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System Engineer

System Engineer
Location: Irvine, CA
Employment Type: Full-Time
Work Arrangement: Onsite
Salary Range: $145,000 – $175,000 USD
About the Role
An innovative space technology company is seeking an experienced System Engineer to lead the systems engineering lifecycle for next-generation spaceborne radar payloads. This is a highly technical, hands-on role responsible for defining system architecture, managing requirements, driving verification activities, and ensuring payloads meet mission objectives from concept through flight readiness.
Working closely with RF, digital, mechanical, software, and program teams, you will play a key role in translating mission needs into robust, flight-ready space systems while balancing performance, reliability, manufacturability, and schedule.
Key Responsibilities

  • Define and maintain the overall payload system architecture, including avionics and subsystem interfaces.
  • Decompose mission and system-level requirements into subsystem and interface specifications while maintaining complete requirements traceability through verification.
  • Lead Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) and reliability assessments to identify potential single-point failures and develop mitigation strategies.
  • Design fault detection, isolation, and recovery (FDIR) strategies, safe modes, and anomaly response concepts aligned with mission operations.
  • Establish, monitor, and maintain system-level technical budgets including mass, power, thermal, data rate, and communications link budgets.
  • Own the verification and validation (V&V) strategy by mapping requirements to appropriate verification methods including testing, analysis, inspection, and demonstration.
  • Develop mission concepts of operations (ConOps), including orbit operations, imaging modes, duty cycles, and ground segment interfaces.
  • Define, maintain, and control Interface Control Documents (ICDs) between payload subsystems and spacecraft interfaces.
  • Collaborate with software engineering teams on embedded flight software architecture, command and telemetry definitions, and operational mode transitions.
  • Partner with product and engineering teams to translate product roadmaps into system-level technical requirements and architecture decisions.
  • Support formal engineering reviews including SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR, MRR, and FRR by preparing and presenting technical documentation.
  • Perform system trade studies and budget analyses to support design decisions, cost optimization, manufacturability, and mission performance.

Required Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
  • 7+ years of systems engineering experience supporting space systems, radar systems, avionics, or similar complex aerospace programs.
  • Minimum 2 years of experience serving as a System Architect or technical lead on complex engineering programs.
  • 5+ years of experience leading requirements decomposition, requirements management, and verification closure throughout the product lifecycle.
  • 5+ years of experience performing FMEA and reliability analyses for flight hardware or high-reliability systems.
  • 5+ years of experience developing and tracking system-level budgets including mass, power, thermal, and communications link budgets.
  • Working knowledge of radar or RF systems.
  • Strong analytical, problem-solving, and technical decision-making skills.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to collaborate across multidisciplinary engineering teams.

Preferred Qualifications

  • Experience supporting Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) mission design and performance analysis.
  • Background in fault management and FDIR architecture for LEO or MEO spacecraft.
  • Familiarity with embedded flight software, FPGA-based systems, real-time operating systems, and command/telemetry architectures.
  • Experience with spacecraft communication buses such as SpaceWire, MIL-STD-1553, CAN, SPI, or LVDS.
  • Knowledge of NASA systems engineering standards (NPR 7123), DO-178, or DO-330.
  • Experience supporting qualification, environmental, and acceptance testing for flight hardware.
  • Understanding of manufacturing readiness and transitioning engineering designs into production.
  • Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related discipline.

Why Join?

  • Lead the architecture of next-generation spaceborne radar payloads from concept through launch.
  • Work alongside multidisciplinary teams developing cutting-edge satellite technology.
  • Influence critical technical decisions that directly impact mission success.
  • Competitive compensation package with comprehensive health benefits, generous PTO, and additional employee perks.
  • Opportunity to work on advanced space programs supporting commercial and government missions.