Spacecraft Operations Systems Engineer III

sierraspace; Louisville (CO); On-site; USD 119,000 - 164,000; Full time

Job summary

Sierra Space is seeking a Systems Engineer III to drive the development and integration of advanced system solutions across the product lifecycle. You will align stakeholders, decompose requirements, and ensure traceability from concept through verification.

You will lead cross‑functional collaboration, manage risks, and support milestone reviews with artifacts and plans, helping deliver cohesive space systems for mission success.

Qualifications

• Requires Bachelor's degree in a related field or equivalent experience.
• Typically 5+ years of related experience, or Masters + 3 years.
• Experience in systems engineering lifecycle and requirements management.
• Knowledge of requirements parsing, derivation, and allocation.

Responsibilities

• Specify, architect, and integrate complex system solutions with cross‑functional teams.
• Derive, decompose, allocate, trace, and manage system requirements and architectures.
• Define and document system concepts of operation and verification plans.
• Support milestone reviews with artifacts and deliverables; oversee integration and verification activities.
• Identify technical risks and develop mitigation strategies for cohesive system solutions.

Skills

Requirements management

System architecture

Systems engineering

Traceability

V&V principles

Stakeholder collaboration

Leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Master’s degree (preferred)

Tools

DOORS

CAMEO EA

Rhapsody

MATLAB

SysML

Job description

Sierra Space Careers:

At Sierra Space, we build the missions and systems that keep our world secure in the domain above Earth.

Sierra Space team members share a spirit of innovation and collaboration and a belief that we can deliver on the boldest missions in space today. Together with our customers, we aim to safeguard our nation, sustain human presence in space, and secure the freedom of operations in low Earth orbit and beyond.

Our success is measured by the trust of those who rely on what we build and deliver, and our technologies keep the United States and its allies mission-ready throughout space.

We are mission-driven, and together, we are an extraordinary team.

About the Role

The Systems Engineer III contributes to the development and implementation of advanced system solutions by providing alignment, connection and direction to the technical team throughout the product development lifecycle. The Systems Engineer III represents the viewpoint of the integrated whole during system development and works to glue segments and subsystems together via top‑down decomposition of stakeholder requirements, traceability through development artifacts, and bottom‑up validation and verification of the system. They help to shepherd the team through technical development milestones, track performance measures and identify technical risks to arrive at a compliant and cohesive system solution. The Systems Engineer III is an emerging leader in Systems Engineering principles and is proficient in the majority of systems engineering skills including requirements management, system architecture development, concept of operation definition, system integration and system verification. The Systems Engineer III may lead small teams to execute systems engineering scope.

In this role, you will specify, architect, and integrate complex system solutions while collaborating with cross‑functional teams and subject matter experts to understand project requirements and objectives. You will derive, decompose, allocate, trace, and manage system requirements and architectures, as well as define and document system concepts of operation. Supporting development milestone reviews by creating artifacts and deliverables will be a key responsibility, alongside overseeing system integration and verification activities to ensure system functionality and performance. You will identify and manage technical risks, develop mitigation strategies, and contribute to continuous improvement initiatives by identifying areas for enhancement. Adhering to established engineering processes and standards will be essential, and you will communicate effectively with team members and stakeholders to ensure project alignment and successful execution.

About You

Our mission is driven by an unyielding commitment to advancing space‑based technology in service of our customers and safeguarding national security. We seek individuals who are passionate about innovating beyond boundaries and relentlessly pursuing solutions that protect, preserve and empower - to join us in this critical mission.

We're looking for team members who align with our values, mission and goals - while also meeting the minimum qualifications below. The preferred qualifications are a bonus, not a requirement.

Minimum Qualifications

• Requires Bachelor's degree in a related field (or equivalent work experience in lieu of degree or Masters +3 yrs experience).
• Typically 5+ years of related experience (or Masters + 3 years of experience).
• Emerging expertise in Systems Engineering principles and practices, including a thorough understanding of the systems development lifecycle.
• Knowledge of requirements management, functional requirements parsing, derivation, and allocation.
• Knowledge of systems architecture, systems integration, and Verification and Validation (V&V) principles.
• Emerging ability to work and communicate with technical and specialty subject matter expert engineers to drive systems engineering products.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in Engineering, Physics, or a related field.
• Robust experience with Requirements Management and Model Based Systems Engineering tools and frameworks, such as DOORS, CAMEO EA, Rhapsody, Matlab, and SysML.
• Solid understanding of spacecraft systems, including hardware and software subsystems and components.
• Solid understanding of project management methodologies including risk management and technical performance tracking.
• Solid understanding of technical baseline and configuration management.
• Experience in leading projects and mentoring junior engineers.
• Experience or certification in INCOSE standards.
• Excellent problem‑solving skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to adapt to a fast‑paced and dynamic work environment.

Compensation :

Pay Range:

$119,064.00 - $163,713.00

Your actual base compensation will be determined on a case-case basis and may vary based on job-related knowledge and skills, education, experience, internal equity and