Satellite & Payload Verification, Validation & Integration Systems Engineer

Macdonald, Dettwiler And Associates Corporation; Quebec; Hybrid; CAD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Macdonald, Dettwiler And Associates Corporation is seeking a Satellite & Payload IVV Engineer to lead end-to-end verification and validation of satellite and payload hardware and software. The role requires coordinating cross-disciplinary teams, developing test plans, and driving V&V strategies for development, qualification, and testing across current and future satellite generations.

The position spans the full lifecycle from development to on-orbit operations, with responsibilities including

Qualifications

• Sc. in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace, or Physics with 5+ years of satellite system engineering experience.
• Comprehensive knowledge of Spacecraft subsystems and their interactions.
• Experience with requirements management and system architecture documentation.
• Strong technical writing ability and presentation skills; comfortable interfacing with customers and leadership.
• Strong understanding of aerospace system engineering fundamentals.
• Hands-on individual who can support systems integration and testing.
• English communication skills; knowledge of French is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Define and maintain system-level verification & validation requirements for satellite and payload.
• Produce Verification & Validation matrices linking requirements to test cases, including fault management.
• Author and maintain Test & Validation Plans, test requirements and procedures, and test data-management documents.
• Perform requirement test management and maintain bidirectional traceability throughout the program life cycle.
• Develop integration and validation strategies for the DSS and FlatSat platforms.
• Lead the design and build of integration test benches, ensuring alignment with ICDs.
• Oversee execution of subsystem and system level tests (functional, performance, environmental, RF, FSW integration).
• Supervise data acquisition, trend analysis, and automated post-processing; evaluate non-compliances and drive corrective actions.
• Support payload-to-platform FDIR implementation through test.
• Support satellite and payload troubleshooting during integration, test, and on-orbit phases.
• Communicate technical status, risk assessments and trade-study results to senior management and customers.
• Coordinate activities across hardware, software, EGSE, and Platform/payload teams.
• Support B&P (Phase 0 & pre-phase A).
• Mentor, guide junior engineers and interns.
• Act as technical liaison with customers, partners and vendors.
• Contribute to knowledge-base and standards development.
• Deliver clear test reports and verification summaries.

Skills

Satellite systems knowledge

Requirements management

System architecture

Technical writing

English communication

Independent work

Education

Sc. in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace, or Physics

Tools

Confluence

JIRA

Job description

Job Category: Engineering

• Posted : September 8, 2026
• Full-Time

Locations

Showing 1 location

Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X3R2, CAN

Description

MDA is seeking a Satellite & Payload IVV Engineer to join its System Engineering Department. He/she will lead the end-to-end V&V and integration of satellite and payload hardware and software, ensuring that all requirements are met, traceable, and demonstrably verified before launch and throughout the on-orbit phase. The role spans the full lifecycle and will coordinate cross-disciplinary teams, develop Test Plans and test strategies, for development, qualification and testing in support of our current and future generations of telecommunication or remote Sensing satellites.

MDA is seeking a Satellite & Payload IVV Engineer to join its System Engineering Department. He/she will lead the end-to-end V&V and integration of satellite and payload hardware and software, ensuring that all requirements are met, traceable, and demonstrably verified before launch and throughout the on-orbit phase. The role spans the full lifecycle and will coordinate cross-disciplinary teams, develop Test Plans and test strategies, for development, qualification and testing in support of our current and future generations of telecommunication or remote Sensing satellites.

Role overview:

MDA is seeking a Satellite & Payload IVV Engineer to join its System Engineering Department. He/she will lead the end-to-end V&V and integration of satellite and payload hardware and software, ensuring that all requirements are met, traceable, and demonstrably verified before launch and throughout the on-orbit phase. The role spans the full lifecycle and will coordinate cross-disciplinary teams, develop Test Plans and test strategies, for development, qualification and testing in support of our current and future generations of telecommunication or remote Sensing satellites.

