Systems Engineer

AUI; Charlottesville (VA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Excellent paid time off (13 holidays,

Medical, dental and vision plans

Retirement benefit contributes 10%

Job summary

Associated Universities, Inc. (AUI) invites applications for a senior systems engineer to drive the NA ALMA program upgrade in Charlottesville, VA.

You will apply extensive systems engineering expertise across multiple ALMA projects, coordinating requirements, architecture, verification and validation, and cross‑functional teams with international partners. The role emphasizes lifecycle planning, design reviews, and seamless collaboration with scientists and engineers.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, physical science, systems engineering, or related field.
• 10+ years as a systems engineer on integrated projects.
• Experience with lifecycle planning, requirements capture, and project meetings.
• Experience across design to operations.
• Exposure to RF, electromagnetic, digital signal processing, mechanical, software, civil domains.
• Excellent verbal and written communication.
• Proactive and independent work ethic.
• Team collaboration with engineers and scientists across domains.

Responsibilities

• Oversee and participate in the implementation of systems engineering processes across the life cycle of multiple projects.
• Review and communicate system architecture, system requirements, subsystem designs, and other technical documents.
• Develop and collaborate on integration, verification and validation plans, interface control documents, and similar documents.
• Prepare and execute system reviews and assist in managing subsystem design reviews, serve as member of project controls team.
• Guide the systems engineering management processes, including configuration management, baselining, change management and document management processes and facilitate these processes across projects with our international partners.
• Participate in system integration and testing activities.

Skills

Systems engineering

Requirements management

Verification & validation

Technical communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Independent work

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering or related field

Job description

Position Description

Position Summary

The National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) is an exciting and prestigious research facility that plays a vital role in the study of the universe. The Observatory operates a variety of radio telescopes that span the globe, including the Very Large Array (VLA) in New Mexico, the Green Bank Telescope (GBT) in West Virginia, the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile, and the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA). NRAO is currently also designing the Next Generation Very Large Array (ngVLA), a transformative astronomical observatory designed to deliver science-ready data products to a broad community of users. These telescopes are among the most advanced in the world and allow astronomers to explore the universe in unprecedented detail.

The North American ALMA Support Center, located at the NRAO headquarters in Charlottesville, VA, is working with ALMA partners to upgrade the ALMA Radio Telescope located in the Chilean Andes Mountains. Already the most capable millimeter-wave telescope ever built, ALMA is currently initiating a system-wide upgrade that will substantially increase its capabilities. We are seeking an experienced systems engineer for the NA ALMA program’s responsibilities. You will have the opportunity to combine your extensive systems engineering expertise with your passion to contribute to the future of millimeter wave astronomy.

The location for this positionwill be at the NRAO HQ in Charlottesville, VA. International travel will be required ~10%.

What You Will be Doing

• Oversee and participate in the implementation of systems engineering processes across the life cycle of multiple projects across the ALMA Wideband Sensitivity Upgrade (WSU) program
• Review and communicate system architecture, system requirements, subsystem designs, and other technical documents
• Develop and collaborate on integration, verification and validation plans, interface control documents, and similar documents
• Prepare and execute system reviews and assisting in managing subsystem design reviews, serve as member of project controls team
• Guide the systems engineering management processes, including configuration management, baselining, change management and document management processes and facilitate these processes across projects with our international partners
• Participate in system integration and testing activities

Work Environment

Work is typically performed in an office or laboratory environment. Occasional domestic and international travel will be required. The position will be on-site based at the NRAO Headquarters in Charlottesville, Virginia. A hybrid position with weekly on-site presence may be considered for exceptional candidates.

Position Requirements:

• You have a bachelor's degree in engineering, physical science, systems engineering, or related field; Significant, relevant work experience may be considered in lieu of a degree
• At least 10 years working as a systems engineer in integrated projects, preferably in scientific R&D environments
• Demonstrated experience with core systems engineering principles, including requirements capture, verification and validation plans, full project lifecycle planning, and scheduling and running effective meetings with geographically dispersed teams
• Experience working across life cycle phases from design to operations
• Exposure to the following technology domains: electromagnetic, RF, digital signal processing, mechanical, software engineering and civil engineering
• Excellent verbal and written communication
• Proactive and independent work ethic
• Enthusiasm to work in a team with subject matter experts, engineers, and scientists across domains and projects

While not required, you may have:

• Experience in an application domain for the establishment of high-tech, large-scale infrastructure that is related to radio astronomy, such as radar, communication systems, or optical telescopes
• Experience working with international teams

Additional Requirement

Observatory employees must be authorized to work in the United States. The Observatory presently cannot sponsor H-1B Visas for this position.

Total Rewards

Associated Universities, Inc. (AUI) offers a comprehensive total rewards package for this position, subject to eligibility requirements. We are committed to serving our employees and their families with an extensive and competitive compensation and benefits package that supports our employees’ overall well-being and career growth.

Compensation

The starting salary of this position is between $120,000 - $140,000. AUI strives to attract and retain dedicated, highly qualified, competent, and motivated employees by offering competitive compensation and recognition for performance.

Factors which may affect starting pay may include; education, experience, skills, competencies, other qualifications of the successful candidate, as well as internal equity and labor market conditions.

Benefits

Associated Universities, Inc (AUI) offers a comprehensive benefits package addressing the needs of employees and their families with most benefits beginning on the first day of employment, subject to eligibility requirements. AUI provides:

• Excellent paid time off (13 holidays, annual accrual of up to 24 vacation days)
• Medical, dental and vision plans are effective on the first day of employment.
• AUI's retirement benefit contributes an amount equal to 10 percent of a qualified participant’s base pay with no required employee contribution.
• Click Total Rewards for more information.

Equal Opportunity Employer Statement

AUI is an equal opportunity employer. To view our complete statement, please visit https://public.nrao.edu/careers/. If you require reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, you may submit your request by sending an email to [e-mail]20