Senior Satellite Bus Engineer

Systems Technology Forum

El Segundo (CA)

On-site

USD 149,000 - 182,000

Full time

6 days ago

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Benefits offered by this job

Medical Plans

Vision/Dental Benefits

401(k) Plan

Paid Holidays

Paid Time Off

Professional Development

Tuition Assistance

Life Insurance

Voluntary Benefits

Job summary

Systems Technology Forum LTD (STF) seeks a Senior Satellite Bus Engineer to support the MUOS program in El Segundo, CA. You will guide design, development, integration, and testing of satellite bus/subsystems to ensure system-level performance for new narrowband satellites.

This is a highly technical role requiring hands-on hardware expertise. The ideal candidate has 10+ years in spacecraft hardware engineering, experience with payload and bus systems, MIL-STD/DoD requirements, and strong

Qualifications

Minimum 10 years of direct spacecraft hardware engineering experience (power, RF, propulsion, structures) in bus design, manufacturing, and assembly.
Experience in payload and bus system design, integration, and testing.
Familiarity with MIL-STD and DoD space/ground system requirements.
Strong analytical, communication, and technical documentation skills.
Experience in technical risk management.
Must live within local commuting distance of El Segundo, CA; periodic travel to San Diego.

Responsibilities

Serve as on-site technical plant representative at the vendor facility 2–3 days per week.
Provide senior-level spacecraft bus engineering support for MUOS spacecraft.
Lead/design, analyze, integrate, and test bus and subsystems (power, thermal, structure, attitude control, guidance, propulsion, data handling).
Support requirements development, allocation, verification, and validation.
Coordinate with payload/mission management/SSC teams for bus-payload test and integration; identify and mitigate risks.
Conduct trade studies, risk evaluations, and technical assessments for space systems decisions.
Prepare and update technical documentation including specs, ICDs, test plans, and reports.
Participate in program reviews and on-orbit readiness tasks.
Interface with vendor teams to ensure design alignment and resolve discrepancies.

Skills

Spacecraft bus design

Payload integration

MIL-STD/DoD requirements

Technical documentation

Risk management

Analytical thinking

Communication

On-site readiness

Education

Bachelors in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or Electrical Engineering

Job description

Security Clearance Required

Company Overview

Systems Technology Forum LTD (STF) is an established industry partner with a passion for exceptional performance and an unwavering commitment to our clients. As a premier provider of management, engineering, information technology, and logistics services, STF is committed to delivering high-quality systems engineering, technical and professional support services that meet and exceed deliverable requirements.

STF offers superior out-of-the-box solutions to end-to-end problems and customer-centric support to the United States Government, Military, Department of Defense (DoD), and other federal agencies.

Job Summary

STF is seeking a Senior Satellite Bus Engineer to support the Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) program within Space Systems Command located in El Segundo, CA. In this role, you will help guide the design, development, integration, and testing of the satellite bus and subsystems, ensuring system‑level performance for the new mission‑critical narrowband Satellites. The ideal candidate has strong spacecraft bus engineering expertise and experience supporting Department of War (DoW) space programs. This is a highly technical, hands‑on engineering role requiring deep, subsystem‑level spacecraft hardware expertise rather than program or project management experience.

Responsibilities and Duties

Serve as the primary, on‑site technical plant representative at the vendor manufacturing facility for 2–3 days per week, providing direct, hands‑on engineering oversight of satellite design, assembly, integration, and testing activities.
Provide senior‑level spacecraft bus engineering support for new MUOS spacecraft.
Lead or contribute to the design, analysis, integration, and testing of satellite bus and subsystems, including power, thermal, structure, attitude control, guidance and navigation, propulsion, and command/data handling systems.
Support system engineering activities such as requirements development, allocation, verification, and validation.
Coordinate with payload, mission management, and SSC engineering teams to ensure seamless bus‑payload test and integration activities, including spacecraft risk identification and mitigation.
Conduct trade studies, assessments, and risk evaluations to support critical technical decisions related to space systems .
Prepare, review, and update technical documentation including specifications, ICDs, technicalreports, and test plans.
Participate in key program reviews (e.g. SRRs, PDRs, CDRs, TRRs, LRRs) and support on‑orbit readiness review tasks.
Interface with the spacecraft vendor and ground segment vendor to verify design alignment with program requirements, track compliance throughout development, and resolve technical discrepancies that could impact system performance.
Mentor junior engineers and contribute to a collaborative engineering environment.

Qualifications and Skills

Required knowledge and years of experience

Minimum 10 years of direct spacecraft hardware engineering experience (e.g. Power, RF, Propulsion, and/or Structures) in satellite bus design, manufacturing, and assembly.
Demonstrated technical experiencein payload and bus system design, integration, and testing.
Familiarity with MIL‑STD and DoD space and ground system requirements.
Strong analytical, communication, and technical documentation skills.
Experience in technical risk management.
Must live within local commuting distance of El Segundo, CA to conduct business at the spacecraft vendor’s manufacturing facilities. Periodic travel to San Diego will be required.

Education Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical discipline.

Clearance Requirement

TS/SCI clearance.

Salary

The minimum salary starts at $165,000 and the max is negotiable based on experience

Benefits and Perks

At STF, we recognize that talented employees are the foundation of our success.STF provides benefits and compensation packages to help our employees meet the diverse and changing needs throughout their careers and lives.

Benefits packages include the following: