Senior System Engineer

Groupe Sii; Portsmouth; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

SII UK in the United Kingdom is seeking a Senior Systems Engineer to lead system-level design decisions for SAR instruments. You will drive architecture, requirements flow-down, verification strategies and budgets across multidisciplinary teams throughout the instrument lifecycle.

The role emphasizes coordinating interfaces, calibrations, and performance modelling, with strong stakeholder leadership and experience in MATLAB/Python and DOORS to enable robust mission-ready solutions.

Qualifications

• Strong understanding of SAR systems and instrumentation.
• Expertise in SAR instrument architecture and design.
• Experience with SAR performance modelling and analysis.
• Knowledge of SAR calibration and characterisation methodologies.
• Understanding of SAR signal processing principles and radar theory.
• Systems engineering covering requirements management, verification and validation.
• RF systems knowledge including transmit and receive chain analysis.
• Ability to generate and maintain engineering budgets and performance models.
• Strong stakeholder management and technical leadership skills.
• Experience in multidisciplinary engineering environments.
• Strong documentation and technical reporting skills.
• Proficiency in MATLAB and Python.
• Experience with DOORS and Google Workspace.
• Familiarity with modelling tools.

Responsibilities

• Perform technical requirement analysis for SAR instrument and mission-level needs.
• Derive and flow down system and subsystem requirements.
• Define and maintain SAR instrument architectures, balancing performance, risk and cost.
• Coordinate technical activities across multidisciplinary teams.
• Define and consolidate instrument-to-platform interfaces.
• Develop SAR instrument operational concepts aligned with mission and satellite operations.
• Define instrument calibration and characterisation strategies, including internal and external calibration approaches.
• Establish instrument development, verification and validation strategies.
• Identify technical risks and develop mitigation plans.
• Generate, analyse and maintain transmit and receive RF budgets.
• Develop, maintain and assess SAR performance models across multiple instrument operating modes.

Skills

SAR systems

SAR architecture

SAR modelling

SAR calibration

radar theory

systems engineering

RF analysis

budgets & models

stakeholder leadership

multidisciplinary teams

technical reporting

MATLAB

Python

MS Office

DOORS

Google Workspace

system modelling tools

Tools

MATLAB

Python

DOORS

Google Workspace

MS Office

System modelling tools

Job description

We are seeking an experienced SENIOR SYSTEMS ENGINEER to support the development of advanced spaceborne radar instrumentation programmes. The successful candidate will play a key role in the definition, design, performance assessment and verification of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) instruments, supporting feasibility studies, bid activities and future mission developments.

Working within multidisciplinary engineering teams, you will be responsible for driving system-level design decisions, ensuring technical coherence across instrument subsystems, and delivering robust engineering solutions throughout the instrument lifecycle.

Responsibilities

• Perform technical requirement analysis for SAR instrument and mission-level needs.
• Derive and flow down system and subsystem requirements.
• Define and maintain SAR instrument architectures, balancing performance, risk and cost considerations.
• Coordinate technical activities across multidisciplinary teams including:
• Define and consolidate instrument-to-platform interfaces.
• Develop SAR instrument operational concepts aligned with mission and satellite operations.
• Define instrument calibration and characterisation strategies, including internal and external calibration approaches.
• Establish instrument development, verification and validation strategies.
• Identify technical risks and develop mitigation plans.
• Generate, analyse and maintain transmit and receive RF budgets.
• Develop, maintain and assess SAR performance models across multiple instrument operating modes.

Key Experience & Skills Required

• Strong understanding of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) systems and instrumentation.
• Expertise in SAR instrument architecture and design.
• Experience with SAR performance modelling and analysis.
• Knowledge of SAR calibration and characterisation methodologies.
• Understanding of SAR signal processing principles and radar theory.
• Systems engineering expertise covering requirements management, verification and validation.
• RF systems knowledge including transmit and receive chain analysis.
• Ability to generate and maintain engineering budgets and performance models.
• Strong stakeholder management and technical leadership skills.
• Experience working within multidisciplinary engineering environments.
• Strong documentation and technical reporting skills.
• MATLAB
• Python
• Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Requirements management tools (e.g. DOORS)
• Google Workspace tools
• Systems modelling and performance analysis tools

Desirable Experience & Skills

• Experience within the space, aerospace or satellite industry.
• Knowledge of Earth Observation missions and radar payloads.
• Familiarity with instrument calibration campaigns and operational commissioning.
• Experience supporting proposals, feasibility studies and future mission concepts.
• Exposure to model-based systems engineering approaches.

With five strategic offices in Belfast, Chester, Farnborough, London and Oxford, we work in partnership with our customers UK-wide to deliver high-impact engineering solutions.

SII UK is a trusted Aerospace and Defence engineering partner, supporting the delivery of complex, mission-critical programmes while helping to shape the future of innovation across next-generation systems and technologies.

Our teams contribute daily to creating a fulfilling, stimulating and career development focused work environment.

True to our human-centred values, we are committed to making SII UK a Great Place To Work®, having been certified 5 years running.

Joining SII UK means being part of our collective goals, guided by our mission “Let’s Tech Together”, and helping to build a digital future that is sustainable, at the heart of an environment that values learning & collaboration.

Who are we?

With five strategic offices in Belfast, Chester, Farnborough, London and Oxford, we work in partnership with our customers UK-wide to deliver high-impact engineering solutions.

SII UK is a trusted Aerospace and Defence engineering partner, supporting the delivery of complex, mission-critical programmes while helping to shape the future of innovation across next-generation systems and technologies.

Our teams contribute daily to creating a fulfilling, stimulating and career development focused work environment.

True to our human-centred values, we are committed to making SII UK a Great Place To Work®, having been certified 5 years running.

Joining SII UK means being part of our collective goals, guided by our mission “Let’s Tech Together”, and helping to build a digital future that is sustainable, at the heart of an environment that values learning & collaboration.