Systems Chief Engineer - Aerospace Integration Lead
Overview
You will own integration across satellite, payload, ground, RF, timing, and software systems for a multi-generation constellation. This role commands critical interfaces, system error budgets, and verification closure, ensuring the fleet flies as one cohesive system. You will direct engineers across every technical pillar, driving decisions and holding owners accountable. Your work directly enables the program's growth from tens to hundreds of spacecraft. This position places you as the primary systems-integration authority, removing the highest-leverage technical load from the Director of Space Systems.
What You'll Do8
- 1Own the system error budget across satellite generations, ensuring subsystem performance rolls up to a coherent, verifiable system that closes as a whole rather than as individually optimized parts.
- 2Maintain critical interface control documents, including payload-to-bus, ground-to-payload, and LEONS-to-MOS interfaces, plus mixed-constellation user range accuracy and message-design specs.
- 3Direct configuration management and the technical relationship with the spacecraft bus vendor, covering interface definition, design reviews, and change control.
- 4Drive the PNT budget owner, timing scientist, RF link-budget owners, Integration and Test Engineer, and Timing Verification Engineer to produce verification evidence for system-level closure.
- 5Identify system-level risks early, assign technical ownership, and drive decisions to closure while keeping requirements, interfaces, budgets, and verification evidence aligned as the architecture evolves.
- 6Operate across payload, bus, ground, RF, timing, software, and verification, serving as the top systems-integration authority during this growth phase.
- 7Take the highest-leverage technical integration workload from the Director of Space Systems, enabling the program to scale efficiently.
- 8Resolve cross-functional issues with technical credibility and influence, ensuring owners deliver on system-level outcomes.
Requirements12
- 112+ years of systems engineering experience at principal, lead, or chief-engineer level, spanning spacecraft payloads, ground systems, satellite buses, or similar complex integrated systems.
- 2Proven experience owning and closing system-level error budgets, technical interfaces, and verification activities across multiple interfacing subsystems.
- 3Ability to drive technical execution and verification closure across peer organizations and teams you do not directly manage.
- 4Technical credibility, judgment, and influence to resolve cross-functional issues, establish alignment, and hold owners accountable.
- 5Direct experience developing, managing, and maintaining interface control documents on an active development or flight program.
- 6Strong grasp of requirements decomposition, technical risk management, configuration management, and system trade studies.
- 7Must be a U.S. Person.
- 8Desired: experience scaling systems-engineering practices for a program growing from tens to hundreds of spacecraft.
- 9Desired: constellation-scale systems thinking, including configuration variability, production cadence, fleet performance, interoperability, and long-term verification.
- 10Desired: experience with Global Navigation Satellite Systems, positioning, navigation, timing, or related mission architectures.
- 11Desired: experience supporting multiple hardware generations or vehicle configurations in parallel.
- 12Desired: familiarity with ground-segment or mission-operations architectures.
Salary Insight
$175 - $228k per year
Location
Required Skills
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