Principal Systems Engineer IV

Principal Systems Engineer IV – Product Owner | Satellite Ground Systems

Location: Aurora, CO — Onsite

Salary Range: $170,000–$210,000

Clearance: Active and transferable TS/SCI required

U.S. Citizenship required

Openings: 1

About the Opportunity:

Talent Stack is recruiting a Principal Systems Engineer – Product Owner on behalf of a confidential defense and aerospace client supporting a mission-critical satellite ground systems program.

This senior-level role combines systems engineering, technical leadership, and Agile product ownership . You will own the vision, strategy, roadmap, and execution of a critical ground software capability while serving as a primary technical link between the Product Manager, Chief Engineer, customers, and multidisciplinary engineering teams.

The ideal candidate brings significant systems engineering experience along with the ability to lead complex technical efforts, translate mission needs into executable engineering priorities, and drive delivery within a SAFe Agile environment .

What You’ll Do:

• Own and communicate the vision, strategy, and roadmap for a key ground system component
• Align engineering teams, program leadership, customers, and other stakeholders around technical priorities and program objectives
• Partner with the Scrum Master and engineering teams to plan and execute Program Increments (PIs) within a SAFe Agile environment
• Translate customer needs, mission objectives, and operational concepts into technical requirements, system designs, user stories, and acceptance criteria
• Manage and prioritize the team backlog , balancing feature development, technical debt, technical risks, and program commitments
• Lead readiness reviews, design reviews, demonstrations, and technical presentations for customers and senior program leadership
• Develop and communicate technical documentation, implementation guidance, and product strategies
• Drive systems engineering activities including requirements management, interface definition, technical risk management, integration, and verification
• Coordinate across systems engineering, software development, integration, and test teams to ensure successful product delivery
• Provide technical leadership and guidance throughout the product lifecycle

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM), or a related technical discipline
• 8+ years of relevant professional experience, Internships, co-ops, academic projects, and other non-professional experience do not count toward the required years of professional experience
• Experience serving as a Product Owner, Product Manager, Technical Lead, or similar technical leadership role within an Agile development environment
• Experience with satellite ground systems, mission operations, or systems engineering
• Experience with systems engineering functions such as:
• Requirements management
• Interface definition
• Technical risk management
• Experience using Agile development and collaboration tools including Jira and Confluence
• Experience or familiarity working within DevSecOps and CI/CD environments
• Active and transferable U.S. government-issued TS/SCI security clearance required prior to start
• U.S. Citizenship required due to government security-clearance requirements

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience serving as a SAFe Product Owner supporting complex government or mission software programs
• Experience leading multidisciplinary engineering teams across systems, software, integration, and test
• Experience developing or operating satellite ground systems or Command and Control (C2) systems
• Experience with automated testing and software factory tools such as Cucumber, Gherkin, and Zephyr
• Software development experience using Java, C++, Python, or similar programming languages
• Experience with Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE)
• Experience with Atlassian tools including Jira, Confluence, and Bitbucket
• Experience with DevOps/DevSecOps methodologies and tools
• Experience working within Linux and cloud-based environments
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to present complex technical information to customers, engineers, and senior leadership

Benefits

Eligible employees may have access to a comprehensive benefits package, including:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) retirement plan options
• Paid time off and paid holidays
• Life and disability insurance
• Employee assistance and wellness programs
• Professional development and career-growth opportunities

Why Join?

This is an opportunity to take ownership of a mission-critical ground systems product while directly influencing technical direction, engineering priorities, and product execution.

You will work with experienced engineers and senior program leadership while helping deliver advanced satellite ground system capabilities supporting critical national security missions.

The anticipated salary range for this position is $170,000–$210,000 , based on experience, qualifications, and other business considerations.

Important Application Notice

Candidates must apply directly and represent themselves. Third-party agency, staffing firm, subcontractor, recruiter, or vendor submissions will not be accepted. Unsolicited resumes or candidate submissions from outside recruiting organizations will not be considered and will not create any obligation for fees, commissions, or other compensation.

Talent Stack is an independent recruiting partner representing this opportunity on behalf of a confidential client. Talent Stack is not the employer of record or the final hiring decision-maker.

Reference #X35/1371