Staff Systems Engineer – Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Missions

Hikinex; Richmond; Hybrid; CAD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Hikinex is seeking a Staff Systems Engineer – Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Missions to provide end-to-end technical oversight of SAR-related engineering activities across the lifecycle of space missions.

You will contribute to the development of advanced SAR missions delivering high-value imagery and actionable intelligence for customers, spanning concept development, CONOPS, payload and spacecraft trade studies, design, integration, calibration, and early operations.

Qualifications

• Graduate degree in Electrical Engineering, Engineering Physics, Mathematics, Physics, or a related discipline, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 15+ years of experience with radar, SAR, or similar active imaging systems.
• 10+ years in space systems engineering or a similarly complex systems engineering environment.
• Experience with SAR remote sensing, including design, operations, applications/exploitation, and/or calibration.
• Experience across engineering lifecycles for large, complex programs.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain Reliability Status security clearance and CGP requirements.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to communicate complex technical concepts to technical teams, executives, customers, and stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Provide end-to-end oversight of SAR-related engineering activities across the full lifecycle of a space SAR mission.
• Lead design trade studies across spacecraft, SAR payload, processor, and end-user applications.
• Develop high-level mission specifications based on user requirements.
• Lead mission concept & CONOPS development and system-level requirements translation.
• Oversee integration, verification, and early operations of SAR missions.

Skills

Radar/SAR hardware

SAR processors

SAR data products

Space systems engineering

SAR remote sensing

Engineering lifecycle

Communication skills

Cross-functional dependencies

Problem-solving

Education

Graduate degree in Electrical Engineering/Engineering Physics/Mathematics/Physics

Tools

MATLAB

Python

Job description

• Location: Richmond, BC, Canada
• Employment Type: Full-Time
• Work Arrangement: Hybrid
• Start Date: TBD
• Compensation: TBD — depending on skills and experience

Important Screening Requirements

• Graduate degree in Electrical Engineering, Engineering Physics, Mathematics, Physics, or a related field , or an equivalent combination of relevant education and experience.
• 15+ years of experience working with radar, Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), or similar active imaging systems.
• Experience spanning hardware, processors, and/or data products within radar or SAR systems.
• 10+ years of experience in space systems engineering or a similarly complex systems engineering environment.
• Experience with SAR remote sensing , including system design, operations, applications/exploitation, and/or calibration.
• Experience working across engineering lifecycles for large, complex programs .
• Must be able to obtain and maintain Reliability Status security clearance and meet Controlled Goods Program (CGP) requirements.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to communicate complex technical concepts to technical teams, executives, customers, and other stakeholders.
• Ability to work effectively within a large organization and navigate cross-functional dependencies.

About the Role

We are seeking a Staff Systems Engineer – Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Missions to provide end-to-end technical oversight of SAR-related engineering activities throughout the lifecycle of complex space missions.

This role will contribute to the development of advanced SAR missions that generate high-value imagery and actionable intelligence for customers.

You will work across mission concept development, spacecraft and payload trade studies, SAR system design, mission-level integration and verification, commissioning, calibration, and early operations .

This is a highly senior technical role requiring the ability to connect mission-level requirements with spacecraft systems, SAR payloads, processing systems, and end-user applications .

What We're Looking For

We’re looking for a Staff-level SAR systems engineer with extensive experience bridging SAR technology and space mission systems engineering .

The ideal candidate has the technical depth to work across the SAR lifecycle—from mission concept and CONOPS through payload and spacecraft trade studies, image-quality analysis, integration, verification, commissioning, calibration, and early operations .

This role requires someone who can operate comfortably at both the deep technical and mission/program levels , communicate with a broad range of stakeholders, mentor engineers, and provide technical guidance on complex SAR mission challenges.

Key Responsibilities

Mission Concept & Systems Engineering

• Provide end-to-end oversight of SAR-related engineering activities across the full lifecycle of a space SAR mission.
• Lead development of the Mission Concept of Operations (CONOPS) .
• Define high-level mission specifications based on user and customer requirements.
• Develop and assess spacecraft-level budgets supporting SAR payload requirements.
• Translate mission objectives into technical requirements and system-level solutions.

SAR Mission Design & Technical Solutioning

• Lead technical solutioning for enhancements to existing and future SAR missions.
• Support and lead SAR beam-mode design .
• Develop and assess SAR mission concepts.
• Support SAR image-quality modeling and performance analysis.
• Evaluate technical solutions across mission, spacecraft, payload, processor, and application domains .

Mission-Level Trade Studies

• Lead design trade studies across:
• Spacecraft systems
• Coverage and access
• SAR payload
• SAR processor
• End-user applications
• Evaluate technical, operational, and mission-level dependencies.
• Balance competing system requirements and performance objectives.
• Provide technical recommendations and guidance to program leadership.

Risk Management, Integration & Verification

• Lead mission-level technical risk management.
• Oversee mission-level integration activities.
• Lead or support verification and validation activities.
• Identify technical dependencies, interfaces, and potential mission-level risks.
• Ensure SAR mission requirements and technical objectives are addressed throughout the engineering lifecycle.

Commissioning, Calibration & Operations

• Provide technical leadership for SAR mission commissioning and calibration.
• Support early operations of space-based SAR missions.
• Contribute to the development and execution of mission commissioning strategies.
• Support resolution of technical issues during early mission operations.
• Apply SAR system knowledge to evaluate mission and image-quality performance.

Technical Leadership

• Provide technical guidance to senior management and new business activities.
• Communicate complex SAR and space systems concepts to diverse audiences.
• Support customer discussions and technical presentations.
• Mentor and coach engineering team members.
• Help develop technical capabilities and domain expertise across the organization.

Required Qualifications

• Graduate degree in Electrical Engineering, Engineering Physics, Mathematics, Physics, or a related discipline , or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• 15+ years of experience with radar, SAR, or similar active imaging systems.
• Experience involving one or more of:
• Radar/SAR hardware
• - SAR processors
• - SAR data products
• 10+ years of experience in space systems engineering or a similarly complex systems engineering environment.
• Experience in SAR remote sensing , including system design, operations, applications/exploitation, and/or calibration.
• Experience working across engineering lifecycles for large and complex programs.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical capabilities.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to communicate effectively with technical teams, executives, customers, sales/business teams, and other stakeholders.
• Ability to work effectively within a large organization and navigate cross-functional dependencies.
• Ability to understand and manage diverse stakeholder needs.
• Ability to obtain and maintain Reliability Status security clearance .
• Ability to meet Controlled Goods Program (CGP) requirements.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with MATLAB and/or Python .
• Strong understanding of satellite-based SAR payload design and operations .
• Experience with space mission design, including:
• Coverage and access
• - Orbital dynamics
• - Mission geometry
• Understanding of spacecraft design considerations, including:
• - Thermal
• - Power
• - Pointing accuracy
• - Spacecraft interfaces
• - Strong understanding of geospatial data .
• Experience with SAR image-quality analysis and modeling .
• Experience working across SAR payload, spacecraft, processor, and end-user application interfaces .
• Ability to rapidly learn new technologies and domain-specific concepts.