Project Systems Engineer

The Chronicle Of Higher Education, Inc.; Boulder (CO); On-site; USD 176,000 - 229,000; Full time

Job summary

LASP at the University of Colorado Boulder is seeking a Project System Engineer to provide technical leadership for a NASA heliophysics flight mission from formulation through launch and operations.

You will lead multidisciplinary engineering teams, establish the systems engineering organization, guide mission architecture, and ensure technical coherence across payloads, spacecraft, and ground systems.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated engineering leadership in SE for space missions.
• At least 15 years of progressively responsible aerospace systems engineering experience.
• BS or higher in engineering, physics, mathematics, or related field.

Responsibilities

• Lead systems engineering processes from formulation through operations.
• Establish and lead LASP Systems Engineering organization.
• Coordinate with project leadership and external spacecraft partner.

Skills

Engineering leadership

Systems engineering

Project leadership

Education

BS or higher in engineering/physics/maths

Tools

DOORSNext

Job description

Job Summary

Lead the systems engineering of concept formulation throughflight.

An upcoming NASA heliophysics mission answers outstanding questionsregarding the origins of ionosphere-thermosphere variability.Specifically, it pursues understanding of how Earth weatherinfluences Space weather through the propagation of dynamics onmultiple temporal and spatial scales under quiet and active solarconditions.

The Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) is seekingan accomplished Project System Engineer (PSE) to provide technicalleadership for this mission as well as future programs. As the leadsystems engineer for the entire mission, you will work with projectleadership to shape the technical direction of the program fromearly formulation through launch and mission operations.

This is a rare opportunity to influence every aspect of a flightmission while working alongside internationally recognizedscientists, engineers, and mission partners. You will leadmultidisciplinary engineering teams, establish the project'ssystems engineering organization, guide mission architecture, andensure technical coherence across all aspects of the missionincluding payloads, spacecraft, ground systems, mission operations,to meet science objectives.

This mission is being implemented through a partnership in whichthe spacecraft bus is provided by an external institution. AsProject Systems Engineer, you will provide technical leadership forthe spacecraft acquisition effort, ensuring contractordeliverables, interfaces, technical performance, and missionintegration satisfy project objectives while maintaining acollaborative relationship with our mission partner.

Successful candidates thrive in technically challengingenvironments, make sound engineering decisions with incompleteinformation, and know how to balance mission performance, cost,schedule, and risk to enable exceptional science.

CU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with allapplicable federal, state, and local laws governingnondiscrimination in employment. We are committed to creating aworkplace where all individuals are treated with respect anddignity, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds toapply, including protected veterans and individuals withdisabilities.

Who We Are

LASP combines the agility of a university laboratory with thetechnical capability of a premier space mission organization.Engineers work directly alongside scientists, students, and missionoperators, allowing technical decisions to move quickly whilemaintaining scientific excellence.

As part of the University of Colorado Boulder (CU), LASP began in1948 and is a world-recognized space science research institutethat implements the full life cycle of science missions from thedefinition of the science questions through the development ofspace flight hardware and the subsequent mission operations. We arethe only research institute in the world to have sent scienceinstruments to all eight planets, Pluto, and beyond the solarsystem.

LASP combines all aspects of space exploration through ourexpertise in science, engineering, mission operations, andscientific data analysis. As part of CU, LASP also works to educateand train the next generation of space scientists, engineers andmission operators by integrating undergraduate and graduatestudents into working teams. Our students take their uniqueexperiences with them into government or industry or remain inacademia to continue the cycle of exploration.

What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be

As the lead SE for the mission, you will work with the projectleadership and become the technical conscience of the project,ensuring that engineering decisions made across dozens ofdisciplines remain aligned with the mission's scientificobjectives. You will serve as a technical leader within the SystemsEngineering organization by mentoring early-career engineers,shaping systems engineering practices for the project, and makingmission-level technical decisions related to the successfuldelivery of mission elements capable of meeting scienceobjectives.

Technical Leadership

• Serve as the primary technical authority for the mission,influencing mission architecture, technical strategy, risk posture,and engineering decisions throughout the project lifecycle.
• Establish and lead the project's Systems Engineeringorganization, including mentoring, recruiting, and developingsystems engineers across the mission.
• Provide technical leadership to multidisciplinary engineeringteams spanning payloads, spacecraft, ground systems, missionoperations, science, software, and specialty engineeringdisciplines.
• Foster a collaborative engineering culture emphasizingtechnical excellence, sound engineering judgment, and efficientsystems engineering practices.

