Principal Systems Engineer (Clearance Required)

Sierra Space; Centennial (CO); On-site; USD 173,748 - 238,903; 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 in Centennial, Colorado is seeking a Principal Systems Engineer to lead the development and implementation of advanced system solutions. You will oversee technical milestones and champion Systems Engineering principles across projects.

The ideal candidate must have a bachelor’s degree and 15+ years of related experience, with expertise in requirements management, system architecture, and risk management. The role offers competitive compensation and a commitment to personal development.

Qualifications

• Requires a bachelor’s degree in a related field or a master’s degree with 13+ years of experience.
• Typically 15+ years of related experience.
• Ability to drive multidisciplinary system development initiatives.
• Advanced expertise in Systems Engineering principles.

Responsibilities

• Plan and drive multidisciplinary system development initiatives.
• Resolve conflicting system requirements and ensure alignment.
• Lead the derivation and management of system requirements.
• Identify and manage technical risks and contribute to improvements.

Skills

Systems Engineering

Requirements Management

System Architecture

Risk Management

Education

Bachelor's degree in a related field

Master's degree in Engineering or Physics

Tools

DOORS

CAMEO EA

Rhapsody

Matlab

SysML

Job description

About Sierra Space

At Sierra Space, we build the missions and systems that keep our world secure in the domain above Earth. We team together to safeguard our nation, sustain human presence in space, and secure freedom of operations in low Earth orbit and beyond.

About The Role

The Principal Systems Engineer leads and drives the development and implementation of advanced system solutions by providing alignment, connection, and direction to the technical team throughout the product development lifecycle. They champion the integrated whole during system development, glue segments and subsystems together through top‑down decomposition of stakeholder requirements and bottom‑up validation, oversee technical milestones, track performance measures, and identify technical risks to arrive at a compliant, cohesive system solution. The Principal Systems Engineer is a strong promoter of Systems Engineering principles and demonstrates expertise across requirements management, system architecture development, concept of operation definition, system integration, and verification. They lead teams to execute complex systems engineering scope and mentor others, contributing significantly to engineering initiatives and corporate strategy.

Key Responsibilities

Plan and drive multidisciplinary system development initiatives; architect comprehensive systems integrating multiple subsystems.

Resolve conflicting system requirements and ensure alignment with project objectives while collaborating with cross‑functional teams and subject matter experts.

Lead the derivation, decomposition, allocation, tracing, and management of system requirements and architectures; define and document system concepts of operation.

Plan, define, and lead development milestone reviews; oversee system integration and verification activities to ensure functionality and performance.

Identify and manage technical risks, develop mitigation strategies, and contribute to continuous improvement initiatives by defining and implementing corporate Systems Engineering policies and processes.

Minimum Qualifications

• Requires a bachelor’s degree in a related field (or equivalent work experience) or a master’s degree with 13+ years of experience.
• Typically 15+ years of related experience (or master’s + 13 years of experience).
• Ability to drive multidisciplinary system development initiatives and architect comprehensive systems integrating multiple subsystems.
• Advanced expertise in Systems Engineering principles and practices, and a comprehensive understanding of the systems development lifecycle.
• Robust experience across multiple system development life cycles, including requirements management, functional requirement parsing, derivation, and allocation.
• Expertise in developing systems architecture and performing system integration, verification, and validation (V&V) activities.
• Ability to contribute to corporate Systems Engineering policy and process definition and implementation.
• Demonstrated ability to work and communicate with technical and specialty subject matter experts to drive systems engineering products.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Engineering, Physics, or a related field.
• Extensive experience with requirements management and model‑based systems engineering tools and frameworks, such as DOORS, CAMEO EA, Rhapsody, Matlab, and SysML.
• Robust understanding of spacecraft systems, including hardware and software subsystems and components.
• Strong understanding of project management methodologies, including risk management and technical performance tracking.
• Robust understanding of technical baseline and configuration management.
• Proven experience in leading major projects and mentoring junior and mid‑level engineers.
• Experience or certification in INCOSE standards.
• Excellent problem‑solving skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to adapt to a fast‑paced and dynamic work environment.

Compensation

Pay range: $173,748.00 – $238,903.50. 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.

Benefits

Medical, dental, and vision plans; 401(k) with 150% match up to 6%; life insurance; 3 weeks paid time off; and more.

Elevate Your Career

We are committed to your personal and professional development and foster a vibrant culture of collaboration. We also empower you to make profound and meaningful contributions and ignite breakthrough innovations.

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.