Chief Systems Engineer

Espace; Saratoga (CA); On-site; USD 190,000 - 225,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salaries

Continuous learning and development

Health and wellness care options

Paid holidays

Paid time off

Job summary

Espace in Saratoga is looking for a Senior Systems Engineer to manage spacecraft systems and lead cross-vehicle interface management. The ideal candidate will have over 15 years of experience in the space industry, overseeing full life cycles from requirements to on-orbit operations.

This full-time position offers a competitive salary ranging from $190,000 to $225,000 annually, based on relevant experience. Benefits include a focus on sustainability, continuous learning opportunities, and health and wellness plans.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of progressive systems engineering experience in the space industry.
• Accountability for spacecraft-level architecture and cross-vehicle interface management.
• Hands-on subsystem leadership before transitioning into systems engineering.

Responsibilities

• Manage system architecture including requirements allocation and ICD development.
• Oversee V&V plan development and environmental test planning.
• Lead integration and testing of electrical systems.
• Direct configuration management across engineering phases.
• Connect requirements and design artifacts in a traceable data architecture.

Skills

Systems engineering in the space industry

Leadership in technical design reviews

Digital communications background

Team leadership and development

Tools

MBSE tools (DOORS NG, Cameo, SysML)

Job description

Overview

Ready to make connectivity from space universally accessible, secure and actionable? Then you’ve come to the right place!

E-Space is bridging Earth and space to enable hyper-scaled deployments of Internet of Things (IoT) solutions and services. We are building a highly-advanced low Earth orbit (LEO) space system that will fundamentally change the design, economics, manufacturing and service delivery associated with traditional satellite and terrestrial IoT systems.

We’re intentional, we’re unapologetically curious and we’re 100% committed to innovate space-based communications and deliver actionable intelligence that will expand global economies, protect space and our planet and enhance our overall quality of life.

The CSE holds the highest technical authority in the Space Systems Organization below the CTO. This is the single point of accountability for spacecraft system architecture, all Interface Control Documents, the Verification & Validation Plan, Requirements Compliance closure, and the system-level AI&T campaign.

With Space Systems Electrical Engineering (SSEE) as an organic fifth function, the CSE also holds sole authority over the spacecraft-level electrical architecture and the electrical ICD framework to which every hardware VP and Semiconductor Development designs. The scope extends beyond the spacecraft – the CSE owns the program digital thread connecting requirements through design, verification, as-built records, and on-orbit telemetry.

Responsibilities

• System architecture – requirements decomposition, allocation to subsystem budgets, ICD development and baseline control, and trade space management across mass, power, pointing, and cost.
• Verification & Validation – V&V plan development, TPM definition and tracking, requirements compliance matrix management, environmental test planning (TVAC, vibration/acoustic, EMI/EMC), and test data disposition.
• Electrical systems – spacecraft-level power distribution, grounding and shielding, EMI/EMC (MIL-STD-461 or equivalent), signal integrity, and connector/harness standards; sufficient depth to own the electrical ICD framework and evaluate design compliance across all subsystems.
• Integration & Test – AI&T campaign planning and execution, FlatSat and HIL facility operations, environmental test readiness review process, and anomaly investigation and disposition.
• Configuration management – configuration baseline control, CCB process administration, and engineering change order management across both engineering and production phases.
• Digital thread / MBSE – connecting requirements, design artifacts, verification evidence, and as-built records in a traceable data architecture; working familiarity with MBSE tools (DOORS NG, Cameo, SysML) and digital thread architectures.

Qualifications

• 15+ years progressive systems engineering experience in the space industry, with at least one flight project carried from SRR through on-orbit operations.
• Constellation program experience – direct accountability for spacecraft-level architecture, cross-vehicle interface management, or system-level verification across a multi-satellite fleet. This is a required differentiator, not a preference.
• ICD and design review leadership – direct responsibility for requirements traceability and verification closure; presented and defended technical baselines at formal design reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR, QR) before a standing review board.
• Digital communications background – demonstrated background in RF link design, phased array systems, modem/waveform, or OSI Layer 1–2 protocol architecture.
• Prior subsystem depth – hands-on subsystem leadership (payload, bus, or ground) before transitioning to systems engineering. This prior depth is the foundation for the technical credibility required to arbitrate disputes across RF, power, structures, software, and semiconductors.
• Team leadership – demonstrated record of building and developing multi-discipline systems engineering teams, including recruiting and retaining Principal Engineers.

Candidates must demonstrate the ability to make and defend binding technical decisions under uncertainty – including accepting residual risk with documented rationale – and to hold a technical position under schedule or cost pressure. Experience presenting to and defending technical baselines before external review boards is required.

This is a full time, exempt position, based out of our Saratoga office. The target base pay for this position is $190,000- $225,000 annually. The total compensation packaged will be determined by various factors such as your relevant job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.

This role requires access to controlled technical data. Under U.S. law (ITAR/EAR), we can only consider U.S. persons (U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, and individuals granted asylum or refugee status).

E-Space is not currently able to provide employment sponsorship for candidates who do not hold work authorization for the location of this role.

Benefits

• An opportunity to really make a difference
• Sustainability at our core
• Fair and honest workplace
• Innovative thinking is encouraged
• Competitive salaries
• Continuous learning and development
• Health and wellness care options
• Financial solutions for the future
• Optional legal services (US only)
• Paid holidays
• Paid time off