Stages Principal Systems Engineering & Integration Engineer

TriVector Services, Inc. provides quality aerospace engineering solutions to complex problems through a renowned team of engineering professionals. We are a Service-Disabled, Veteran-Owned, SBA-certified Small Business headquartered in Huntsville, Alabama. Our experienced team is dedicated to building lasting partnerships based on professional integrity and sound engineering principles.

About the role

This is a part-time position intended for a highly experienced systems engineering professional with extensive human spaceflight and launch vehicle integration experience. The role supports NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) Stages Element Office by providing senior-level Systems Engineering and Integration (SE&I) expertise across element integration, certification, flight readiness, and systems engineering activities. The selected candidate will serve as a recognized technical leader, providing strategic systems engineering insight, independent technical judgment, and mentorship while supporting the successful execution of the Artemis Program.

Responsibilities

• Provide senior-level systems engineering and integration expertise supporting the Stages Element throughout the program lifecycle.
• Provide technical leadership, independent assessments, and strategic recommendations to support program execution and decision-making.
• Support implementation of programmatic changes associated with Artemis missions while incorporating lessons learned from certification, acceptance, and flight readiness activities.
• Support planning and execution of major certification, acceptance, integration, and flight readiness activities across the Stages Element.
• Assess technical impacts, identify integration risks, and recommend opportunities for process and technical improvements.
• Coordinate across Level II organizations, other SLS Elements, Safety and Mission Assurance (SMA), Engineering, Project Offices, prime contractors, and government organizations to achieve program objectives.
• Support certification and acceptance activities, including configuration verification, design certification, functional and physical configuration audits, acceptance documentation, DD-250 closeout activities, and flight readiness milestone preparation.
• Participate in technical reviews, working groups, boards, and milestone assessments supporting successful hardware delivery and mission readiness.
• Provide systems engineering insight supporting requirements verification, technical baseline implementation, risk management, and systems integration.
• Serve as a trusted technical mentor, providing guidance, coaching, and knowledge transfer to junior systems engineers while fostering technical excellence and continuous improvement across the organization.
• Prepare and present executive-level technical briefings, recommendations, and status to senior leadership.
• Perform other systems engineering and integration duties in support of the Stages Element as required.

Requirements

• U.S. Citizenship is required.
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from an accredited institution with a minimum of 25 years of progressively responsible engineering experience supporting complex aerospace or human spaceflight programs; or a Master’s degree with 23 years of experience; or a Ph.D. with 19 years of experience.
• Extensive experience in Systems Engineering and Integration (SE&I) supporting large, multidisciplinary aerospace development programs.
• Demonstrated expertise supporting launch vehicle, spacecraft, or human-rated space systems through development, integration, certification, and flight readiness.
• Demonstrated ability to provide senior technical leadership, independent technical assessments, and strategic engineering recommendations.
• Experience coordinating engineering activities across multiple organizations, engineering disciplines, and program stakeholders.
• Experience supporting certification, integration, readiness, verification, configuration management, and technical risk management activities.
• Demonstrated ability to mentor and develop less-experienced engineers while fostering technical excellence and knowledge transfer.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including preparation and presentation of executive-level technical briefings.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively across multidisciplinary technical organizations.

Qualifications

• Experience supporting NASA Human Spaceflight Programs.
• Previous NASA Civil Service experience highly desired.
• Experience supporting the Space Launch System (SLS) Program, with Stages Element and Core Stage experience strongly preferred.
• Experience supporting major certification, acceptance, and flight readiness activities for human-rated launch systems.
• Experience coordinating with prime contractors and government organizations in support of complex aerospace development efforts.
• Familiarity with NASA systems engineering processes, configuration management, technical risk management, and verification and validation methodologies.
• Demonstrated experience leading cross-organizational technical integration efforts and influencing technical decisions across multiple stakeholders.