Sr Systems Engineer - Satellite Ground Systems (Clearance Required)

Sierra Space; Centennial (CO); On-site; USD 143,700 - 197,608; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision plans

401(k) with 150% match up to 6%

Life insurance

3 weeks paid time off

Job summary

Sierra Space in Centennial, Colorado is seeking a Sr Systems Engineer to drive the development of advanced system solutions. You will lead cross-functional teams in specifying, architecting, and integrating complex systems. A minimum of 10 years of experience and an active Secret U.S. Security Clearance are prerequisites for this role.

The position offers a competitive salary range of $143,700.00 - $197,608.50 and includes a comprehensive benefits package with medical, dental, and 401(k) matching.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of related experience in Systems Engineering.
• Active Secret U.S. Security Clearance required.
• Extensive experience in systems development lifecycle.

Responsibilities

• Lead specification and architecting of complex system solutions.
• Oversee system requirements and documentation.
• Identify and manage technical risks and contribute to improvement initiatives.

Skills

Systems Engineering principles

Requirements management

Systems architecture

Integration and verification

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in related field or equivalent experience

Master's degree (preferred)

Tools

MBSE tools (CAMEO EA, Rhapsody, SysML)

DOORS

Job description

About the Role

The Sr Systems Engineer 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 Sr Systems Engineer champions 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 shepherd the team through technical development milestones, track performance measures and identify technical risks to arrive at a compliant and cohesive system solution. The Sr Systems Engineer is a promoter of Systems Engineering principles and has expertise across the major systems engineering skills including requirements management, system architecture development, concept of operation definition, system integration and system verification. The Sr Systems Engineer leads teams to execute systems engineering scope and helps to develop systems thinking in others.

Responsibilities

In this role, you will lead the specification, architecting, and integration of complex system solutions while collaborating with cross‑functional teams and subject matter experts to understand project requirements and objectives. You will oversee the derivation, decomposition, allocation, tracing, and management of system requirements and architectures, as well as define and document system concepts of operation. Leading 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

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 master’s +8 yrs experience).
• Typically, 10+ years of related experience (or master’s + 8 years of experience).
• Demonstrated expertise in Systems Engineering principles and practices, including a comprehensive understanding of the systems development lifecycle.
• Progressive experience across the system development lifecycle, including requirements management, functional requirements parsing, derivation, and allocation.
• Progressive experience developing systems architecture and performing systems integration, verification, and validation (V&V) activities.
• Demonstrated ability to work and communicate with technical and specialty subject matter expert engineers to drive systems engineering products.
• An active Secret U.S. Security Clearance is required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in engineering, Physics, or a related field.
• Extensive experience with Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) tools and frameworks, such as CAMEO EA, Rhapsody, SysML, DOORS, and requirements management platforms.
• Strong understanding of ground systems architecture, including command and control, data processing, and telemetry subsystems.
• Experience deploying and integrating mission systems into large‑scale, proliferated ground infrastructures and operational command networks.
• Proven expertise in developing and executing comprehensive end‑to‑end test plans, including system integration testing, interface verification, and operational scenario validation.
• Familiarity with ground system interfaces, data architectures, and operational workflows for satellite command and control.
• Background in software systems engineering and integration test (SW SEIT) for complex ground systems.
• Knowledge of Agile and Dev Sec Ops methodologies for ground software development and deployment.

Compensation

$143,700.00 - $197,608.50

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

IMPORTANT NOTICE

This position requires current/active Secret U.S. Security Clearance. U.S. Citizenship status is required as this position needs an active U.S. Security Clearance for employment. Non‑U.S. Citizens may not be eligible to obtain a security clearance. The Department of Defense Consolidated Adjudications Facility (DoD CAF), a federal government agency, handles the adjudicative aspects of the security clearance eligibility process for industry applicants. Adjudicative factors which affect the outcome of the eligibility determination include, but are not limited to, allegiance to the U.S., foreign influence, foreign preference, criminal conduct, security violations and illegal drug use.

Benefits

We also offer a generous benefit package, including medical, dental, and vision plans, 401(k) with 150% match up to 6%, life insurance, 3 weeks paid time off, and more.

Application Deadline

This role will remain posted until a qualified pool of candidates is identified.

Equal Opportunity Employment

Sierra Space Corporation is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need special assistance or a reasonable accommodation related to applying for employment with Sierra Space or at any stage of the recruitment process, please contact us.