Manager, Systems Engineering (Clearance Required)

Sierra Space; Centennial (CO); On-site; USD 157,512 - 216,579; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision plans

401(k) with 150% match up to 6%

Life insurance

3 weeks paid time off

Job summary

Sierra Space is seeking a Manager, Systems Engineering to lead multiple operations and training teams across spacecraft programs. You will translate high-level mission requirements into executable procedures, oversee risk mitigation, and ensure readiness of crew and ground teams for complex operations.

This role requires strong leadership, extensive systems engineering expertise, and a active Top Secret security clearance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, computer science, or related technical field, or equivalent work experience.
• Minimum of 8 years of relevant systems engineering experience.
• At least 3 years in a leadership or management role.
• Comprehensive knowledge of systems engineering principles including requirements management, system architecture, interface control, verification and validation.
• Demonstrated ability to apply systems engineering practices across complex technical systems.
• Experience managing systems engineering teams and providing direct supervision to requirements engineers, system architects, and integration engineers.
• Proficiency with systems engineering tools and methodologies (e.g., MBSE, SysML, DOORS) for requirements traceability, functional analysis, and trade studies.
• Demonstrated ability to guide teams through technical challenges and trade-off decisions.
• Experience managing budgets, resource allocations, and making risk-informed decisions balancing technical, schedule, and cost constraints.
• Excellent communication skills with ability to effectively communicate complex systems concepts to diverse stakeholders.
• Ability to manage relationships with internal customers, external suppliers, and program management.
• An active Top Secret U.S. Security Clearance is required.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of systems engineers, operations specialists, and training professionals.
• Develop operational procedures and execute mission operations.
• Ensure crew and ground team readiness for spacecraft programs.
• Provide technical leadership and people management across teams.
• Integrate mission operations with systems engineering processes and verification efforts.
• Develop and update operations handbooks, contingency procedures, and training curricula.
• Manage budgets and resources for operations and training activities.
• Coordinate across programs to ensure design trades meet operational constraints.

Skills

Leadership

Communication skills

Budget management

Systems engineering

MBSE

Risk-informed decisions

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering or related field

Tools

MBSE

SysML

DOORS

Job description

At Sierra Space, we build the missions and systems that keep our world secure in the domain above Earth.

Sierra Space team members share a spirit of innovation and collaboration and a belief that we can deliver on the boldest missions in space today. Together with our customers, we aim to safeguard our nation, sustain human presence in space, and secure the freedom of operations in low Earth orbit and beyond.

Our success is measured by the trust of those who rely on what we build and deliver, and our technologies keep the United States and its allies mission‑ready throughout space.

We are mission‑driven, and together, we are an extraordinary team.

About the Role

The Manager, Systems Engineering leads a team of systems engineers, operations specialists, and training professionals responsible for developing operational procedures, executing mission operations, and ensuring crew and ground team readiness for novel spacecraft programs. This role provides technical leadership and people management for teams who plan, execute, and support real‑time mission operations while developing comprehensive training programs that prepare personnel for nominal and off‑nominal scenarios. The Manager ensures all activities are properly integrated with broader systems engineering processes, mission design constraints, requirements management, and verification & validation efforts, while managing resources and budgets and collaborating across organizational boundaries.

The Manager leads multiple operations and training teams, providing direct supervision to operations planners, training specialists, systems engineers, and instructors supporting various spacecraft projects. This role integrates mission operations and training activities with broader systems engineering processes— including requirements management, interface control, verification & validation, and digital engineering initiatives—while translating top‑level mission requirements into executable operational procedures, console configurations, ground system requirements, and comprehensive training programs. The Manager is responsible for the development and updates to operations handbooks, contingency procedures, mission rules, training curricula, certification requirements, and assessments, while leading flight readiness reviews, mission simulations, and real‑time execution support across multiple concurrent programs. Responsibilities include identifying and mitigating operational risks, establishing technical performance measures, leading anomaly investigations, safety assessments, and ensuring compliance with customer‑specific requirements. The Manager collaborates with spacecraft, ground, and systems engineering teams to ensure operational constraints and crew interface requirements are properly incorporated into operational designs, while providing operations feedback that informs design trades and system requirements. This leader exercises financial acumen by managing budgets for operations activities, training programs, simulation infrastructure, and console systems, coordinates cross‑program resources and best practices, and builds a culture of operational excellence through effective communication of complex operational concepts to diverse stakeholders and mentorship that fosters continuous improvement and mission success.

