Satellite Lead Mission Engineer

Saic; Chantilly (VA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

SAIC seeks a Satellite Lead Mission Engineer for its Chantilly, VA team, supporting defense and intelligence programs. In this role, you will lead technical teams in a state-of-the-art space program throughout the system lifecycle.

You'll collaborate with government managers, oversee mission-level development, and report progress and risks. Applicants should have a Bachelor's in a relevant field with 5+ years of experience plus active TS/SCI clearance. Join us to shape the future of space technology!

Qualifications

• 5+ years of expertise working as a senior system engineer on large satellite programs.
• Expert-level experience in spacecraft integration, test, check-out and launch preparation.
• Strong organizational skills for coordinating technical exchanges across time zones.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the technical focal point for system development.
• Advise on mission performance, schedule, and costs.
• Liaise with factory representatives and engineers.
• Track system/mission development progress in meetings.

Skills

Active TS/SCI clearance

Senior system engineering

Spacecraft integration

Excellent organizational skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in a relevant field

Master's degree with 12 years of experience

Job description

Description

SAIC’s Air Force, Space and Intelligence Business Group is growing and looking for innovative, mission-driven professionals to help us advance cutting-edge space capabilities for our Department of Defense (DoD) and Intelligence Community (IC) customers. Embark on a rewarding career just ten miles from SAIC headquarters, as part of our Chantilly, VA team supporting essential programs in systems development, targeting & intelligence analysis, systems engineering & integration, and beyond.

We are seeking a Satellite Lead Mission Engineer to serve as a team member on a state-of-the-art space program that continuously operates in all phases of the system lifecycle. In this SETA role, you partner with the Government and SETA Program Manager serving as the Mission Engineer responsible for orchestrating a proven technical team of system engineers and subject matter experts. Over the next year the mission completes unit and subsystem assembly, then begins system-level integration and test.

Key Responsibilities

In this highly collaborative and technically complex position, you will:

• Serve as the Government Program Office’s technical focal point for system and mission-level development through Assembly, Integration and Test (AI&T).
• Partner with the Government and SETA Program Managers for the mission to advise on mission performance, schedule, and costs.
• Liaise with SETA factory representatives located in Developer factories to track progress and mitigate associated risks.
• Partner with Developer engineers and technicians to establish a trusted relationship of sharing data and win-win ideas that benefit the program.
• Liaise with SETA Subject Matter Experts (SME) to analyze integration activities and test results.
• Proactively report risks and issues that could result in reduced mission performance, requirement verification shortfalls, or schedule slips impacting launch schedules.
• Track and report system/mission development progress in weekly Mission-level, Enterprise-level, and System-level meetings held by the Government Program Office.

Qualifications

To excel in this role, you must possess:

• Active TS/SCI clearance.
• 5+ years of expertise working as a senior system engineer with leadership roles on a large and complex satellite program.
• Expert-level system engineering experience, particularly in spacecraft integration, test, check-out and launch preparation.
• Excellent organizational skills capable of orchestrating technical exchanges with system engineers distributed across multiple locations and time zones to proactively elevate technical status information to decision-makers.
• A Bachelor's degree in a relevant field with 14 years of experience, or a Master's degree with 12 years of experience.

Desired Qualifications

Additional qualifications that set you apart include:

• Experience supporting or servicing as a Program Manager for a satellite subsystem or unit responsible for mitigating schedule risks.
• Experience in a Satellite AI&T lead technical role at the system, subsystem, or unit level.

Why Join SAIC?

At SAIC, we empower employees to innovate, solve complex challenges, and deliver precise solutions. Join us in shaping the future of space technology and supporting some of the nation’s most vital intelligence and defense initiatives. Apply today to become part of a high-caliber team driving forward our country’s space and intelligence capabilities.