Systems Engineer

Actalent; Richmond; Hybrid; CAD 95,000 - 150,000; Part time

Job summary

Actalent is seeking a Systems Engineer for a 12‑month contract in Richmond, BC. You will join a geointelligence team to design and deliver complex satellite ground systems, overseeing requirements, interfaces, and verification across multidisciplinary teams.

The role emphasizes a greenfield program, close collaboration with customers, and mentorship from senior engineers in a dynamic, mission-critical environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Systems Engineering or Engineering Physics.
• 5+ years in a relevant engineering field.
• 3+ years in design and delivery of large-scale systems.
• Strong systems engineering background and requirements management.
• Experience with Matlab/Python and MS Excel for analyses.

Responsibilities

• Translate customer needs into engineering requirements.
• Develop subsystem requirements for implementation teams.
• Conduct analyses and trade studies to define system designs.
• Propose cost-effective ground segment solutions for satellites.
• Create engineering documentation and interface control details.
• Present designs to stakeholders clearly and concisely.
• Support effort estimation, planning, and cost assessments.
• Contribute to verification and validation activities.
• Engage in full systems engineering lifecycle from design to delivery.
• Collaborate with software teams and other disciplines.
• Mentor junior engineers and grow toward senior roles.
• Apply rigorous process definition and baselines management.

Skills

Bachelor's degree in Systems Eng

5+ years experience

Systems lifecycle

Requirements management

STK/ Matlab / Python

DOORS

MS Excel

Communications

Mentorship mindset

Self-starter

Education

Bachelor's degree in Systems Engineering or Engineering Physics

Tools

DOORS

MagicDraw

STK

Matlab

Python

Job description

Job Description

This contract Systems Engineer role offers the opportunity to join a geointelligence engineering team in Richmond, BC and contribute to the design and delivery of complex satellite system. Over a 12-month term with the possibility of extension, you will help create and implement engineering solutions that control satellites, downlink imagery and telemetry, process data into value-added products, and support customer orders in a cost-effective, mission-critical environment. You will collaborate closely with multidisciplinary engineers and customer stakeholders, gain mentorship from senior engineers, and support a greenfield program building a custom ground station for a major satellite initiative.

Job Title: Systems Engineer

This contract Systems Engineer role offers the opportunity to join a geointelligence engineering team in Richmond, BC and contribute to the design and delivery of complex satellite system. Over a 12-month term with the possibility of extension, you will help create and implement engineering solutions that control satellites, downlink imagery and telemetry, process data into value-added products, and support customer orders in a cost-effective, mission-critical environment. You will collaborate closely with multidisciplinary engineers and customer stakeholders, gain mentorship from senior engineers, and support a greenfield program building a custom ground station for a major satellite initiative.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with internal and external customers to understand their needs and translate them into clear, actionable engineering requirements.
• Transform high-level system requirements into detailed feature and subsystem requirements for development and implementation teams.
• Perform technical engineering tasks such as operational analyses and trade-off studies to define system designs and subsystem requirement details.
• Devise practical, cost-effective solutions for creating and delivering systems and subsystem features within the satellite ground segment.
• Develop and generate engineering documentation, including plans, requirements specifications, interface control documents, and operational concepts.
• Present technical design proposals and reports to internal and external stakeholders in clear, concise, and unambiguous terms.
• Support project work planning activities, including effort estimation and cost assessments across the project lifecycle.
• Contribute to validation and verification activities to ensure the overall system meets performance, reliability, and customer requirements.
• Participate in the full systems engineering lifecycle: requirements gathering, decomposition into subsystems, design, development support, testing, integration, and release to the customer.
• Work closely with software-focused teams on ground segment systems, appreciating mechanical and electrical aspects while focusing on systems engineering processes.
• Engage in customer-facing discussions throughout the lifecycle to clarify requirements, present solutions, and support delivery and acceptance.
• Support senior engineers in complex tasks, actively seek mentorship, and take on increasing responsibility as you grow toward a more senior role.
• Apply systems engineering fundamentals such as process definition, requirement management, interface control, and phase control to ensure disciplined project execution.
• Use requirements management and modeling tools to manage system baselines and traceability across large-scale, mission-critical projects.
• Contribute to the design and integration of custom ground systems that communicate with satellites, manage ground traffic control, and interface with end customers.

