Systems Engineer

Description

Position Summary The Lead Systems Engineer will provide overarching technical leadership for a spacecraft, satellite, or payload development program progressing through the final phases of development and integration toward first-unit delivery. This role is responsible for driving program execution, resolving technical debt, maintaining technical baseline integrity, and ensuring seamless host platform integration. The ideal candidate combines strong systems engineering fundamentals with hands-on program execution experience, excels in customer-facing environments, and has a proven track record of leading cross-functional engineering teams through complex development and delivery milestones. Experience recovering legacy programs through disciplined systems engineering processes and technical debt remediation is highly desired. ________________________________________ Key Responsibilities - Lead systems engineering activities for a spacecraft, satellite, or payload program through final development, integration, test, and first-unit delivery. - Serve as the primary technical liaison between the program team, Chief Engineer, customer, and key stakeholders. - Drive technical decision-making to ensure program objectives, requirements, schedule, and risks remain aligned. - Define, refine, and maintain program-specific: o Use Cases o Concept of Operations (CONOPS) o Level 3 subsystem requirements - Manage technical baselines and ensure traceability between requirements, design, verification, and customer deliverables. - Lead host platform integration activities and coordinate technical interfaces between payload and spacecraft elements. - Identify, assess, and resolve technical debt within legacy documentation, processes, requirements, interfaces, and verification artifacts. - Develop and implement corrective systems engineering actions to address program gaps, inconsistencies, and compliance risks. - Ensure technical alignment and compliance across: o Mechanical Engineering o Electrical Engineering o Software Engineering o Integration & Test Teams - Support design reviews, technical interchange meetings, customer reviews, risk assessments, and milestone readiness evaluations. - Facilitate issue resolution across engineering disciplines and drive closure of technical action items. - Monitor technical performance, schedule risks, and engineering execution to support successful program completion and delivery. - Promote disciplined systems engineering processes, technical rigor, and continuous improvement initiatives. ________________________________________ Required Qualifications - Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical discipline. - 10+ years of systems engineering experience supporting complex aerospace, defense, space, or satellite programs. - Direct experience supporting spacecraft, satellite, or payload development programs. - Demonstrated success leading programs through late-stage development, integration, testing, and delivery. - Experience defining and managing Use Cases, CONOPS, requirements, and technical baselines for complex systems or subsystems. - Proven experience serving as a primary technical interface with customers, program leadership, and engineering organizations. - Experience managing technical risks, issue resolution, and cross-functional engineering coordination. - Foundational understanding and practical application of Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) methodologies. - Strong communication, leadership, and problem-solving skills. ________________________________________

Skills

Tech Debt Recovery, Spacecraft, Satellite, CONOPS, MBSE

Top Skills Details

Tech Debt Recovery,Spacecraft,Satellite,CONOPS,MBSE

Additional Skills & Qualifications

Preferred Qualifications - Experience leading payload integration efforts within a host spacecraft architecture. - Experience recovering challenged programs through systems engineering process improvement and technical baseline remediation. - Experience with requirements management, verification planning, and configuration management. - Familiarity with digital engineering environments and MBSE toolsets. - Experience supporting DoD, NASA, commercial space, or classified aerospace programs. - Master's degree in Systems Engineering or a related technical discipline. ________________________________________ Technical Debt Recovery Experience (Highly Desired) Candidates should demonstrate experience identifying and resolving technical debt in engineering programs, including: - Missing, outdated, or inconsistent requirements documentation. - Incomplete verification and validation planning. - Gaps in interface definitions and technical baselines. - Configuration management and change-control deficiencies. - Legacy program documentation requiring reconstruction or reconciliation. - Incomplete systems engineering artifacts needed to support integration, testing, and customer acceptance. Examples may include: - Rebuilding requirements traceability from legacy documents. - Establishing missing interface control documentation (ICDs). - Developing corrective verification matrices. - Creating missing CONOPS or operational scenarios. - Closing design, compliance, or audit findings through systems engineering rigor. ________________________________________ Required Tools & Methodologies - Required: Foundational MBSE Experience - SysML (preferred) - Requirements Management Tools - Configuration Management Processes - Verification & Validation Planning - Technical Baseline Management - Risk and Issue Management Processes ________________________________________ Key Competencies - Systems Engineering Leadership - Program Execution - Technical Debt Recovery - Host Platform Integration

Experience Level

Expert Level

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract position based out of Boulder, CO.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $60.00 - $85.00/hr.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following: - Medical, dental & vision - Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital - 401(k) Retirement Plan - Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available - Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) - Short and long-term disability - Health Spending Account (HSA) - Transportation benefits - Employee Assistance Program - Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Boulder,CO.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Jul 14, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email View email address on click.appcast.io for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.