LEAD ENGINEER - Instrument Systems Engineer - Boulder, CO

Southwest Research Institute; Boulder (CO); On-site; USD 118,000 - 197,000; Full time

Job summary

Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado seeks an experienced aerospace systems engineer to lead design, integration, verification, and deployment of space weather instruments for scientific missions.

You will develop mission-level requirements, manage system decomposition and allocation, ensure engineering rigor across the project lifecycle, and mentor engineers while coordinating with optical, sensor, processing, and mechanical subsystems.

Qualifications

• Requires a Bachelor, Masters or a PhD in Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, Optical Engineering or other related Engineering degree field with relevant work experience.
• Advanced degrees will be considered in lieu of some years of related industry work experience.
• 8+ years: Requirements database management, verification planning, and systems engineering.
• 8+ years: Instrument testing and verification.
• 4+ years: Spaceflight instrument development through lifecycle.
• A valid/clear driver's license is required.

Responsibilities

• Work with scientific personnel to design, build, and deploy instrumentation for space science research.
• Develop mission level requirements, architecture, and performance.
• Lead development and management of system requirements, decomposition, and allocation.
• Maintain engineering rigor across project lifecycle.
• Ensure alignment between optical, sensor, processing, and mechanical subsystems.
• Develop test plans and analyze test data to verify instrument performance.
• Identify and manage technical risks and integration challenges.
• Support customer interactions and technical briefings.
• Mentor engineers and reinforce systems engineering discipline.

Skills

Systems engineering

Instrument testing

Requirements management

Verification planning

Spaceflight instrumentation

Education

Bachelor/Master/PhD in Aerospace Engineering or related field

Job description

Who We Are

As a recognized leader in space science research and spacecraft instrumentation, avionics, and electronics, we work to reveal the secrets of our solar system and the universe.

Objectives of this Role

• Lead the design, integration & test, and deploy a new generation of space weather instruments.
• Support senior R&D personnel in cutting edge research involving remote sensing instrumentation systems.
• Work in multidisciplinary laboratory environment to design, build, and optimize novel spacecraft instrumentation for scientific missions for the solar system and beyond.
• Develop high fidelity models of instrument performance enabling full instrument system optimization.
• Plan for and complete system-level trades.
• Plan, prepare for, and present project lifecycle review (SRR, PDR, CDR, etc.).
• Develop requirements, testing, and verification plans and oversee instrument testing and verification activities while maintaining engineering rigor.

Daily and Monthly Responsibilities

• Work with scientific personnel to design, build, and deploy instrumentation for space science research.
• Develop mission level requirements, architecture, and performance.
• Lead development and management of system requirements, decomposition, and allocation.
• Maintain engineering rigor across project lifecycle.
• Ensure alignment between optical, sensor, processing, and mechanical subsystems.
• Develop test plans and analyze test data to verify instrument performance.
• Identify and manage technical risks and integration challenges.
• Support customer interactions and technical briefings.
• Mentor engineers and reinforce systems engineering discipline.

Requirements

• Requires a Bachelors, Masters or a PhD in Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, Optical Engineering or other related Engineering degree field with relevant work experience.
• Advanced degrees will be considered in lieu of some years of related industry work experience.
• 8+ years: Requirements database management, verification planning, and systems engineering.
• 8+ years: Instrument testing and verification.
• 4+ years: Spaceflight instrument development through lifecycle.
• A valid/clear driver's license is required.

Special Requirements

• Work assignment is in Boulder, Colorado.
• Must be a U.S. person (i.e., U.S. citizen, non-U.S. citizen national, lawful permanent resident, asylee, or refugee) due to ITAR work in section.

Job Locations

Boulder, Colorado

Salary Range

$117,894.00 - $196,539.00

An Equal Employment Opportunity Employer

race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, and veteran status.

For more information about this division, visit the Solar System Science & Exploration home page.