering, software integration and test, and/or software development.
Active/current Secret Security Clearance; a U.S. security clearance active within the past 24 months is considered active.
U.S. citizenship.
Ability to work four days on and four days off, with 12 hours per day expected per shift.
Ability to travel up to 10% of the time.
Strong knowledge of systems engineering methodologies and Agile processes.
Strong familiarity with tools and software applications that support systems engineering best practices.
Strong communication skills and ability to confidently present products, deliverables, analyses, and issues.
Analytical mindset and ability to think critically, make decisions, and develop solutions.
Comfort managing upward, communicating proactively, and asking for help when needed.
Ability to establish valuable relationships with others.
Ability to prioritize key tasks and demonstrate strong ownership of work.
Willingness to continuously improve and gain new knowledge.
Skill in the mechanics and operations of Low Earth Orbit satellites.

Nice To Haves

Active/current Top Secret Security Clearance or ability to obtain one; a U.S. security clearance active within the past 24 months is considered active.
Intelligence Community or Department of Defense acquisition background.
Experience with orbital mechanics, space vehicle launches, and early orbit functions.
Experience with programming languages such as Java, JavaScript, Python, or shell scripting.
Familiarity with the Atlassian Tool Suite, such as JIRA, R4J, and Confluence.
Working knowledge of the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe).

Responsibilities

Support on-orbit satellite checkout and commissioning and associated ground-segment activities, coordinating technical inputs and deliverables across participating teams.
Maintain and execute detailed test plans and procedures for on-orbit activities, including payload activation, spacecraft subsystem checkouts, and system performance validation.
Generate and develop test procedures in conjunction with existing on-orbit test plans, and manage their disposition and maintenance.
Coordinate operators, analysts, subsystem engineers, satellite vendors, contractors, and government stakeholders to execute tests and resolve issues in a timely manner.
Analyze telemetry data in real time during checkout events to assess system health and performance, identify anomalies, and provide insights to the mission team.
Conduct root cause analysis of on-orbit anomalies or performance deviations with design engineers and subject matter experts, and develop and implement solutions.
Prepare and present technical briefings to leadership and stakeholders on mission status, checkout progress, risks, and issues.
Maintain checkout documentation, including test reports, anomaly logs, and final system performance reports.
Work with satellite vendors to ensure synergy of on-orbit tests.
Maintain assigned documentation in SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, or other relevant Iridium databases and tools.
Collaborate with SDA and Iridium program leadership to assess risks and recommend improvements to on-orbit operations.
Provide technical writing assistance in developing Basis of Efforts (BOE).
Interface between the Iridium Operations team supporting SDA and the Iridium Systems Engineering team to develop artifacts associated with mesh network and ground-segment operations.
Provide integration support by implementing processes, procedures, checklists, and software tools for ground and satellite operations.