Principal Systems Integration Engineer

At Sierra Space, we build the missions and systems that keep our world secure in the domain above Earth. Our team members share a spirit of innovation and collaboration and a belief that we can deliver on the boldest missions in space today. Together with our customers, we aim to safeguard our nation, sustain human presence in space, and secure the freedom of operations in low Earth orbit and beyond.

About the Role

The Principal Systems Engineer leads and drives the development and implementation of advanced system solutions by providing alignment, connection, and direction to the technical team throughout the product development lifecycle. The Principal Systems Engineer champions the viewpoint of the integrated whole during system development and works to glue segments and subsystems together via top-down decomposition of stakeholder requirements, traceability through development artifacts, and bottom-up validation and verification of the system. They shepherd the team through technical development milestones, track performance measures, and identify technical risks to arrive at a compliant and cohesive system solution.

The Principal Systems Engineer is a strong promoter of Systems Engineering principles and has demonstrated expertise across major systems engineering skills including requirements management, system architecture development, concept of operation definition, system integration, and system verification. The Principal Systems Engineer leads teams to execute complex systems engineering scope and helps mentor and develop systems engineering skills in others. The Principal Systems Engineer is a thought leader in the systems engineering field and makes significant contributions to engineering initiatives and corporate strategy.

• Plan and drive multidisciplinary system development initiatives and architect comprehensive systems that integrate multiple subsystems.
• Resolve conflicting system requirements and ensure alignment with project objectives while collaborating with cross-functional teams and subject matter experts to understand project requirements and objectives.
• Lead the derivation, decomposition, allocation, tracing, and management of system requirements and architectures.
• Define and document system concepts of operation.
• Plan, define, and lead development milestone reviews.
• Oversee system integration and verification activities to ensure system functionality and performance.
• Identify and manage technical risks while developing mitigation strategies.
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives by identifying areas for enhancement.
• Help define and implement corporate Systems Engineering policies and processes.
• Communicate effectively with team members and stakeholders to ensure project alignment and successful execution.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in a related field (or equivalent work experience in lieu of degree or Masters +13 years experience).
• Typically 15+ years of related experience (or Masters + 13 years of experience).
• Ability to drive multidisciplinary system development initiatives, architect comprehensive systems integrating multiple sub-systems.
• Advanced expertise in Systems Engineering principles and practices, including a comprehensive understanding of the systems development lifecycle.
• Robust experience across multiple system development life cycles, including requirements management, functional requirements parsing, derivation, and allocation.
• Expertise in developing systems architecture and performing systems integration, verification, and validation (V&V) activities.
• Ability to contribute to corporate Systems Engineering policy and process definition and implementation.
• Demonstrated ability to work and communicate with technical and specialty subject matter expert engineers to drive systems engineering products.
• The ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret U.S. Security Clearance is required.

Qualifications

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's degree in Engineering, Physics, or a related field.
• Extensive experience with Requirements Management and Model Based Systems Engineering tools and frameworks, such as DOORS, CAMEO EA, Rhapsody, Matlab, and SysML.
• Robust understanding of spacecraft systems, including hardware and software subsystems and components.
• Strong understanding of project management methodologies including risk management and technical performance tracking.
• Robust understanding of technical baseline and configuration management.
• Proven experience in leading major projects and mentoring junior and mid-level engineers.
• Experience or certification in INCOSE standards.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to adapt to a fast-paced and dynamic work environment.

Pay

Pay Range: $173,748.00 - $238,903.50. Your actual base compensation will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on job-related knowledge and skills, education, experience, internal equity, and market competitiveness.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision plans.
• 401(k) with 150% match up to 6%.
• Life insurance.
• 3 weeks paid time off.

At Sierra Space, we are committed to your personal and professional development. We empower you to make profound and meaningful contributions and foster a vibrant culture of collaboration, where teamwork ignites breakthrough innovations.