Systems Engineer III

Talent Stack; Aurora (CO); On-site; USD 160,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) retirement plan

Paid time off and holidays

Life and disability insurance

Job summary

Talent Stack is seeking a Systems Engineer III – Product Owner for a defense and aerospace client in the United States. The role blends systems engineering with Agile product ownership to own the vision, roadmap, and execution of a critical ground software capability.

The candidate will translate mission requirements into actionable engineering priorities, align stakeholders, and drive delivery within a SAFe Agile environment, engaging with Product Manager, Chief Engineer, and customers.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in STEM or related technical discipline.
• 5+ years of professional experience.
• Experience as Product Owner/Technical Lead in Agile development.
• Active and transferable TS/SCI clearance; U.S. citizenship.

Responsibilities

• Define product vision, strategy, and roadmap for a ground system component.
• Align engineering teams, leadership, customers, and stakeholders on priorities.
• Plan and execute PIs within SAFe Agile environment.
• Translate requirements into technical requirements, designs, stories, and acceptance criteria.
• Manage and prioritize the team backlog balancing new features, debt, risks, and commitments.
• Lead readiness reviews, design reviews, and technical demonstrations.
• Develop and communicate technical documentation and product strategies.
• Support requirements management, interface definition, risk management, integration, testing, and delivery.
• Collaborate across systems engineering, software, integration, and test teams.

Skills

Product ownership

SAFe Agile

Technical leadership

Stakeholder alignment

Agile practices

Jira

Confluence

CI/CD

Education

Bachelor’s degree in STEM or related technical discipline

Tools

Jira

Confluence

CI/CD

Job description

Systems Engineer III – Product Owner | Satellite Ground Systems

Salary Range: $160,000–$200,000

Clearance: Active and transferable TS/SCI required

About the Opportunity

Talent Stack is recruiting a Senior Systems Engineer – Product Owner on behalf of a defense and aerospace client supporting a mission-critical satellite ground systems program.

This role combines systems engineering, technical leadership, and Agile product ownership. You will own the vision, strategy, roadmap, and execution of a critical ground software capability while working closely with the Product Manager, Chief Engineer, customers, and multidisciplinary engineering teams.

The ideal candidate is a technically strong Systems Engineer who can translate complex mission requirements into actionable engineering priorities, align stakeholders, and drive delivery within a SAFe Agile environment.

What You’ll Do

• Own and communicate the product vision, strategy, and roadmap for a key ground system component
• Align engineering teams, program leadership, customers, and stakeholders around product priorities and technical objectives
• Partner with the Scrum Master and engineering teams to plan and execute Program Increments (PIs) within a SAFe Agile environment
• Translate customer requirements, mission objectives, and operational concepts into technical requirements, system designs, user stories, and acceptance criteria
• Manage and prioritize the team backlog, balancing new capabilities, technical debt, technical risks, and program commitments
• Lead readiness reviews, design reviews, demonstrations, and technical presentations
• Develop and communicate technical documentation, implementation guidance, and product strategies
• Support requirements management, interface definition, technical risk management, integration, testing, and delivery
• Collaborate across systems engineering, software development, integration, and test teams

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM), or a related technical discipline
• 5+ years of relevant professional experience. Internships, co-ops, academic projects, and other non-professional experience do not count toward the required years of experience.
• Experience serving as a Product Owner, Product Manager, Technical Lead, or comparable technical leadership role within an Agile development environment
• Experience with satellite ground systems, mission operations, or systems engineering
• Experience with systems engineering activities including:
• Requirements management
• Technical risk management
• Experience using Agile collaboration and development tools such as Jira and Confluence
• Familiarity with DevSecOps practices and CI/CD environments
• Active and transferable U.S. government-issued TS/SCI security clearance required prior to start
• U.S. Citizenship required due to government security-clearance requirements

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience leading multidisciplinary engineering teams across systems, software, integration, and test
• Experience with automated testing and software factory tools such as Cucumber, Gherkin, and Zephyr
• Software development experience using Java, C++, Python, or a similar programming language
• Experience developing, integrating, or operating satellite ground systems

Eligible employees may have access to a comprehensive benefits package, including:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) retirement plan options
• Paid time off and paid holidays
• Life and disability insurance
• Employee assistance and wellness programs
• Professional development and career-growth opportunities

Why Join?

This is an opportunity to take ownership of a mission-critical technical product while directly influencing engineering priorities and system direction.

You will work alongside experienced systems and software engineers, interact with customers and senior program leadership, and help deliver advanced ground system capabilities supporting critical national security missions.

The anticipated salary range for this position is $160,000–$200,000, based on experience, qualifications, and other business considerations.

Talent Stack is an independent recruiting partner representing this opportunity on behalf of a confidential client.