Systems Engineer, Requirements & Interfaces

SES Space & Defense; Reston (VA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

SES Space & Defense is seeking a Systems Engineer – Requirements & Interfaces to provide systems engineering support for a large government space program. You will develop, allocate, and verify requirements, maintain ICDs/IRDs, and ensure traceability across hardware, software, RF, networks, and cybersecurity disciplines.

You will collaborate with space, ground, software, and test teams to align requirements with the program baseline and prepare artifacts for reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR).

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Systems Engineering or related technical discipline, or equivalent experience.
• 3–5 years of relevant systems engineering experience in aerospace/defense or space systems.
• Experience with requirements management tools such as CodeBeamer, DOORS, Jama.

Responsibilities

• Develop, decompose, allocate, and manage system, subsystem, interface, and verification requirements.
• Maintain end-to-end requirements traceability using the program requirements management environment.
• Develop and maintain Interface Control Documents (ICDs), IRDs, and interface requirements across systems.

Skills

Systems engineering

Requirements management

Interface coordination

MBSE

SysML

Cross-functional collaboration

Technical writing

Education

Bachelor's degree in Systems Engineering or related technical discipline

Tools

CodeBeamer

DOORS

Jama

Cameo Systems Modeler

Job description

Who We Are

At SES Space & Defense, we deliver secure, resilient connectivity and integrated space solutions for customers operating in the world’s most demanding environments. As part of SES S.A., a global leader in satellite-enabled communications, we combine capabilities across all orbits with extensive global ground infrastructure, managed networks, hosted payload solutions, and mission integration services to support communications, sensing, data transport, and operational resilience worldwide.

Our vertically integrated space and ground capabilities bring together satellite capacity, terrestrial infrastructure, advanced network technologies, and deployed user terminals to support mission-critical government operations around the world. We are a trusted partner to the U.S. Federal Government and national security community, allied governments, NATO, NASA, and other civilian agencies, delivering reliable, high-performance solutions when mission success is critical.

At SES Space & Defense, our people are our competitive advantage. You’ll work alongside a mission-driven team committed to integrity, innovation, accountability, and delivering real-world impact for customers whose missions matter most.

What You’ll Do

The Systems Engineer – Requirements & Interfaces provides systems engineering support to a large Government space and satellite communications program, with primary responsibilities in requirements development and management, interface definition and control, verification planning, and maintenance of the program technical baseline. The position works across multidisciplinary engineering teams to ensure system and subsystem requirements are well-defined, properly allocated, traceable, and verifiable throughout the system lifecycle. The Systems Engineer will develop and maintain Interface Control Documents (ICDs), requirements and verification artifacts, test documentation, and other systems engineering products necessary to support system integration and demonstrate compliance with program and customer requirements. You will work closely with space, ground, software, network, cybersecurity, integration and test, and other engineering disciplines to maintain alignment between requirements, interfaces, system architecture, design implementation, and verification activities.

Key Responsibilities

• Support the development, decomposition, allocation, and management of system, subsystem, interface, and verification requirements
• Maintain end-to-end requirements traceability using the program requirements management environment
• Support Verification Cross-Reference Matrix (VCRM) development and maintenance, including verification methods, approaches, success criteria, and associated verification artifacts
• Develop, coordinate, and maintain Interface Control Documents (ICDs), Interface Requirements Documents (IRDs), and associated interface requirements between systems, segments, subsystems, external systems, and suppliers
• Support interface definition and resolution across engineering teams, suppliers, and program stakeholders to maintain consistency between requirements, architecture, design, and implementation
• Identify interface gaps, conflicts, and inconsistencies and coordinate with responsible engineering organizations to drive issues to resolution
• Support development and maintenance of test plans, test procedures, test reports, verification matrices, compliance documentation, and other verification and validation artifacts
• Assist engineering teams in defining objective evidence necessary to demonstrate requirement compliance and verification closure
• Support requirements verification and validation activities throughout the program lifecycle, including identification and resolution of requirements gaps, inconsistencies, and traceability issues
• Collaborate across space, ground, software, network, cybersecurity, integration and test, mission operations, and other engineering organizations to ensure alignment of requirements and interfaces with the approved system technical baseline
• Support Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) activities and maintain consistency between system models, requirements, interfaces, and verification artifacts
• Support preparation of systems engineering products associated with technical reviews and program milestones, including SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR, and other formal technical reviews
• Participate in technical interchange meetings, requirements working groups, interface working groups, and engineering reviews
• Support configuration and change-management activities affecting requirements, interfaces, verification artifacts, and the system technical baseline
• Assist in assessing proposed requirement and interface changes to identify potential impacts to system architecture, design, verification, integration, schedule, and affected engineering organizations
• Independently execute assigned systems engineering activities and coordinate requirements, interface, and verification actions through closure
• Ensure assigned systems engineering products are complete, consistent, traceable, configuration-controlled, and suitable for program and Government review