Mission Architecture

• Define and evolve the mission architecture while establishingthe project’s long-term technical vision.
• Own development and maintenance of mission requirements.
• Guide mission-level trade studies balancing science return,technical risk, schedule, and cost.
• Direct development of the Systems Engineering Management Plan,verification strategy, and Concept of Operations.
• Lead major technical reviews throughout the projectlifecycle.
• Establish the project’s technical governance anddecision-making framework.

Spacecraft Partner Oversight

• Provide technical oversight of the externally procuredspacecraft throughout design, development, integration, andacceptance.
• Lead technical interactions with the spacecraft provider toensure contractual technical requirements are satisfied.
• Resolve cross-organizational technical issues while maintainingproductive relationships with mission partners.
• Direct interface definition and verification betweenspacecraft, payloads, and ground systems.
• Lead technical engagement with the spacecraft provider,ensuring mission objectives, interface definitions, verificationactivities, and technical performance remain aligned throughoutdevelopment.

Mission Integration

• Ensure technical consistency across payload, spacecraft, launchvehicle, ground system, and mission operations.
• Manage technical resources, margins, and performance throughoutdevelopment.
• Lead integrated risk management and anomaly resolutionactivities.
• Oversee mission verification planning and end-to-endvalidation.
• Oversee successful delivery of mission data from on-orbitacquisition through science data processing.
• Perform other related duties as assigned in support of missionobjectives and project success.

What Success Looks Like

• Deliver a mission architecture that enables world-class sciencewhile balancing performance, cost, schedule, and risk.
• Enable outstanding technical collaboration across LASP andpartner organizations.
• Make informed engineering decisions that appropriately balanceperformance, risk, cost, and schedule.

What You Should Know

• Due to requirements to access export-controlled data andinformation, only U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents (greencard holders), or other protected individuals (i.e., personsdesignated as an asylee, refugee, or temporary resident underamnesty provisions) may apply.
• International travel will be required.
• Relocation assistance may be available for this position.

What We Can Offer

$176,359.91-$229,394.91 per year.

Benefits

At the University of Colorado Boulder , we are committed to supporting the holistic health and well-being of our employees. Our comprehensive benefits package includes medical,dental, and retirement plans; generous paid time off; tuitionassistance for you and your dependents; and an ECO Pass for localtransit. As one of Boulder County’s largest employers, CU Boulder offers an inspiring academic community and access to world-classoutdoor recreation. Explore additional perks and programs through the CU Advantage program.

Be Statements

Be ambitious. Be groundbreaking. Be Boulder.

What We Require

• Demonstrated engineering leadership in systems engineeringprocesses for significant space mission developments.
• At least 15 years of progressively responsible aerospacesystems engineering experience.
• BS or higher degree in engineering, physics, mathematics, or arelated technical field from an accredited institution.
• Strong technical background in another engineeringdiscipline.
• Demonstrated experience serving as Mission Systems Engineer,Project Systems Engineer, Lead Systems Engineer, Chief Engineer, orequivalent technical leadership role.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary engineering teams oncomplex aerospace development programs.
• Demonstrated engineering judgment to tailor systems engineeringprocesses while maintaining technical rigor.
• Onsite presence is required

What You Will Need

• Knowledge of the complete space mission lifecycle and hands-onexperience at every point in that lifecycle (not necessarily on thesame mission).
• Demonstrated success delivering spacecraft, instruments, orcomplete missions from formulation through operations.
• Experience leading NASA Class C or Class D flightprojects.
• Experience managing technical interfaces with externalspacecraft providers.
• Experience leading Phase A/B mission formulation.
• Experience leading major technical reviews (SRR, SDR, PDR, CDR,SIR, ORR).
• Familiarity with NASA requirements and mission assurancepractices.
• Understanding of scientific data systems and space sciencemissions.

What We Would Like You to Have

• Experience on LEO missions
• Experience developing remote sensing instruments, spacecraft,and space missions
• Knowledge of IBM Engineering Requirements Management DOORSNext
• An understanding of the difference between academic andcommercial aerospace environments
• An awareness of the methods of scientific data analysis
• Significant experience on NASA Science Mission Directorateprojects

In compliance with the Colorado Job Application Fairness Act, inany materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifyinginformation such as age, date of birth, or dates of schoolattendance or graduation. You will not be penalized for redactingor removing this information.