Essential Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in Systems Engineering or Engineering Physics.
• Minimum of 5+ years of experience in a relevant engineering field.
• At least 3+ years of experience in the design and delivery of large-scale systems, ideally complex engineering or mission-critical projects.
• Strong systems engineering background with a focus on processes, requirement gathering, system design, interface control, and phase control.
• Understanding of different types of engineering lifecycles, from large complex programs to software development initiatives.
• Familiarity with modern software development methodologies, tools, and approaches to software specification.
• Experience using engineering and analysis tools such as Matlab, Python or other scripting languages, and MS Excel for engineering analyses.
• Experience with AGI’s Systems Tool Kit (STK) or similar modeling tools.
• Proficiency with requirements management tools such as DOORS.
• Proficiency with MS Office for documentation, analysis, and communication.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to interact effectively with customers and multidisciplinary teams.
• Demonstrated self-starter mindset with the ability to perform effectively in a dynamic working environment.
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to analyze complex technical issues and propose effective solutions.
• Team-oriented attitude, willingness to learn, and openness to mentorship and professional growth.
• Eligibility to obtain and maintain security clearances at Reliability and SECRET levels and meet requirements for the Controlled Goods Program (CGP).

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Prior involvement in the development of cloud-based applications.
• Experience with remote sensing or earth observation missions.
• background in aerospace, space, defence, or other large-scale mission-critical and regulated systems.
• Experience working on space-related programs or satellite systems, particularly ground segment solutions.
• Software-oriented background, especially in environments where software plays a central role in system performance.
• Understanding of engineering lifecycles across both complex hardware-centric programs and software development projects.
• Familiarity with machine learning or deep learning concepts and tools.
• Experience with systems modeling tools such as MagicDraw (or newer equivalents) for interface control and system architecture definition.
• Exposure to firmware, mechanical, or electrical engineering disciplines and an appreciation of how these integrate within system solutions.
• Experience in product or subsystem development for customizable systems serving different customers and requirements.
• Interest in environmentally impactful missions, such as monitoring oil spills, ice cap changes, and maritime activity to help protect national waters.
• Motivation to grow into more senior systems engineering roles through hands-on project work and mentorship.

Work Environment

This role is based in Richmond, BC in an office and engineering environment focused on satellite ground segment and geointelligence solutions. You will work primarily on site four days per week, with one day remote, collaborating closely with multidisciplinary engineers and customer stakeholders. The team operates in a dynamic, project-based setting, delivering custom systems for specific customers and requirements rather than purely off-the-shelf products. Work centers on software-driven ground segment systems, supported by tools such as DOORS, MagicDraw or equivalent modeling tools, Matlab, Python, MS Excel, AGI’s Systems Tool Kit (STK), and standard MS Office applications. Mechanical and electrical work is relatively light, as hardware components are often procured from vendors, but an understanding of how these elements integrate into the overall system is valued. The environment emphasizes full lifecycle systems engineering—from greenfield design through integration, testing, and delivery and offers substantial customer-facing interaction, mentorship from seasoned engineers, and clear opportunities for career growth within large, mission-critical space programs.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract position based out of Richmond, BC.

Pay And Benefits

The pay range for this position is $45.67 - $72.12/hr. Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

Workplace Type

This is a hybrid position in Richmond, BC.

À propos d'Actalent

Actalent est un leader mondial dans les services d'ingénierie et de sciences ainsi que dans les solutions de talents. Nous aidons des entreprises visionnaires à faire progresser leurs initiatives d'ingénierie et de science grâce à l'accès à des experts spécialisés qui favorisent l'échelle, l'innovation et la rapidité de mise sur le marché. Avec un réseau de près de 20 000 consultants et 5 000 clients à travers les États-Unis, le Canada, l'Asie et l'Europe, Actalent dessert de nombreuses entreprises du Fortune 500. Nous sommes fiers d'être l'une des 500 meilleures firmes de conception de l'Engineering News-Record (ENR) pour nos services de conception en ingénierie et un lauréat du prix ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® tant pour le service client que pour les talents.

Actalent est un employeur souscrivant au principe de l'égalité des chances et accepte toutes les candidatures sans tenir compte de la race, du sexe, de l'âge, de la couleur, de la religion, des origines nationales, du statut d'ancien combattant, d'un handicap, de l'orientation sexuelle, de l'identité sexuelle, des renseignements génétiques ou de toute autre caractéristique protégée par la loi.

Si vous souhaitez faire une demande d'accommodement raisonnable, tel que la modification ou l'ajustement du processus de demande d'emploi ou d'entrevue à cause d'un handicap, veuillez envoyer un courriel à [e-mail] pour connaître d’autres options d'accommodement.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20 000 consultants and 5 000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email [e-mail] for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance:

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI):

We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.