About You

Our mission is driven by an unyielding commitment to advancing space‑based technology in service of our customers and safeguarding national security. We seek individuals who are passionate about innovating beyond boundaries and relentlessly pursuing solutions that protect, preserve and empower — to join us in this critical mission.

We’re looking for team members who align with our values, mission and goals — while also meeting the minimum qualifications below. The preferred qualifications are a bonus, not a requirement.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, computer science, or related technical field, or equivalent work experience.
• Minimum of 8 years of relevant systems engineering experience.
• At least 3 years of experience in a leadership or management role.
• Comprehensive knowledge of systems engineering principles including requirements management, system architecture, interface control, verification and validation.
• Demonstrated ability to apply systems engineering practices across complex technical systems.
• Experience managing systems engineering teams and providing direct supervision to requirements engineers, system architects, and integration engineers.
• Proficiency with systems engineering tools and methodologies (e.g., MBSE, SysML, DOORS) for requirements traceability, functional analysis, and trade studies.
• Demonstrated ability to guide teams through technical challenges and trade‑off decisions.
• Experience managing budgets, resource allocations, and making risk‑informed decisions balancing technical, schedule, and cost constraints.
• Excellent communication skills with ability to effectively communicate complex systems concepts to diverse stakeholders.
• Ability to manage relationships with internal customers, external suppliers, and program management.
• An active Top Secret U.S. Security Clearance is required.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Professional certification such as INCOSE CSEP (Certified Systems Engineering Professional).
• Knowledge of industry standards including ISO/IEC 15288, INCOSE practices, NASA standards (NPR 7150, NPR 7123), and domain‑specific operational standards.
• Experience implementing digital engineering transformation initiatives and digital thread concepts in operations contexts.
• Understanding of agile and hybrid development methodologies as applied to systems engineering and operations.
• Demonstrated experience developing and implementing systems engineering processes throughout the system lifecycle.
• Ability to translate systems engineering functional plans into operational plans and methodologies.
• Experience building operations organizations from the ground up or during rapid growth phases.
• Track record of developing talent pipelines and succession planning for critical positions.
• Experience fostering cross‑functional collaboration between engineering, operations, and training disciplines.
• Demonstrated success leading operational readiness reviews and flight readiness reviews for complex programs.
• Experience managing operations and training contracts, vendor relationships, and COTS tool integrations.
• Financial acumen and experience managing budgets and tool investments across multiple projects.
• History of continuous improvement in operations and systems engineering practices, including lessons learned implementation.
• Experience with ground segment architecture, mission data systems, and operations networks.
• Familiarity with fault‑management strategies, contingency operations, and off‑nominal recovery procedures.
• Understanding of human factors engineering as applied to console design, procedure development, and crew interfaces.
• Experience with automation and scripting for operations efficiency (Python, MATLAB, or operations‑specific scripting).
• Experience mentoring and developing operations professionals and systems engineers at various career stages.
• Demonstrated commitment to operational safety culture and mission success.
• Ability to hold teams accountable to professional standards and operational discipline.

Compensation

Pay Range: $157,512.00 – $216,579.00

Your actual base compensation will be determined on a case‑by‑case basis and may vary based on job‑related knowledge and skills, education, experience, internal equity and market competitiveness.

Important Notice

This position requires current/active Top Secret U.S. Security Clearance. U.S. Citizenship status is required as this position needs an active U.S. Security Clearance for employment. Non‑U.S. Citizens may not be eligible to obtain a security clearance. The Department of Defense Consolidated Adjudications Facility (DoD CAF), a federal government agency, handles the adjudicative aspects of the security clearance eligibility process for industry applicants. Adjudicative factors which affect the outcome of the eligibility determination include, but are not limited to, allegiance to the U.S., foreign influence, foreign preference, criminal conduct, security violations and illegal drug use.

Elevate Your Career

At Sierra Space, we are committed to your personal and professional development. We empower you to make profound and meaningful contributions and foster a vibrant culture of collaboration, where teamwork ignites breakthrough innovations.

We also offer a generous benefit package, including medical, dental, and vision plans, 401(k) with 150% match up to 6%, life insurance, 3 weeks paid time off, and more.

Sierra Space is an industry‑leading space and defense technology company providing satellites, spacecraft, and enabling mission systems and components. We deliver mission‑proven technologies to our customers that safeguard our nation, protect space‑based assets and enable space exploration.

Application Deadline: This role will remain posted until a qualified pool of candidates is identified.

Sierra Space Corporation is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need special assistance or a reasonable accommodation related to applying for employment with Sierra Space or at any stage of the recruitment process, please contact us.