Principal Systems Engineer

SAIC; California; On-site; USD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

SAIC seeks a Principal Systems Engineer to support modernization of space launch ranges at Vandenberg SFB, CA. The role drives system-level engineering, MBSE practices, and rapid prototyping to accelerate space launch cadence.

The candidate will author requirements, operation concepts, test plans, and technical reports, ensuring compliance and digital transformation across the program.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree with 7–9+ years in systems integration/engineering.
• Familiar with MBSE, digital engineering, and modeling tools.
• Experience with RF/telemetry/ground-based systems.

Responsibilities

• Provide system-level engineering support to a cross-functional team.
• Develop preliminary solutions for moderate-scope engineering problems.
• Apply agile acquisition, architecture design, and system integration principles.
• Prototyping and technical recommendations for sponsor capabilities.
• Collaborate to advance MBSE and DE across the enterprise.
• Create and maintain technical documentation and compliance artifacts.
• Develop and document engineering processes and standards.

Skills

MBSE familiarity

Secret clearance

Ground-based RF/telemetry systems

Agile acquisition

Documentation & compliance

MS SharePoint/Excel/Access/Project

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering, mathematics, physics or equivalent

Master’s degree in engineering, mathematics, physics or related field

Tools

STK

Job description

Description

SAIC seeks an experienced and energetic Principal Systems Engineer to directly support the modernization of the space launch ranges, meeting mission requirements, providing range capabilities, and supporting the Assured Access to Space (AATS) mission. The overarching purpose of the program is to perform system modernization and digital transformation projects that will enable the acceleration of the space launch cadence to enable the Spaceport of the future. This position at Vandenberg SFB, CA.

Job Responsibilities

• Providing system-level engineering support and expertise to a cross-functional team.
• Providing preliminary solutions to engineering problems of moderate scope and complexity in an expeditious, efficient, and timely manner.
• Identify and propose Digital Engineering practices, methods, and tools to address our sponsor and partners' most pressing challenges.
• Apply knowledge and principles of agile acquisition, architecture design, system integration, risk assessment/management, and other systems engineering disciplines to support recommendations to address these challenges.
• Employ rapid prototyping and technical recommendations to inform sponsor and partner capability requirements and decisions.
• Collaborate with platform partners to contribute to greater practice of MBSE and DE across the enterprise.
• Authoring and maintenance of technical documentation, such as Requirements Specifications, Concepts of Operation, Product and Performance Specifications, Interface Control Documents, Compliance Matrices, Qualification Test Plans, Procedures, and Reports.
• Development and documentation of engineering processes and standards in support of customer requirements.

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in engineering, mathematics, physics or equivalent technical discipline and nine (9) years of systems integration and systems engineering related or equivalent experience or master’s degree in an engineering, mathematics, physics or equivalent technical discipline and seven (7) years of systems integration and systems engineering related or equivalent experience

• Familiarity with team and administrative collaboration and analysis tools such as Microsoft SharePoint, Excel, Access, and Project.
• Familiarity with Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) including generating, analyzing, and maintaining a digital model.
• Experience with projects that consist of updating ground-based systems such as RF Systems, communication systems, telemetry, and/or virtualization of systems.

Must have a secret clearance.

Desired Education, Experience, and Qualifications:

• Master of Science in engineering, science, or related technical field
• Experience in large Government systems acquisition.
• Thorough understanding of space systems design, integration and test requirements and test execution, including test equipment support.
• Experience with Systems Tool Kit (STK) simulation and analysis platform

Target salary range: $140,001 - $180,000. The estimate displayed represents the typical salary range for this position based on experience and other factors.