Lead Systems Engineer, Ground Systems

Description

The company treats space as a military operating domain and builds the technology to secure it.

The company builds autonomous spacecraft, advanced payloads, mission software and space-based interceptors that help the U.S. and its Allies secure space and counter threats there.

This role sits in the Mosaic portfolio and centers on a satellite command and control ground system program.

The team works on the program from concept through deployment, operations and sustainment.

Responsibilities

• Own the systems engineering work for the ground system program as its technical lead, from concept through deployment, operations and sustainment.
• Run the day-to-day systems engineering process, set priorities and assign tasks, and integrate MBSE and requirements management tools.
• Lead requirements, verification and validation work, including definition, decomposition, test plans and verification procedures that no other team owns.
• Define interfaces across space-to-ground and ground segment boundaries and own the space-to-ground ICDs.
• Run mission and system gate reviews, and share approval authority with the Chief Engineer for accepting ground system elements into integration and operational service.
• Lead or delegate Engineering Review Boards and Failure Review Boards for the ground system.
• Act as the main systems engineering contact, working with customers, stakeholders and internal teams to define mission objectives, system requirements and operating concepts.
• Turn customer and mission needs into ground segment engineering solutions that fit technical, schedule and cost limits.
• Lead trade studies, performance evaluations and feasibility assessments for the ground architecture, working with the Ground System Architect and Chief Engineer.
• Enforce systems engineering standards, processes and traceability, and mentor and direct junior and senior engineers.
• Write and present technical reports and briefings for internal teams, government agencies and customers.
• Develop and own system-level integration and verification plans, and direct end-to-end testing across command and control, telemetry and ground station networks.
• Work with subsystem teams to resolve integration problems and keep the system ready and available for operations.
• Support mission operations during testing, deployment and live mission execution.
• Analyze reliability, availability, safety and mission effectiveness under varied operating and environmental conditions.
• Assess mission success criteria and operational risks, such as latency, data integrity and operational uncertainty, and drive mitigations and contingency plans to closure.

Requirements

• Staff level: 12+ years of full lifecycle experience leading ground control systems through design, test, verification and operations.
• Principal level: 15+ years of full lifecycle experience leading ground control systems through design, test, verification and operations.
• Experience leading a ground system program, or serving as its lead systems engineer.
• Familiarity with integrating space-to-ground systems that require Type 1 encryption.
• Experience with commercial and government-provided Antenna-as-a-Service (AaaS) solutions.
• Understanding of the TCPED lifecycle (Tasking, Collection, Processing, Exploitation, and Dissemination) as applied to ground control systems.
• Understanding of modulation, demodulation, encoding and decoding in the command and control (C2) signal chain.
• Experience with system deployment, integration and ATO support under the Risk Management Framework (RMF) and NIST SP 800-53 security controls.
• Strong technical leadership and systems architecture experience.
• Proven leadership in design, analysis and verification on a major aerospace program.
• Ability to balance technical rigor with schedule and program realities.
• Strong analytical and communication skills, including leading technical trades.
• Ability to lead cross-functional technical teams and coordinate across hardware and software boundaries.
• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering or a related field.
• U.S. citizen and eligible for a DoD TS/SCI or TS/SAP U.S. government security clearance.
• Preferred: Advanced degree in Aerospace, Electrical or Systems Engineering.
• Preferred: Track record leading cross-functional engineering teams and managing design-to-delivery cycles.
• Preferred: Demonstrated expertise in Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE).
• Preferred: Background in range certification, test readiness reviews and safety boards.
• Preferred: Active TS/SCI clearance.
• Preferred: Experience on defense or classified satellite ground systems programs.
• Preferred: Familiarity with U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and NASA mission standards and processes.
• Preferred: Experience working with government agencies, primes or subcontractors on satellite command and control systems.

Conditions

Base salary for Staff level: $160,000 to $235,000.

Base salary for Principal level: $195,000 to $285,000.

Final level and base salary are set case by case, based on job-related knowledge and skills, education, location and experience.

Based near Denver or Long Beach.

Work environment and physical demands, including bending, sitting, lifting and driving, apply to the role.

The posting stays open until the role is filled.

Candidates should not apply for fixed-term or temporary roles.

Export rules under ITAR apply: you must be a U.S. citizen, a lawful permanent resident, a protected individual under 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will provide accommodation on request.

Benefits

• Health coverage with 100% company-paid medical, dental and vision for you and your dependents, plus HSA or HRA options.
• Flexible Time Off for exempt employees; up to 25 days of accrued PTO for non-exempt employees; 12 paid holidays.
• Parental leave and sick leave.
• Daily catered lunch and unlimited snacks for in-office staff.
• 401(k) plan, fitness reimbursement and Dog Fridays.
• Equity is part of total compensation.