Senior Satellite & Ground Systems Engineer

Salary: $109,000 - 159,500 per year Requirements:

• We require U.S. citizenship, as this role is subject to U.S. export control and ITAR requirements.
• We need a bachelors degree in Systems Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Physics, or a closely related technical field.
• We are looking for at least 6 years of professional systems engineering experience supporting complex aerospace, defense, robotics, autonomous systems, or similarly multidisciplinary programs.
• We expect proven experience developing system architecture from stakeholder needs through implementation and verification.
• We need experience creating Concepts of Operations (ConOps), operational scenarios, mission threads, and use cases.
• We require experience eliciting, breaking down, allocating, and managing system requirements across the development lifecycle.
• We expect experience maintaining traceability between stakeholder needs, use cases, system requirements, architecture, design artifacts, verification plans, and test results.
• We need working knowledge of Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) methods and SysML.
• We require experience contributing to architecture development and high-level system design across hardware, software, and operational domains.
• We expect a solid understanding of the full systems engineering lifecycle, including concept development, architecture, design, implementation, integration, verification, validation, deployment, and sustainment.
• We need the ability to collaborate effectively across multiple engineering disciplines and with technical subject matter experts.
• We require excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain complex technical ideas to varied engineering audiences.
• We expect the ability to thrive in a fast-paced, highly collaborative environment while handling multiple concurrent programs.
• Preferred: 10+ years of professional systems engineering experience supporting spacecraft, satellite constellations, remote sensing systems, ground systems, or mission operations.
• Preferred: experience leading systems engineering activities on end-to-end space systems, including spacecraft, payloads, communications, ground infrastructure, and mission operations.
• Preferred: familiarity with inter-satellite communications, including optical crosslink and RF.
• Preferred: experience with MBSE tools such as Cameo Systems Modeler, Enterprise Architect, MagicDraw, or similar SysML environments.
• Preferred: familiarity with the Ansys engineering tool suite, including STK.
• Preferred: experience with requirements management tools such as IBM DOORS Next, Jama Connect, Polarion, or similar platforms.
• Preferred: experience with functional analysis, interface definition, and system decomposition.
• Preferred: experience developing system interface definitions and Interface Control Documents (ICDs).
• Preferred: familiarity with digital engineering practices and model-centric development environments across the lifecycle.
• Preferred: experience supporting formal systems engineering reviews such as SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR, and SVR.
• Preferred: experience planning or supporting verification and validation activities, including verification methods, test plans, and verification matrices.
• Preferred: knowledge of systems engineering standards such as ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288, the INCOSE Systems Engineering Handbook, or the NASA Systems Engineering Handbook.
• Preferred: experience supporting agile or iterative development while maintaining disciplined systems engineering practices.
• Preferred: familiarity with configuration management and engineering change processes.
• Preferred: experience with Git, Jira, Confluence, or similar collaboration and development tools.

• We lead and sustain systems engineering activities across multiple complex space and ground development programs and operational capabilities.
• We define mission concepts and develop Concepts of Operations (ConOps).
• We capture stakeholder needs and translate them into actionable system requirements.
• We manage requirements across the development lifecycle and preserve end-to-end traceability.
• We develop high-level system architecture spanning spacecraft, payloads, ground systems, software, communications, and operations.
• We ensure technical consistency from early concept through verification and operational deployment.
• We collaborate closely with multidisciplinary engineering teams to drive architecture, integration, analysis, and technical decisions.
• We participate across the full systems engineering V-model, from concept development through integration, test, and operations.
• We help translate mission objectives into implementable designs and verify them through system integration, testing, and operational deployment.
• We build consensus across engineering organizations and help teams execute with clarity, speed, and technical rigor.
• We lead through technical expertise, initiative, and collaboration while strengthening engineering practices and system resilience.

• Architect
• Confluence
• Git
• Hardware
• IBM
• JIRA
• Robotics
• Security
• Support

More:

We are Vantor, and through our SpaceWrx division we are building the next generation of satellite systems, ground infrastructure, and mission operations capabilities for responsive commercial and national security space missions. Our Mission Architecture & Systems Engineering team provides technical leadership that turns mission objectives into integrated, executable system designs spanning spacecraft, payloads, ground systems, software, communications, and operations. We offer a competitive total rewards package, including a robust 401(k) with company match, mental health resources, student loan repayment assistance, adoption reimbursement, and pet insurance. This role is incentive eligible and based in Colorado with a posted base pay range of $109,000 to $159,500 annually, with location-based variations in other states. We are an equal opportunity employer committed to an inclusive workplace.

last updated 33 week of 2026