Requirements & Planning

• Define and maintain system-level verification & validation requirements for satellite and payload.
• Produce Verification & Validation matrices linking requirements to test cases, including fault management.
• Author and maintain Test & Validation Plans, test requirements and procedures, and test data-management documents.
• Perform requirement test management and maintain bidirectional traceability throughout the program life cycle.
• Develop integration and validation strategies for the DSS and FlatSat platforms.
• Lead the design and build of integration test benches, ensuring alignment with interface control documents (ICDs).

Test Execution & Data Analysis

• Oversee execution of subsystem and system level tests (functional, performance, environmental, RF, FSW integration and Reference Database validation).
• Supervise data acquisition, trend analysis, and automated post-processing; evaluate non-compliances and drive corrective actions.

FDIR & Fault Management

• Support payload-to-platform FDIR implementation through test.
• Support satellite and payload troubleshooting during integration, test, and on-orbit phases.

Cross-Functional Coordination, Stakeholder & Program Interaction

• Communicate technical status, risk assessments and trade-study results to senior management and/or customers or partners.
• Coordinate activities across hardware, software, EGSE, and Platform/payload teams.
• Support B&P (Phase 0 & pre-phase A).

Technical Leadership & Mentorship

• Mentor, guide junior engineers and interns.
• Act as technical liaison with customers, partners and external vendors
• Act as Continuous Improvement stakeholder
• Contribute to MDA's knowledge-base, process enhancements, and standards development.

Configuration, Documentation & Standards Management

• Author and maintain MDA satellite test standards (margin philosophy, efficiency, DFT, DFM, safety…etc.).
• Deliver clear, concise test reports, verification summaries, and lessons‑learned documentation.
• Ensure all artefacts, analysis, deliverables and documentations are version controlled in PLM environment.
• Lead and Support design reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR, MRR/TRR…etc.).

Orbit Support & Operations Support

• Support the Operations team during EOR, anomaly resolution, and post-launch validation.
• Provide technical support to Mission Operations for routine payload and bus health monitoring, contingency handling and performance trending.
• Lead root-cause investigations for on-orbit anomalies; update design baselines and lessons‑learned.
• Analyse on-orbit telemetry, update filter parameters, and generate performance reports.
• Support SOOH development and associated operator training.

Required Qualifications:

• Sc. in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace, or Physics with 5+ years of satellite system engineering experience on LEO/MEO missions.
• Comprehensive knowledge of Spacecraft subsystems and their interactions.
• Experience with requirements management, configuration control and system architecture documentation.
• Strong technical writing ability (requirements, ICDs, test procedures, risk reports) and presentation skills; comfortable interfacing with customers, suppliers and senior leadership.
• Strong understanding of aerospace system engineering fundamentals.
• Hands-on individual who can support systems integration processes and capability to test systems and resolve problems.
• Experience with Confluence and JIRA.
• Demonstrated capability to efficiently work with little supervision.
• Ability to distill complex problems to fundamentals to solve with analysis, similarity, or creativity.
• Demonstrate excellent written and oral communication skills in English; knowledge of French will be considered an asset (Contact with clients outside Quebec and work on deliverables in English).

Comments/Special Considerations:

Successful candidates must obtain and hold security clearance at the reliability status level, and pass security assessment for the Controlled Goods Program (CGP).

We're a dream team of purpose-driven, collaborative and passionate people, and we are constantly looking for others to join #TeamMDA to ignite new and innovative approaches to problem-solving that push us forward to improve life on and above Earth. If you’re excited to expand our place in space and driven to inspire the next generation, we’ll take you there.

We have entered a new era of exploration and development, and MDA welcomes all who yearn to suit up and be part of it. An equal opportunity employer prizing diversity, integrity and collaboration, we are committed to growing MDA's and Canada's leadership in this next golden age.

MDA provides competitive compensation and benefits packages for its employees at all locations. As a team member of MDA, you and your qualified dependents are eligible to participate in a benefit plan that ensures a comprehensive level of protection through competitive health care including; extended healthcare and flexible drug plans, dental and vision benefits, disability income protection, life insurance, group retirement savings plans; and an employee and family assistance program.

MDA is proud to provide accommodation(s) during the recruitment process. Should you require any accommodations, please indicate this on your application/cover letter and we will work with you to meet your accessibility needs.