Senior Systems Engineer

AAC Clyde Space; Glasgow; On-site; GBP 75,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

AAC Clyde Space is seeking a Senior Systems Engineer to lead the design, integration and delivery of spacecraft platforms and missions. You will translate objectives into robust system solutions, own major technical scopes, and guide teams across requirements, architecture, interfaces, verification, AIT and operations.

You will mentor engineers, drive key technical decisions, and coordinate with customers, suppliers and senior stakeholders to ensure mission success and technical integrity.

Qualifications

• Significant experience applying systems engineering to the development and delivery of complex multidisciplinary technical systems.
• Experience owning a subsystem or major work package through requirements, design, integration and verification.
• Strong leadership with cross-disciplinary coordination and clear technical decision making.

Responsibilities

• Act as Technical Lead for spacecraft projects or major work packages, ensuring technical coherence and delivery.
• Define and manage spacecraft architectures including CONOPS and power, data, comms, grounding and operational architectures.
• Lead requirements definition, traceability, verification and compliance across the project lifecycle.
• Maintain consistency across requirements, architecture, interfaces, budgets, verification, AIT and operations.
• Lead trade-offs balancing performance, cost, schedule and risk, providing clear recommendations to stakeholders.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary teams to resolve complex issues and document technical rationale.
• Lead interface management across spacecraft subsystems and platform–payload interfaces.
• Plan and lead system verification and validation activities with traceability and acceptance criteria.
• Support integration, qualification and testing, including investigation of anomalies.
• Develop mitigation and contingency strategies for technical and operational risks.
• Lead mission/constellation analysis using STK or equivalent tools where appropriate.
• Communicate status, risks and options clearly to customers, suppliers and management.
• Mentor engineers and contribute to improving systems engineering tools and processes.

Skills

Systems engineering

Technical leadership

Requirements management

Interface management

Risk management

Stakeholder communication

MBSE

English proficiency

Aerospace domain knowledge

Team mentoring

Education

Engineering/Physics degree or equivalent

Tools

STK or similar tools

Job description

The Senior Systems Engineer plays a leading role in the design, integration and delivery of AAC Clyde Space’s spacecraft platforms and missions.

They apply systems thinking and technical leadership to translate mission objectives into coherent, robust and verifiable system solutions. Working across engineering disciplines, a Senior Systems Engineer takes ownership of significant technical scopes and ensures consistency across requirements, architecture, interfaces, analysis, verification, AIT and operations.

The role requires the ability to lead complex technical activities, resolve cross-disciplinary issues and guide teams towards well-reasoned decisions where requirements, evidence or constraints may be incomplete. The Senior Systems Engineer balances performance, cost, schedule and risk while maintaining the technical integrity of the spacecraft and mission.

They will act as Technical Lead for spacecraft projects or major work packages, providing technical direction to multidisciplinary teams and acting as a key technical interface with customers, suppliers, project management and senior stakeholders. They will also mentor other engineers and contribute to the continued development of systems engineering capability within AAC Clyde Space.

Key Responsibilities

• Act as Technical Lead for spacecraft projects or major technical work packages where required, taking ownership of technical coherence, engineering quality and delivery.
• Define and manage spacecraft and mission architectures, including CONOPS, product breakdown structures and power, data, communications, grounding and operational architectures.
• Lead the definition, negotiation and management of system and mission requirements, ensuring appropriate traceability, verification and compliance throughout the project lifecycle.
• Maintain consistency across requirements, architecture, interfaces, system budgets, verification, AIT and operations.
• Lead multidisciplinary technical trade-offs, balancing performance, cost, schedule, feasibility and risk, and provide clear recommendations to project and senior stakeholders.
• Drive complex technical issues through to resolution, coordinating engineering disciplines and subject‑matter experts and ensuring decisions and technical rationale are documented.
• Lead interface management across spacecraft subsystems and platform–payload, space–ground, launch and supplier interfaces.
• Lead or assure system budget analysis, including mass, power, data, delta‑V, RF link and other mission‑critical performance budgets.
• Plan and lead systems verification and validation activities, including verification strategy, requirements traceability, test planning, acceptance criteria and assessment of verification evidence.
• Support multidisciplinary integration, qualification and acceptance testing, including investigation and resolution of complex test anomalies.
• Identify and manage technical and operational risks, developing proportionate mitigation, qualification and contingency strategies.
• Lead or assure mission and constellation analysis using STK or equivalent tools where appropriate.
• Communicate technical status, risks, options and recommendations clearly to customers, suppliers, project teams and senior management.
• Review engineering outputs, identifying inconsistencies, gaps and wider implications for interfaces, AIT, operations and programme delivery.
• Mentor less‑experienced engineers and contribute to improvements in systems engineering tools, methods and processes.
• Provide technical leadership to bid and proposal activities, including concept development, feasibility assessment and technical risk identification.

