Principal Systems Engineer

Holt Executive; Wytham; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading aerospace engineering company in the United Kingdom is seeking a Principal Systems Engineer to drive system architecture development for spacecraft. In this role, you will collaborate with various teams to oversee complex space missions and manage engineering processes. Ideal candidates will possess over 9 years of experience in systems engineering with expertise in spacecraft lifecycle, ensuring mission success from concept to operations.

Benefits

Stock options

Private healthcare

Bespoke learning & development fund

Hybrid & flexible working

Qualifications

• 9+ years of systems engineering experience across the full spacecraft lifecycle.
• Proven leadership and collaboration with space systems engineering teams.
• Experience generating verification and validation plans and executing qualification campaigns.

Responsibilities

• Define system architecture for spacecraft.
• Perform analysis and modelling of spacecraft systems.
• Manage development schedules and design budgets.
• Guide systems engineering processes.
• Produce mission-level test and verification plans.

Skills

Systems engineering experience

Leadership

Collaboration with teams

Analytical skills

Job description

About the Role

We are seeking an exceptional Principal Systems Engineer to join a pioneering team developing next-generation in-space systems. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to complex space missions, including full spacecraft lifecycle development from concept through prototyping, detailed design, integration, testing, launch, and operations.

Key Responsibilities

• Define system architecture for spacecraft, interfacing with all subsystem leads, external partners, and key suppliers.
• Perform analysis and modelling of spacecraft systems.
• Manage development schedules, system requirements, and design budgets.
• Guide systems engineering processes and facilitate technical trades across disciplines.
• Control and trade-off platform systems budgets (mass, power, data, fuel).
• Perform top-level mission analysis and support the development of internal tools.
• Produce mission-level test and verification plans, FMECA, and FDIR.
• Coordinate rapid feasibility studies into different scenarios and architectures.
• Maintain configuration control of systems work and documentation.
• Support proposal writing from a systems engineering perspective.

Qualifications & Experience

• 9+ years of systems engineering experience across the full spacecraft lifecycle.
• Proven leadership and collaboration with space systems engineering teams.
• Experience generating verification and validation plans and executing qualification campaigns.
• Deep knowledge in one or more of the following:
• Spacecraft systems & avionics
• Sensors and optical systems
• Flight software development
• Orbital mechanics
• Structures and mechanisms
• Propulsion systems and fluid components
• Spacecraft operations

Desirable Skills

• Experience in startup or high-growth environments.
• Experience on European-wide missions with multinational consortiums.
• Understanding of the spacecraft supply chain.
• Experience with both low and high budget space system development.

Benefits

• Stock options
• Private healthcare (for you and your family)
• Bespoke learning & development fund
• Hybrid & flexible working
• and much more!