91: Technical Staff - Space Systems Engineering, Integration, and Flight Test Operations

The Advanced Capabilities and Technologies Group (Group 91) researches, develops, and evaluates technologies for next-generation space systems. Current areas of interest include novel orbital constellations, deployable apertures, optical and RF imaging arrays, wide-field image acquisition and processing, feature modeling and recognition, communications networks, data visualization, and decision support. The group’s programs leverage resources from across Lincoln Lab to address critical needs for DARPA, the Air Force, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and others. Our goal is to provide new capabilities, develop their of concepts of operation, and ensure that they are resilient to disruptive technological advances.

Group 91 Description

The Advanced Capabilities and Technologies Group within MIT Lincoln Laboratory's Space Systems and Technology Division develops and demonstrates advanced space capabilities for emerging national security missions. Our work spans novel mission architectures from very low Earth orbit to cislunar space, including dynamic space operations, tactically responsive space missions, autonomous maneuvering, distributed spacecraft coordination, distributed sensing, and advanced passive and active sensing modalities.

We combine mission analysis, systems engineering, modeling and simulation, and rapid prototyping to evaluate and demonstrate transformative space capabilities. We seek exceptionally motivated and highly self-directed engineers who thrive on technically complex, multidisciplinary problems and are excited to support first-of-a-kind space capabilities from concept formulation through flight experimentation. Team members are expected to operate with substantial technical autonomy, often supporting multiple concurrent programs, and routinely lead efforts spanning mission concept development, requirements engineering, integration and test, vendor interface, and flight test operations.

Job Description

Group 91 is seeking a Technical Staff member to support systems engineering, integration, and flight test operations across a portfolio of space mission programs. The successful candidate will contribute across the full systems engineering lifecycle — from concept of operations (CONOPS) development and tradespace analysis through requirements definition, verification and validation, payload integration, and flight test execution. This position offers the opportunity to work across multiple concurrent efforts, serving as a technical interface with launch vehicle providers and mission partners, managing requirements traceability and interface control documentation, supporting risk management activities, and planning and executing flight test operations in support of novel space capability demonstrations.

Key Responsibilities

Systems Engineering and Mission Analysis

• Develop concept of operations (CONOPS) products and mission-level vision artifacts, including operational view (OV-1) diagrams, to communicate mission architecture and objectives to stakeholders.
• Develop, flow-down, and manage system-level requirements to subsystems and payload elements, ensuring traceability from mission objectives to implementation.
• Generate and maintain requirements traceability matrices (RTMs) to support requirements management and verification planning.
• Develop verification and validation (V&V) plans, procedures, and matrices, and support execution of V&V activities across analysis, test, and demonstration.
• Support system-level trade studies and tradespace analyses to inform architecture decisions and design trades.
• Perform multi-disciplinary design and analysis across systems, including integration of subsystem inputs (e.g., GNC, structures, thermal, power, communications) into system-level assessments.
• Support risk management activities, including risk identification, characterization, mitigation planning, and tracking throughout the program lifecycle.
• Perform system-level probabilistic and statistical analyses, including Monte Carlo simulations, to characterize mission risk, evaluate failure modes, and support contingency planning.

Integration, Test, and Flight Operations

• Serve as a technical interface with launch vehicle providers and mission partners, coordinating requirements, technical exchanges, and integration activities.
• Author, negotiate, and maintain Interface Control Documents (ICDs) between spacecraft, payload, and launch vehicle systems.
• Support payload assembly, integration, and test (AI&T) activities, including integration procedures and test readiness assessments.
• Plan and coordinate flight test operations, including experiment timelines, test procedures, and day-in-the-life planning incorporating scheduled ground station contacts and downlinks.
• Support definition of ground station architecture and data handling approaches for flight experiments.
• Develop tools to process, characterize, and visualize data from flight experiments, conveying meaningful conclusions; organize and clearly communicate findings from this data in briefings to internal and external stakeholders.

Documentation and Communication

• Prepare technical documentation, analyses, presentations, and design review materials for internal and external stakeholders.
• Support technical and program reviews (e.g., SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR) with systems engineering artifacts and analyses.
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including GNC, propulsion, structures, avionics, and mission operations.

Requirements

• A M.S. in aerospace engineering, systems engineering, mechanical engineering, or a closely related technical field.
• 10+ years of relevant professional experience.
• Strong foundation in systems engineering principles, including requirements management, requirements traceability, interface control, and verification and validation practices.
• Demonstrated experience developing CONOPS or mission-level architecture products.
• Demonstrated experience with system-level trade studies, tradespace analysis, or multi-disciplinary design and analysis.
• Demonstrated experience with probabilistic or statistical analysis methods (e.g., Monte Carlo analysis) to support risk assessment and mission planning.
• Demonstrated experience with risk management processes, including risk identification and mitigation planning.
• Demonstrated experience planning or supporting integration, test, or flight test operations.
• Demonstrated ability to independently solve complex technical problems in research, laboratory, or operational environments.
• Experience developing technical analysis and simulation tools using MATLAB, Python, or similar environments.
• Strong analytical problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and ability to work across disciplines in both analytical and integration-oriented efforts.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to interface effectively with external vendors and partners, and to communicate technical findings to diverse audiences.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Secret-level DoD security clearance; U.S. citizenship required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with model-based systems engineering (MBSE) tools and methodologies (e.g., Cameo, SysML), and/or requirements management tools (e.g., DOORS, Jama).
• Experience with orbit design and analysis tools, such as Systems Tool Kit (STK), General Mission Analysis Tool (GMAT), or equivalent custom analysis codes.
• In-depth technical expertise in one or more space systems subdomains, such as optics, RF/communications, propulsion, or guidance, navigation, and control (GNC), applied within a systems engineering context.
• Demonstrated experience supporting one or more flight programs, including payload assembly, integration, and test (AI&T), launch campaigns, or on-orbit operations.
• Experience with mission assurance methodologies, such as failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA) or fault tree analysis.
• Familiarity with ground station operations, launch vehicle integration processes, or range safety considerations.
• Willingness to travel to vendor sites, test ranges, or launch sites to support technical meetings and flight test campaigns.

Recent Graduate Hiring Range: $145,200-$170,000
Experienced Hiring Range: $145,200-$220,000

Disclaimer: MIT Lincoln Laboratory provides a typical hiring range as a good faith estimate of what we reasonably expect to offer for this position at the time of posting. The final salary offered to a selected candidate will depend on various factors, including—but not limited to—the scope and responsibilities of the role, the candidate’s experience, skills and education/training, internal equity considerations and applicable legal requirements. This range reflects base salary only and does not include additional forms of compensation or benefits.

At MIT Lincoln Laboratory, our exceptional career opportunities include many outstanding benefits to help you stay healthy, feel supported, and enjoy a fulfilling work-life balance. Benefits offered to employees include:

• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision plans
• MIT-funded pension
• Matching 401K
• Paid leave (including vacation, sick, parental, military, etc.)
• Tuition reimbursement and continuing education programs
• Mentorship programs
• A range of work-life balance options
• ... and much more!

Please visit our Benefits page for more information. As an employee of MIT, you can also take advantage of other voluntary benefits, discounts and perks.

Selected candidate will be subject to a pre-employment background investigation and must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret level DoD security clearance.

MIT Lincoln Laboratory is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, veteran status, disability status, or genetic information; U.S. citizenship is required.

Requisition ID: 43415