Systems Engineer

Space Kinetic • El Segundo, CA

19d

About The Position

A New Paradigm For Space Operations. Who We Are: Space Kinetic is a dual use space technology startup building a completely new architecture for space operations – one that brings the advantages of proliferated drone technology (low-cost, operationally flexible, attainable, distributed) to space missions while reducing the ecosystem's reliance on consumable fuel. In a world where many companies are focused on incrementally improving the status quo, we are focused on creating something entirely different – an architecture underpinned by new first principles to meet the opportunities and challenges of the third space age head-on. Our goal is to move away from one-to-one space architectures – where each satellite in a constellation has one (or a small # of) primary payloads attached to the bus -- and unlock a ‘one-to-many’ system, where each satellite has a large number of payloads which can be deployed from their host spacecraft at high velocities without firing a thruster. This is not a role for someone looking for a traditional 40-hour work week. Space Kinetic is building ambitious, first-of-its-kind technology, and that requires urgency, ownership, and a high level of commitment to changing the foundational assumptions for everything we do in space.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Systems Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Physics, or a related field.
• 5–10 years of relevant experience in spacecraft, aerospace, defense, autonomous systems, or another complex technical development environment.
• Experience applying systems engineering principles across multiple phases of a product or mission lifecycle.
• Working knowledge of spacecraft systems and the interactions between hardware, software, payloads, ground systems, and mission operations.
• Experience developing and verifying technical requirements and defining system and subsystem interfaces.
• Experience supporting system integration, verification, validation, and test activities.
• Ability to understand complex hardware and software behavior and resolve multidisciplinary technical issues.
• Strong technical writing, communication, engineering judgment, and ability to drive issues to closure in a fast-moving development environment.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with spacecraft assembly, integration, and test, including functional, environmental, or end-to-end mission testing.
• Technical depth in one or more spacecraft subsystem areas, such as avionics, GNC, structures, or flight software.
• Experience serving as a test conductor, systems test lead, or technical lead during integrated spacecraft testing.
• Experience with MBSE, SysML, Cameo Systems Modeler, or similar platforms.
• Experience with requirements and lifecycle-management tools such as Jama, DOORS, or Polarion.
• Experience with government space missions, mission operations, spacecraft commissioning, or anomaly response.
• Experience with spacecraft autonomy, fault management, mission assurance, or scripting and analysis tools such as Python or MATLAB.

Responsibilities

• Perform systems engineering activities across the full spacecraft and mission lifecycle, including concept development, architecture, design, integration, verification, validation, launch, commissioning, and operations.
• Develop, analyze, maintain, and manage system-level requirements, including functional, performance, interface, environmental, operational, and verification requirements.
• Decompose mission objectives and stakeholder needs into clear, achievable, and verifiable system and subsystem requirements.
• Maintain traceability between mission needs, system requirements, subsystem requirements, design decisions, interfaces, test activities, and verification evidence.
• Support development and evaluation of spacecraft architectures, operational concepts, system modes, mission timelines, and end-to-end mission scenarios.
• Develop the Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) model in Cameo sysml to support the design baseline.
• Coordinate technical activities across spacecraft subsystems, payloads, flight software, ground systems, mission operations, and external mission partners.
• Lead or support system interface definition, documentation, analysis, and verification.
• Identify gaps, conflicts, and emergent behaviors resulting from interactions between hardware, software, operations, and external systems.
• Develop system integration and verification strategies that demonstrate compliance with technical and mission requirements.
• Create and maintain verification matrices, compliance plans, test objectives, verification methods, and acceptance criteria.
• Support development of system-level integration plans, test plans, test procedures, test configurations, and test readiness criteria.
• Participate directly in spacecraft integration and test activities, including functional testing, hardware-software integration, environmental testing, mission simulations, and end-to-end testing.
• Evaluate test results, anomalies, waivers, deviations, and configuration changes for system-level impacts.
• Lead or support troubleshooting of complex issues spanning multiple subsystems or engineering disciplines.
• Coordinate anomaly investigations, root cause analyses, corrective actions, and regression testing.
• Ensure test configurations, flight configurations, requirements, procedures, and verification evidence remain aligned throughout the program lifecycle.
• Support mission operations development, including operational concepts, command and telemetry definitions, nominal and contingency procedures, mission rules, and operator training.
• Participate in launch rehearsals, mission simulations, readiness reviews, commissioning activities, and on-orbit operations as required.
• Facilitate technical trades and risk assessments using quantitative analysis, engineering judgment, and mission priorities.
• Identify technical risks early and drive mitigation plans to closure.
• Prepare and present technical material at system requirements reviews, preliminary and critical design reviews, test readiness reviews, flight readiness reviews, and customer reviews.
• Communicate technical status, decisions, risks, and recommendations to engineering teams, program leadership, customers, and government stakeholders.
• Support configuration management, change control, technical baseline management, and engineering process improvement.

Benefits

• The annual base salary for this role is below. Pay Grades are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual pay will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: interviews and an assessment of several factors that are unique to each candidate, job-related skills, relevant education/experience, certifications, abilities of the candidate and internal equity.

What This Job Offers

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