Systems Engineer III

Systems Engineer III – Product Owner | Satellite Ground Systems

Location: Aurora, CO — Onsite 5 days per week

Salary Range: $160,000–$200,000

Clearance: Active and transferable TS/SCI required

U.S. Citizenship required

About the Opportunity

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

This 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 working closely with the Product Manager, Chief Engineer, customers, and multidisciplinary engineering teams.

The ideal candidate is a technically strong Systems Engineer who can translate complex mission requirements into actionable engineering priorities, align stakeholders, and drive delivery within a SAFe Agile environment .

What You’ll Do

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

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM), or a related technical discipline
• 5+ years of relevant professional experience. Internships, co-ops, academic projects, and other non-professional experience do not count toward the required years of experience.
• Experience serving as a Product Owner, Product Manager, Technical Lead, or comparable technical leadership role within an Agile development environment
• Experience with satellite ground systems, mission operations, or systems engineering
• Experience with systems engineering activities including:
• Requirements management
• Interface definition
• Technical risk management
• Experience using Agile collaboration and development tools such as Jira and Confluence
• Familiarity with DevSecOps practices 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 leading multidisciplinary engineering teams across systems, software, integration, and test
• Experience with automated testing and software factory tools such as Cucumber, Gherkin, and Zephyr
• Software development experience using Java, C++, Python, or a similar programming language
• Experience developing, integrating, or operating satellite ground systems

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 technical product while directly influencing engineering priorities and system direction.

You will work alongside experienced systems and software engineers, interact with customers and senior program leadership, and help deliver advanced ground system capabilities supporting critical national security missions.

The anticipated salary range for this position is $160,000–$200,000 , 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.

Reference#: X36/1372