Principal Space Engineer – Strategic Initiatives

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in Virginia.

📋 Description

• Assist the Chief Engineer in the technical advancement, integration, and delivery of spacecraft and hosted payload solutions throughout the program lifecycle.

• Aid in the technical execution of space system programs by monitoring technical activities, actions, dependencies, and progress against program objectives.

• Facilitate coordination among systems engineering, spacecraft engineering, payload engineering, mission assurance, specialty engineering, suppliers, and external mission partners.

• Document and monitor spacecraft and payload architectures, system interfaces, integration strategies, and technical baselines.

• Coordinate systems engineering artifacts such as requirements, CONOPS, Interface Control Documents, trade studies, verification plans, and technical baselines.

• Support the integration across spacecraft buses, communication payloads, onboard processing, avionics, propulsion, thermal, power, attitude determination and control, and other spacecraft subsystems.

• Lead technical planning and execution through SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR, launch readiness, and early on-orbit operations.

• Assist in identifying, assessing, tracking, and mitigating technical, integration, schedule, and mission risks.

• Engage with government customers, mission partners, and suppliers to comprehend mission requirements and coordinate technical activities.

• Support engineering operating rhythms, design reviews, technical meetings, reporting, action tracking, and engineering decision documentation.

• Collaborate with ground engineering and mission operations teams to integrate spacecraft and supporting operational infrastructure.

• Contribute to strategic growth initiatives and technical studies for future hosted payload, communications, sensing, and emerging space mission opportunities.

⛳️ Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, or a related technical field.

• Strong interest and/or academic, internship, co-op, research, or professional experience related to spacecraft architecture, payload systems, hosted payloads, satellite subsystems, or mission systems engineering.

• Foundational knowledge of systems engineering processes, including requirements development, architecture definition, interface management, verification and validation, and technical risk management.

• Willingness and capability to collaborate across a multidisciplinary engineering organization involving spacecraft, payload, systems, mission assurance, ground, and mission operations disciplines.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.

• Capacity to understand relationships between system requirements, interfaces, architecture, integration, and verification.

• Proficiency in developing and maintaining clear technical documentation and effectively tracking engineering activities and actions.

• Ability to communicate efficiently with engineering teams, program leadership, suppliers, mission partners, and customers.

• Experience through internships, co-ops, academic projects, research, or professional work supporting aerospace, spacecraft, satellite, defense, or other complex engineering systems is preferred.

• Demonstrated interest in broadening technical knowledge across the complete space system lifecycle.

• U.S. Citizenship is required.

• Ability to obtain and maintain security clearance up to TS/SCI is desired.

🏝️ Benefits

• Annual bonus eligibility where applicable.

• Paid vacation, sick, and personal leave.

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance.

• Life and disability insurance.

• 401(k) retirement plan.

• Other benefits programs.