Skills Required

• Relevant degree or equivalent professional experience in engineering, physics or another applicable technical discipline.
• Significant experience applying systems engineering to the development and delivery of complex, multidisciplinary technical systems.
• Demonstrable experience owning a subsystem, major work package or comparable technical scope through requirements, design, integration and verification.
• Proven technical leadership capability, including directing multidisciplinary activities and maintaining progress in uncertain or time‑constrained situations.
• Experience defining and managing system architectures and integrating hardware, software, payload, ground and operational elements.
• Strong requirements management and verification experience, including negotiation, traceability and compliance management.
• Experience leading technical trade-offs and making evidence‑based recommendations balancing performance, cost, schedule and risk.
• Experience managing complex interfaces and producing or reviewing Interface Control Documents.
• Experience independently managing spacecraft system budgets.
• Strong understanding of systems verification and validation, spacecraft test planning and AIT support.
• Ability to identify and mitigate technical risks and drive complex issues through to closure.
• Ability to manage complex stakeholder environments, challenge assumptions constructively and establish alignment across teams and organisations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including presenting complex technical information clearly to different audiences.
• Experience reviewing engineering outputs and mentoring or guiding other engineers.
• Sound engineering judgement, attention to detail, ownership and resilience within a dynamic, multi‑project environment.
• Competent IT skills, including Microsoft software, and proficiency in written and spoken English.

Skills Desired

• Experience in the space, aerospace or another high‑reliability engineering domain.
• Experience acting as Technical Lead on a spacecraft, mission, subsystem or multidisciplinary development.
• Experience across several spacecraft lifecycle stages, including design, AIT, commissioning or in‑orbit operations.
• Familiarity with mission analysis, FDIR or FMECA, onboard software integration, MBSE or ECSS standards.
• Hands‑on experience with spacecraft or test hardware in an AIT or cleanroom environment.

About Aac Clyde Space

AAC Clyde Space provides small satellite technologies and services that help governments, businesses and institutions access high-quality data from space. Covering satellite components, mission services and space‑based data delivery, the company offers end‑to‑end solutions that turn space‑based intelligence into real‑world impact. Applications include weather monitoring, maritime safety, security and defence, agriculture and forestry.

AAC Clyde Space is headquartered in Uppsala, Sweden, with operations also in the UK, Netherlands, South Africa and the USA. The company’s shares are traded on Nasdaq First North Premier Growth Market in Stockholm (Ticker: AAC) and on the US OTCQX Market (OTCQX: ACCMF). Some of our clients include Horizon Technologies, Orbcomm, OHB Sweden, Intuitive Machines, Clearspace, Astroscale, the United States Airforce Academy, UK Space Agency, Swedish National Space Agency, European Space Agency and NASA.

Data Protection Policy

As part of our recruitment process, we collect and process personal data relating to job applicants. We are committed to being transparent about how we collect and use this data.

Right to Work

AAC Clyde Space has a legal responsibility to ensure that all its employees have the legal right to live and work in the EU or the country in which they plan to work. Therefore, if you are made an offer of employment, this will be subject to AAC Clyde Space verifying that you are eligible to work in that country before you start work.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

We aim to create a positive recruitment and selection experience across every part of our business. The company is committed to handling applications to a consistently high standard and all candidates with dignity and respect. Those involved in the recruitment and selection process will act with integrity, objectivity and professionalism. We are committed to equal opportunities for all and to have diversity reflected within our global workforce. We believe its diversity and inclusion will allow for greater creativity and innovation to help AAC Clyde Space Group deliver the vision to help improve life on earth.

Openness to Flexible Working

We recognise work‑life balance is important so we are open to discussions around flexible working, depending on the nature of the role and business needs. If you would like to know more, please ask the Hiring Manager during any recruitment process that you may be involved in.