Lead Space Payload I&T Engineer

Trident Systems; Chantilly (VA); On-site; USD 101,000 - 188,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

401(k) matching

Paid time off

Holidays

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

Trident Systems, Space Electronic Systems division, is seeking a Principal Integration & Test Engineer to support development, integration, debugging, and verification of space payload systems in Chantilly, VA. This hands-on role spans software, firmware, and electronics to ensure payload readiness for lab, environmental, and flight tests.

The ideal candidate will work at the hardware/software boundary, perform root-cause analysis, and support system bring-up for advanced payloads under space

Qualifications

• BS in a relevant engineering field or equivalent experience.
• 9+ years of related experience.
• Experience integrating and testing embedded systems, avionics, or aerospace hardware.
• Ability to debug across software, firmware, and electronics.
• Experience reading schematics, ICDs, test procedures, requirements, and design documentation.
• Experience with embedded debugging tools, logs, telemetry, and lab instrumentation.
• Familiarity with C/C++, Python for test automation and troubleshooting.

Responsibilities

• Integrate and test space payload hardware and software in development, qualification, and flight-like configurations.
• Debug and troubleshoot issues spanning software, embedded software, FPGA/firmware interfaces, electronics, sensors, and communication links.
• Support bring-up of payload electronics, processors, FPGAs, data interfaces, and support equipment.
• Investigate failures during integration and test using lab equipment, logs, telemetry, and software/firmware diagnostics.
• Use lab equipment such as oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, power supplies, DMMs, protocol analyzers, and signal generators to diagnose hardware and interface issues.
• Support checkout and debugging of interfaces such as SPI, I2C, UART, RS-422/485, Ethernet, SpaceWire, CAN, and other mission-specific buses.
• Work with software, firmware, electrical, systems, and mechanical engineers to resolve integration issues and improve design robustness.
• Document test results, anomalies, troubleshooting steps, and corrective actions for verification and flight readiness reviews.
• Assist with system-level and environmental testing (functional, thermal vacuum, vibration, EMI/EMC, simulations).
• Contribute to development of testbeds, lab infrastructure, automated test tools, and debug processes.

Skills

C/C++

Python

Embedded debugging

Schematics

Test automation

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Aerospace Engineering, or related field

Tools

Oscilloscopes

Logic analyzers

DMMs

Protocol analyzers

SpaceWire

Job description

Trident Systems, Space Electronic Systems division, is seeking a Principal Integration & Test Engineer to support development, integration, debugging, and verification of space payload systems in Chantilly, VA. This hands-on role spans software, firmware, and electronics to ensure payload readiness for lab, environmental, and flight tests.

The ideal candidate will work at the hardware/software boundary, perform root-cause analysis, and support system bring-up for advanced payloads under space