Spacecraft Systems Engineer

Job Description

Job Description

Onyx Aerospace is seeking a Spacecraft Systems Engineer to support the development, integration, verification, and flight demonstration of an advanced satellite communications system .

The engineer will work as part of an integrated team developing an end-to-end space communications capability that brings together a commercial spacecraft bus, communications payload, launch services, ground infrastructure, network operations, and mission operations .

This is a spacecraft-focused systems engineering and integration position. The successful candidate will support spacecraft and payload requirements, interfaces, design trades, payload accommodation, verification, launch integration, commissioning, and on-orbit demonstration while working closely with spacecraft providers, payload suppliers, ground-system partners, launch providers, and customers.

We are interested in both experienced spacecraft systems engineers and engineers with strong backgrounds in spacecraft subsystems, payload integration, vehicle integration, communications systems, integration and test, or spacecraft operations who are ready to take broader responsibility at the spacecraft and mission-system level.

Candidates are not expected to be experts in every spacecraft subsystem or every aspect of satellite communications. However, successful candidates should have meaningful spacecraft or space-systems experience and be comfortable working across technical interfaces.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, allocate, interpret, and maintain spacecraft and communications payload requirements.
• Maintain requirements traceability across spacecraft, payload, ground, launch, and operational elements.
• Develop and maintain spacecraft-to-payload interface requirements, ICDs, interface definitions, and technical open items.
• Support spacecraft bus and payload accommodation trades involving mass, power, thermal, structural, RF, avionics, software, pointing, orbit, and operational constraints.
• Evaluate spacecraft platform compatibility with the communications payload and identify system-level impacts of design decisions.
• Coordinate technical interfaces among spacecraft providers, communications payload suppliers, ground-system partners, launch providers, customers, and other engineering organizations.
• Support satellite communications architecture and performance assessments in coordination with RF and communications specialists.
• Support spacecraft mission analysis, orbit and deployment concepts, commissioning, and operational planning.
• Support launch vehicle compatibility and spacecraft accommodation analyses, including mass properties, environments, interfaces, deployment, and launch processing.
• Support spacecraft systems engineering and technical integration for a satellite communications system.
• Develop and review verification and validation approaches, verification matrices, test plans, procedures, analyses, and objective evidence.
• Support payload and spacecraft integration, environmental testing, functional testing, and end-to-end communications system verification.
• Participate in technical interchange meetings, design reviews, test/readiness reviews, risk reviews, and customer technical reviews.
• Support launch and early mission activities, spacecraft commissioning, on-orbit checkout, and communications-system demonstration.
• Assist with anomaly investigation, root-cause analysis, corrective actions, and

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a closely related technical discipline.
• 3–10 years of relevant spacecraft, satellite, space-systems, or closely related aerospace engineering experience.
• Experience developing or managing technical requirements, interfaces, verification activities, integration activities, or engineering trades.
• Working knowledge of spacecraft subsystems and their interactions, including several of the following: communications/RF, avionics, electrical power, thermal, structures/mechanisms, GN&C, flight software, propulsion, or mission operations.
• Ability to read and interpret spacecraft specifications, interface control documents, drawings, test reports, requirements databases, and engineering analyses.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to coordinate effectively with engineering teams, suppliers, partners, and customers.
• U.S. Citizenship required.
• Ability to comply with applicable ITAR/EAR, CUI, cybersecurity, and government information-handling requirements.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with satellite communications systems, communications payloads, or RF spacecraft systems .
• Experience in spacecraft systems engineering, spacecraft integration, payload integration, satellite communications, or a spacecraft subsystem discipline.
• Experience with commercial spacecraft buses and hosted or integrated payloads.
• Familiarity with S-, X-, Ku-, Ka-, or other satellite communications systems.
• Experience with payload accommodation analyses involving mass, power, thermal, structural, RF, pointing, software, or data interfaces.
• Experience with requirements-management or MBSE tools such as DOORS, Jama, Cameo, or equivalent.
• Experience with spacecraft verification and validation, qualification testing, acceptance testing, or verification closure.
• Experience supporting launch vehicle integration, mission analysis, launch-site processing, or spacecraft deployment.
• Familiarity with spacecraft commissioning, early-orbit operations, or on-orbit checkout.
• Experience supporting NASA, DoD, national security space, or commercial satellite programs.
• Participation in SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR, FRR, or similar formal technical reviews.
• Active or previously held U.S. Government security clearance.

Ideal Candidate

The strongest candidate will likely have depth in spacecraft engineering plus enough systems perspective to work across the satellite communications architecture .

Relevant backgrounds could include Spacecraft Systems Engineer, Satellite Systems Engineer, Payload Integration Engineer, Spacecraft Integration Engineer, Communications Systems Engineer, RF Systems Engineer, Mission Systems Engineer, or a spacecraft subsystem engineer who has progressed toward vehicle-level integration .

The Opportunity

This role provides an opportunity to work on a satellite communications system as an integrated mission capability—not simply an individual spacecraft subsystem . The engineer will have visibility across the spacecraft bus, communications payload, launch interfaces, ground segment, and mission operations and will help carry the system from engineering development through integration, verification, launch, commissioning, and on-orbit demonstration.

Additional Information

Specific assignments and technical responsibilities will be based on the selected candidate's experience, technical expertise, and customer program requirements.

This position may support programs contingent upon customer funding or contract award. Candidates must be able to satisfy applicable export control requirements, background investigations, and customer security requirements.