Sr. systems engineer

@Orchard LLC is actively seeking a Senior Systems Engineer to support our client, a leading organization in the aerospace and space infrastructure industry specializing in spacecraft development, advanced space systems, and mission-critical technologies supporting commercial, civil, and national security programs. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience applying systems engineering principles to complex spacecraft designs while providing technical leadership across multidisciplinary engineering teams. This position will focus on spacecraft systems engineering activities, including Concept of Operations (ConOps) development, requirements management, requirements decomposition and flowdown, interface management, and system-level fault analysis and management. As programs progress, responsibilities will transition toward spacecraft integration, verification, validation, launch preparation, and mission operations.

The preferred location for this position is Palo Alto, California, although remote candidates located within the United States will also be considered.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop system Concepts of Operations (ConOps) and operational use cases.
• Lead system analyses and mission-level trade studies.
• Develop, decompose, and flow down requirements at the mission, system, subsystem, and component levels.
• Manage system requirements throughout the development lifecycle, ensuring traceability and compliance.
• Develop and maintain compliance matrices for systems and subsystems.
• Establish and monitor system technical performance measures.
• Develop and implement fault management architectures and strategies.
• Lead customer discussions regarding system architecture and technical design decisions.
• Define and manage system interfaces, interoperability, and operational requirements.
• Collaborate with cross-functional engineering teams to ensure subsystem integration and compliance.
• Identify technical risks and opportunities, develop mitigation strategies, and drive corrective actions to meet program milestones.
• Develop and execute comprehensive system-level verification and validation plans.
• Oversee spacecraft integration and testing activities, including evaluation of test results.
• Lead the resolution of complex cross-subsystem technical challenges and drive closure of outstanding technical actions.

Minimum Qualifications

• Must be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident.
• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics, or a related STEM discipline. Four additional years of relevant experience may be substituted for a degree.
• Minimum of 8 years of relevant systems engineering experience involving complex systems.
• Experience working across multiple interacting hardware and software subsystems.
• General understanding of spacecraft design and the spacecraft product lifecycle as it relates to systems engineering.

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous experience supporting U.S. Government programs.
• Experience with system interface definition and implementation.
• Experience analyzing system faults and implementing fault protection and recovery strategies.
• Experience using requirements management tools such as DOORS, Jama, or equivalent platforms.
• Programming experience in C, C++, Python, or MATLAB, including developing software tools for verification activities.
• Experience producing systems engineering deliverables related to system architecture, verification, and validation.
• Familiarity with NASA, DoD, ECSS, or other applicable aerospace engineering standards.
• Understanding of technical risk management and mitigation methodologies.
• Strong communication, presentation, collaboration, and technical leadership skills.

The successful candidate’s starting pay will fall within the salary range provided below and is determined based on job-related factors, including, but not limited to, the experience, qualifications, knowledge, skills, geographic work location, and market conditions. Candidates with the minimum necessary experience, qualifications, knowledge, and skill sets for the position should not expect to receive the upper end of the pay range. The base pay range for this position within California is: $143,000.00 - $238,000.00 annually. A comprehensive package of benefits is provided, including paid time off, health and welfare insurance, and 401(k) to eligible employees. Additionally, this position is incentive-eligible with a target based on contribution, company performance, and/or individual results achieved; the specific incentive plan and target amount will be determined based on the role and breadth of contributions.

About @Orchard LLC Established in 2010, @Orchard LLC has an exceptional reputation for providing recruiting solutions to time-sensitive talent scarcity issues and delivering better talent management ROI. Our specialty lies in the critical area of program talent acquisition and resource management, not in one narrow skillset, but across many areas of technical and functional delivery.