Senior Spacecraft Systems Engineer - Optical Comms

CesiumAstro; Westminster (MD); On-site; USD 134,000 - 161,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Health/dental/vision coverage

HSA/FSA benefits

Retirement plan

Job summary

CesiumAstro in Westminster, MD is seeking a Senior Spacecraft Systems Engineer – Optical Communications to lead the systems engineering lifecycle and translate mission objectives into robust technical solutions. You’ll drive interface definitions between payloads and the space vehicle, and guide architecture decisions in a multidisciplinary environment.

You will collaborate with software, hardware, mechanical, electrical, and program management teams to ensure performance, cost, and schedule

Qualifications

• Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD in a related technical discipline with relevant experience.
• Strong knowledge of systems engineering principles and lifecycle.
• Experience developing, managing, and verifying system requirements.
• Knowledge of architecture, interface management, systems integration, and configuration management.
• Understanding verification, validation, and systems integration processes.
• Ability to interpret customer requirements and CONOPS to develop engineering solutions.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and requirements tools.

Responsibilities

• Analyze customer, mission, and system-level requirements and decompose them into verifiable system and subsystem requirements.
• Define hardware and software interfaces between optical payloads and the space vehicle.
• Research optical communication payloads and conduct source selection.
• Maintain end-to-end traceability of requirements, architecture, and CONOPS.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to refine requirements for feasibility and manufacturability.
• Develop verification strategies and plans for system-level verification.

Skills

Systems engineering

Requirements management

MBSE tools

Interface management

Documentation

Analytical skills

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in a related technical discipline

Master’s degree preferred

PhD in a related technical discipline (optional)

Tools

Jama

IBM DOORS

CATIA Magic

Cameo

MagicDraw

Git

GitLab

Bitbucket

Jira

Confluence

SharePoint

Visio

MS Office

Job description

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Please Note:

To conform with the United States Government Space Technology Export Regulations, the applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., conditional resident, asylee or refugee (protected individuals as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

At CesiumAstro , we are developers and pioneers of out-of-the-box communication systems for satellites, UAVs, launch vehicles, and other space and airborne platforms. We take pride in our dynamic and cross-functional work environment, which allows us to learn, develop, and engage across our organization. If you are looking for hands-on, interactive, and autonomous work, CesiumAstro is the place for you. We are actively seeking passionate, collaborative, energetic, and forward-thinking individuals to join our team.

The Senior Spacecraft Systems Engineer – Optical Comms is responsible for leading the systems engineering activities required to define, develop, integrate, verify, and support complex aerospace systems throughout the product lifecycle. This role translates mission objectives, customer requirements, and system architecture into technical solutions that enable successful system integration and mission execution.

Working within a multidisciplinary engineering environment, the Senior Systems Engineer collaborates with software, hardware, mechanical, electrical, manufacturing, integration and test, mission operations, and program management teams to ensure systems meet technical, operational, cost, and schedule objectives. This role provides technical leadership from concept development through design, integration, verification, launch, and operational support while contributing to technical decision-making and risk management.

ESSENTIAL ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Systems Engineering & Architecture

• Analyze customer, mission, and system-level requirements and decompose them into clear, verifiable system and subsystem requirements.
• Establish clear definitions for all hardware and software interfaces between optical communication payloads and the space vehicle
• Research commercially available optical communication payloads and conduct source selection
• Serve as primary technical contact with vendors through the full program lifecycleEnsure requirements maintain end-to-end traceability to customer requirements, system architecture, and Concept of Operations (CONOPS).
• Define and manage hardware, software, electrical, mechanical, and data interfaces between system elements.
• Collaborate with cross-functional engineering teams to refine requirements for completeness, feasibility, technical accuracy, and manufacturability.
• Support requirements management, configuration management, baseline control, and engineering change activities.
• Identify technical risks, requirement gaps, ambiguities, and design issues early in the development lifecycle.
• Support system architecture development, technical trade studies, and engineering analyses to evaluate design alternatives and optimize system performance.

Verification, Validation & Integration

• Develop system verification and validation strategies, including verification methods (test, analysis, demonstration, and inspection), acceptance criteria, and verification levels aligned with program requirements.
• Define verification configurations, including hardware, software, firmware, and test environments required to support verification activities.
• Develop and maintain verification documentation, verification cross-reference matrices (VCRM), requirements traceability matrices, and verification evidence packages.
• Partner with Integration & Test teams to plan, coordinate, and support system integration and verification activities.
• Evaluate test results, resolve technical discrepancies, and support corrective actions to ensure compliance with system requirements.

Technical Leadership & Program Execution

• Support technical planning, Program Increment (PI) planning, staffing assessments, and engineering execution activities.
• Prioritize systems engineering activities to meet technical, cost, schedule, and program milestones.
• Participate in technical reviews, design reviews, customer meetings, and engineering milestone activities.
• Mentor junior engineers on systems engineering best practices, requirements development, traceability, verification, and technical documentation.
• Drive continuous improvement of engineering processes, systems engineering rigor, and technical documentation.
• Collaborate across multidisciplinary engineering teams to support successful program execution.
• Perform additional duties and responsibilities as assigned.

JOB REQUIREMENTS AND MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Physics, or a related technical discipline with typically 5–8 years of relevant experience; Master’s degree in a related technical discipline with typically 3–6 years of relevant experience; or PhD in a related technical discipline with typically 0–3 years of relevant experience.

• Strong knowledge of systems engineering principles and the systems development lifecycle.

• Experience developing, managing, and verifying system and subsystem requirements.

• Knowledge of systems architecture, interface management, systems integration, and configuration management.

• Understanding verification, validation, and systems integration processes.

• Ability to interpret customer requirements, Concept of Operations (CONOPS), and technical specifications to develop engineering solutions.

• Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio)

• Requirements Management tools (Jama, IBM DOORS, or similar)

• Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) tools (CATIA Magic/Cameo, MagicDraw, or similar)

• Systems modeling and simulation tools

• Collaboration platforms (Confluence, SharePoint, or similar)

• Configuration management and version control tools (Git, GitLab, Bitbucket, or similar)

• Issue tracking tools (Jira or similar)

• Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and problem-solving skills.

• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.

• Effective written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.

• Ability to collaborate effectively within multidisciplinary engineering teams.

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE

• Familiarity with spacecraft mission planning, launch support, and on-orbit operations.
• Experience supporting spacecraft system integration, mission readiness, and operational activities.
• Experience supporting aerospace, defense, or other highly regulated engineering programs.

$133,908 - $160,991 a year

CesiumAstro considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the role and associated responsibilities, a candidate’s work experience, education/training, and key skills. Full-time employment offers include company stock options and a generous benefits package including health, dental, vision, HSA, FSA, life, disability and retirement plans.

CesiumAstro is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard torace, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected Veteran Status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Please note: CesiumAstro does not accept unsolicited resumes from contract agencies or search firms. Any unsolicited resumes submitted to our website or to CesiumAstro team members will be considered property of CesiumAstro, and we will not be obligated to pay any referral fees.