Staff Optical Payload Systems Engineer

YOUR MISSION

We are revolutionizing how spacecraft are designed, built, and operated and are looking for a candidate with a passion for space and new technologies. In this role you will be responsible for providing technical expertise and leading teams developing spacecraft payloads from concept through flight production serving a range of missions and customers. This involves overseeing the development, monitoring, and direction of requirements definition, payload design, procurement, fabrication, integration, and testing, as well as verification and validation of the entire payload system. You will collaborate with spacecraft system engineers, manufacturing and testing teams, and program management. Your responsibilities will include managing the technical aspects of the payload to ensure they meet the mission needs. You will gain experience at every phase of the spacecraft program including design, analysis, manufacturing, test, and flight. The company culture is one of innovation and speed, so if you are looking for a place that allows you to reach your full potential, this is the job to consider. 

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Responsible for all payload systems engineering aspects, which involve conducting initial concept development, mission architecture design and analysis, trade studies, CONOPS definition, requirements decomposition and allocation, interface requirements definition, requirements verification and validation, supporting integration and test operations, and resolving anomalies 
• Applies an interdisciplinary, collaborative approach to plan, design, develop and verify a lifecycle balanced solution for spacecraft payload systems 
• Understands spacecraft subsystems functions and interfaces. Develops integrated payload system designs and solutions 
• Coordinates and communicates with spacecraft engineering teams to ensure system execution of mission objectives 
• Develops the planning organization, implementation and monitoring of requirements management processes, tools, risk, issues, opportunity management and technology readiness assessment processes 
• Participates in software integration and test activities to ensure mission functionality prior to deployment into operations 
• Coordinates with management and peers to ensure the integrity of high-quality operational products, including procedures, tools, and system configuration 
• Performs tasks to analyze technical data, verify and sustain specific systems configurations in accordance with defined constraints and operational requirements 
• Performs various analyses to optimize the payload system 
• Resolves cross-functional technical issues 

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's Degree in engineering, physical sciences, or computer science  
• Minimum of 10 years of directly relevant aerospace industry experience, preferably with payload systems  
• Demonstrated excellent leadership and communications skills  
• Demonstrated experience with payload systems engineering principles and techniques  
• Experience with performance/phenomenology of EO sensors  
• Experience with modeling and simulation of EO sensors  
• Demonstrated experience with power, mass, and other system budgets  
• Demonstrated experience with requirements analysis and flow-down  
• Demonstrated experience with design verification and validation processes  
• Demonstrated experience with payload & satellite level integration and test processes  
• Demonstrated experience with payload on-orbit operations 

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• Graduate Degree in engineering, physical sciences, or computer science  
• Greater than 15 years professional experience in spacecraft payload systems engineering  
• Direct experience with one or more spacecraft programs and missions 
• Experience with a full payload life-cycle from concept to on-orbit operations  
• Experience with optical hardware such as EO/IR payloads, optical communications terminals, star trackers, laser range finders, etc.  
• Experience with onboard and ground processing of optical data to extract mission-related information  
• Experience with common analysis tools such as Matlab/Simulink, Python, STK, etc.  
• Technical leadership experience, including requirements V&V, delegation and management of technical tasks, and responsible engineering authority (REA) experience 

COMPENSATION

• Base Salary: $170,000-$200,000
• Your actual level and base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience
• Equity + Benefits including Health, Dental, Vision, HRA/HSA options, PTO and paid holidays, 401K, Parental Leave 

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• Ability to maintain or obtain TS//SCI clearance 
• Work Location—this role will be 4+ days a week at our GravityWorks factory in Centennial, CO
• Work environment—the work environment; temperature, noise level, inside or outside, or other factors that will affect the person's working conditions while performing the job.
• Physical demands—the physical demands of the job, including bending, sitting, lifting and driving.

This position will be open until it is successfully filled. To submit your application, please follow the directions below. #LI-Onsite