Lead Systems Engineer - Spaceplane Safety & Reliability

JobSpace; Christchurch; On-site; NZD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Dawn Aerospace is developing a remotely operated reusable spaceplane that blends rocket performance with aircraft discipline. We seek an experienced Systems Engineer who will own vehicle functions, shape architecture, and drive cross-disciplinary engineering decisions.

You will lead safety analyses, reliability demonstrations, and qualification activities while mentoring engineers and guiding verification efforts across propulsion, avionics, and structures.

Qualifications

• Experience in systems engineering for complex aerospace or safety-critical systems.
• Ownership of system functions including requirements, architecture, interfaces, verification.
• Experience with qualification and reliability demonstration of structural, mechanical, electrical, or avionics systems.
• FHA/FTA/CCA or reliability engineering.
• Environmental qualification testing and test development.
• Flight test, vehicle integration, verification, and validation.
• Experience with aircraft, spacecraft, launch vehicles, or other highly integrated safety-critical systems.

Responsibilities

• Take end-to-end ownership of one or more vehicle functions or systems.
• Define functional behaviour, requirements, architecture, interfaces, and verification approaches.
• Drive technical decisions and work with propulsion, structures, avionics, GNC, software, operations, and certification teams.
• Establish verification plans and support execution to deliver integrated vehicle capabilities.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to engineers in your areas.

Skills

Systems engineering

Ownership of system functions

Reliability demonstration

FHA/FTA/CCA

Environmental qualification testing

Flight test

Job description

Dawn Aerospace is developing a remotely operated reusable spaceplane that blends rocket performance with aircraft discipline. We seek an experienced Systems Engineer who will own vehicle functions, shape architecture, and drive cross-disciplinary engineering decisions.

You will lead safety analyses, reliability demonstrations, and qualification activities while mentoring engineers and guiding verification efforts across propulsion, avionics, and structures.