Senior Space Chief Engineer

General Atomics; Englewood (CO); On-site; USD 141,000 - 252,000; Full time

Job summary

General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) seeks a Senior Space Chief Engineer in Englewood, CO, to lead space vehicle and mission design for bids and ongoing programs. You will shape technical approaches, guide architectures, and mentor engineers across multiple disciplines.

You will partner with capture and proposal teams to develop technical content, perform trade studies, and ensure designs meet cost, schedule, and performance requirements. A TS/SCI clearance is required.

Qualifications

• Candidates typically hold a bachelor’s, master’s or PhD in engineering or a related technical discipline with extensive experience.
• Demonstrated experience leading multi-discipline teams in the design and integration of complex space vehicles and systems.
• Deep expertise in space vehicle and mission design, including bus design, ADCS, fault management, requirements development and verification, and test strategies.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the senior technical authority for space vehicle design and mission architecture in support of captures, proposals, and program reviews.
• Lead customer-facing technical engagements to represent GA’s space vehicle design capabilities and concepts.
• Define and guide satellite bus and payload design approaches, including autonomy and fault management concepts and on-orbit operations concepts.

Skills

Space vehicle design

MBSE concepts

Proposal development

Customer communication

Education

Bachelor's/Master's/PhD in engineering or related

Tools

MBSE tools

Requirements management

Job description

Job Summary
General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) designs and manufactures first-of-a-kind electromagnetic and electric power generation systems. GA-EMS' expanding portfolio of specialized products and integrated system solutions support critical fleet, space systems and satellites, missile defense, power and energy, and process and monitoring applications for defense, industrial, and commercial customers worldwide.

Job Summary
General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) designs and manufactures first-of-a-kind electromagnetic and electric power generation systems. GA-EMS' expanding portfolio of specialized products and integrated system solutions support critical fleet, space systems and satellites, missile defense, power and energy, and process and monitoring applications for defense, industrial, and commercial customers worldwide.
We have an exciting opportunity for a Senior Space Chief Engineer within our Space Engineering Directorate. This position reports to the Director of Space Engineering and serves as a senior technical leader for space vehicle and mission design in support of business development and capture activities. The Technical Director does not have direct reports but exercises technical leadership through deep subject matter expertise, mentoring, and advising engineering staff across multiple programs.
The Technical Director is responsible for shaping and communicating the technical approach for new and emerging space missions, partnering closely with Strategic Development, Program Management, and Engineering. This includes leading the development of mission and vehicle architectures, guiding design best practices, and contributing to high quality technical and proposal content (e.g., technical volumes, design reference missions, CONOPS, and MBSE products).
This position is located in Englewood, CO.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Serve as the senior technical authority for space vehicle design and mission architecture in support of captures, proposals, and program reviews.
• Lead and participate in customer facing technical engagements (industry days, technical interchange meetings, proposal orals, and working groups) to represent GA’s space vehicle design capabilities and concepts.
• Lead recurring multi discipline design reviews and working sessions to develop and converge space vehicle and mission architectures, including cross architecture trade studies and common, interoperable design approaches across multiple mission areas.
• Provide technical leadership and mentoring to systems, mechanical, electrical, GNC, and mission design engineers on best practices in space vehicle design, integration, and test.
• Define and guide satellite bus and payload design approaches, including autonomy and fault management concepts, requirements development and verification strategies, functional and environmental test strategies, and on orbit operations concepts.
• Lead or oversee feasibility studies, trade studies, and concept exploration for new missions, including performance, cost, schedule, and risk trades.
• Partner with capture and proposal teams to develop technical and cost proposal content, including technical volumes, basis of estimate inputs, risk and opportunity assessments, and prototyping or demonstration plans.
• Ensure alignment of technical approaches with programmatic considerations and provide technical input to planning, programming, budgeting, and execution activities.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with internal stakeholders and external mission partners across Commercial, Civil, and DoD communities, and help identify and shape strategic partnerships.
  

We recognize and appreciate the value and contributions of individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences and welcome all qualified individuals to apply.
Job Qualifications

• Typically requires a bachelors degree, masters degree or PhD in engineering or a related technical discipline from an accredited institution and progressive engineering experience as follows; eighteen or more years of experience with a bachelors degree, sixteen or more years of experience with a masters degree, or thirteen or more years with a PhD. May substitute equivalent engineering experience in lieu of education.
• Demonstrated experience leading multi discipline teams in the design and integration of complex space vehicles and/or space systems of systems, from concept through design, integration, launch, and operation
• Deep expertise in space vehicle and mission design, such as:
  • Satellite bus design, including structures, power, thermal control, avionics, propulsion, and communications.
  • Attitude determination and control system (ADCS) concepts and performance analysis.
  • Autonomous on-board fault management and operational autonomy concepts.
  • Requirements development, allocation, and verification planning.
  • Environmental and functional test strategies and on-orbit checkout and operations concepts.
• Demonstrated experience in technical capture and proposal development, including authoring technical volumes, developing mission concepts and CONOPS, and supporting cost and schedule estimates.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to clearly communicate complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences, and to lead customer-facing technical discussions.
• Strong background in aerospace, mechanical, or electrical engineering, math, and/or physics.
• Experience with test, analysis, and/or experimentation of space systems or military systems, including space operations.
• Experience with Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) tools and methods for requirements, behaviors, architecture, and interface specifications.
• Must be customer focused and able to work on a self-initiated basis or in a team environment and able to work extended hours and travel as required.
• The ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret & Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) clearance is required.
  

Job Type: Full-Time Salary
Salary range: 140,940 - 252,293