Who You Are

You are a developing systems engineer who enjoys understanding how complex systems fit together and translating that understanding into clear, traceable engineering products. You are comfortable working directly with requirements databases, ICDs, system models, verification artifacts, engineering teams, and technical documentation, but your contribution goes beyond document preparation. You understand the engineering content represented by requirements and interfaces and can identify technical gaps, inconsistencies, or disconnects and work with the appropriate engineering teams to drive them toward resolution. You bring strong attention to detail and systems thinking while being comfortable collaborating across hardware, software, RF, networks, cybersecurity, integration and test, and mission operations. You are capable of independently executing assigned engineering activities while continuing to develop your technical breadth through exposure to a complex Government space program.

Key Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Systems Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical discipline, or equivalent relevant engineering experience
• 3–5 years of relevant systems engineering experience supporting aerospace, defense, satellite communications, space systems, or similarly complex technical systems
• Working knowledge of systems engineering lifecycle processes, including requirements development, decomposition, allocation, traceability, verification, validation, and interface management
• Experience developing, analyzing, or maintaining system, subsystem, or interface requirements
• Experience with requirements management and traceability tools such as CodeBeamer, DOORS, Jama, or equivalent
• Experience developing, reviewing, or maintaining Interface Control Documents (ICDs), Interface Requirements Documents (IRDs), or comparable technical interface documentation
• Experience supporting verification planning or development of verification matrices, test plans, test procedures, test reports, or equivalent verification artifacts
• Understanding of requirements verification methods, including analysis, inspection, demonstration, and test
• Ability to coordinate technical requirements and interface activities across multidisciplinary engineering organizations
• Strong technical writing and engineering documentation skills
• Ability to communicate technical issues clearly to engineering teams, program management, suppliers, and Government stakeholders
• Experience supporting satellite, spacecraft, SATCOM, ground systems, or other space-based systems preferred
• Experience with Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE), SysML, or systems modeling tools such as Cameo Systems Modeler preferred
• Experience using CodeBeamer, DOORS, Jama, or similar tools for requirements management, traceability, and verification preferred
• Experience developing or maintaining a Verification Cross-Reference Matrix (VCRM) or equivalent requirements verification database preferred
• Experience supporting Government space or Department of Defense programs preferred
• Experience developing or coordinating ICDs or interface requirements between complex hardware and software systems preferred
• Familiarity with spacecraft, payload, ground systems, command and control, software, network, or other complex system interfaces preferred
• Experience supporting formal technical reviews such as SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR, and verification or acceptance reviews preferred
• Familiarity with configuration management, change control, and technical baseline management preferred
• Experience working with geographically distributed engineering teams, subcontractors, suppliers, or Government customers preferred
• Strong systems thinking with the ability to understand relationships between requirements, interfaces, architecture, design, integration, and verification
• Strong attention to technical detail and requirements traceability
• Ability to independently execute assigned engineering activities while collaborating with senior engineers and technical subject matter experts
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Ability to identify inconsistencies between requirements, interfaces, system models, design documentation, and verification artifacts
• Comfortable working in a multidisciplinary engineering environment involving hardware, software, RF, networks, cybersecurity, and operations
• Ability to balance multiple concurrent engineering activities and program priorities
• Strong collaboration and communication skills
• Willingness to learn new systems, technologies, engineering processes, and tools as program needs evolve

SES Space & Defense is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law

The anticipated base salary range for this position is $[MIN] to $[MAX]. The final base salary offered will be determined based on factors such as the position’s location, the candidate’s relevant skills, experience, and qualifications.

Where applicable, this position may also be eligible for an annual bonus. Employees are eligible to participate in SES Space & Defense’s benefits programs, which include paid vacation, sick and personal leave; medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance; a 401(k)-retirement plan; and others.