Position Status: Contingent Upon Program Award
As a Lead Satellite Systems Engineer, you will serve as a primary technical authority for satellite and space-system development programs, ensuring the integrity of system design, integration, verification, and mission readiness from concept through delivery. You will translate program objectives into executable technical plans, aligning requirements, architecture, interfaces, trade studies, verification evidence, and risk decisions across a large cross-functional team.
The ideal candidate has demonstrated experience delivering through at least one satellite-level program lifecycle. Experience with constellation-level architectures, multi-satellite delivery, or cross-program technical execution is a strong asset. This role requires strong systems engineering judgment, the ability to lead through ambiguity, and the communication discipline to align teams and stakeholders while balancing technical integrity with cost, schedule, risk, mission assurance, and customer expectations.
This position is intended for a technical leader who can operate with credibility across engineering, program management, product assurance, suppliers, customers, and senior leadership. T1/T2 expectations emphasize ownership of technical outcomes, disciplined integration, requirements alignment, decision closure, readiness evidence, and system-wide integration readiness across multiple subsystems.
Key Responsibilities:
Be the lead systems engineering authority for a satellite program or major technical scope, ensuring the integrity of system design, integration, verification, and mission readiness
Translate mission objectives and program constraints into clear technical direction across architecture, requirements, interfaces, trade studies, verification planning, readiness evidence, and technical risk closure
Lead system-level design and integration across spacecraft subsystems, connecting subsystem decisions to whole-system performance, operations, reliability, customer commitments, and lifecycle needs
Partner with Program Management, Product Assurance, subsystem teams, suppliers, customers, and leadership to align technical execution, manage expectations, and close decisions
Lead technical reviews, trade studies, anomaly investigations, readiness milestones, and decision forums with clear recommendations and disciplined follow-through
Manage technical risks and uncertainty by structuring ambiguous problems, clarifying assumptions, defining decision points, and maintaining clear escalation paths
Represent the technical team in program reviews, customer briefings, supplier discussions, and leadership updates through clear writing, presentations, and decision rationale
Mentor engineers and technical leads while improving systems engineering, integration, verification, and review practices to increase predictability and support mission success
Required Skills & Qualifications:
Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related technical field
10+ years of experience in space systems engineering, spacecraft development, satellite systems integration, or a related technical leadership role
Demonstrated experience delivering through at least one satellite-level program lifecycle, including architecture, design, integration, verification, launch readiness, customer delivery, or mission operations phases
Strong working knowledge of satellite systems engineering, including requirements management, system architecture, interface definition, verification planning, integration, technical budgets, risk management, and mission readiness
Experience leading major technical reviews or readiness milestones such as SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR, MRR/MRB, FRR, or equivalent program reviews
- Demonstrated willingness and ability to leverage AI-assisted engineering and development tools to improve productivity, design quality, and innovation while adapting to evolving technologies and best practices
Familiarity with systems engineering standards and disciplined technical governance practices, including configuration management, discrepancy review, engineering change control, and verification evidence management
Proven ability to lead cross-functional engineering teams through uncertainty, changing priorities, and high-pressure program milestones
Strong stakeholder management skills, including the ability to align engineering, program management, Product Assurance, customers, suppliers, and leadership around technical decisions and program outcomes
Excellent technical writing, presentation, and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex technical issues into clear impacts, options, recommendations, and decision rationale
Strong decision-making, problem-solving, and risk management skills
Strong attention to detail, with the ability to maintain technical rigor while operating in a fast-paced program environment
Flexible, proactive, adaptable, and results-oriented, with a practical “can-do” approach
Bonus Points:
Experience with constellation-level systems, multi-satellite programs, portfolio-level technical execution, or scalable satellite architectures
Development or technical leadership experience in one or more spacecraft subsystem areas, preferably software, communications/RF, avionics, payloads, or other mission-critical satellite systems
Experience using subsystem development knowledge to guide IPTs, provide credible recommendations, and connect subsystem-level decisions to whole-system outcomes
Experience with FMECA, FDIR design or development, reliability engineering, fault management, or mission assurance practices
Good working knowledge of orbit analysis, constellation configurations, RF link analysis, system budgets, operations, ground segment, space environment, and satellite mechanical and electrical architectures
Good knowledge of a range of satellite applications, such as Earth observation, communications, navigation, science, or related mission domains
Experience with payload development, integration, customer delivery, technical management, operations, or mission application understanding, including optical, SAR, SigINT, communications, or other mission payloads
Experience applying AI-enabled tools or automation to improve systems engineering workflows, including design iteration, technical reviews, documentation, trade studies, and decision tracking, while maintaining engineering rigor and human oversight
Skills Required
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Aerospace, Systems, Electrical, Software, Computer Engineering, or related field
- 10+ years experience in space systems engineering, spacecraft development, satellite systems integration, or related technical leadership
- Experience delivering through at least one satellite-level program lifecycle (architecture, design, integration, verification, launch readiness, or operations)
- Strong working knowledge of satellite systems engineering: requirements management, system architecture, interface definition, verification planning, integration, technical budgets, risk management, and mission readiness
- Experience leading major technical reviews or readiness milestones (SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR, MRR/MRB, FRR or equivalents)
- Familiarity with systems engineering standards and disciplined technical governance: configuration management, discrepancy review, engineering change control, verification evidence management
- Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional engineering teams and manage stakeholders including program management, product assurance, suppliers, customers, and leadership
- Excellent technical writing, presentation, and verbal communication skills
- Strong decision-making, problem-solving, and risk management skills
- Demonstrated willingness and ability to leverage AI-assisted engineering and development tools
- Attention to detail and ability to maintain technical rigor in a fast-paced program environment
- Flexible, proactive, adaptable, and results-oriented
- Experience with constellation-level systems, multi-satellite programs, or scalable satellite architectures
- Development or technical leadership experience in spacecraft subsystems (software, communications/RF, avionics, payloads)
- Experience with FMECA, FDIR design, reliability engineering, fault management, or mission assurance practices
- Working knowledge of orbit analysis, constellation configurations, RF link analysis, system budgets, operations, ground segment, and space environment impacts
- Experience with payload development, integration, customer delivery, or mission payloads (optical, SAR, SigINT, communications)
- Experience applying AI-enabled tools or automation to systems engineering workflows while maintaining engineering rigor
What We Do
Kepler designs, builds, launches, and operates an advanced network of low earth orbit satellites with the ultimate goal of bringing internet to outer space. Today, Kepler serves the needs of earth by connecting machines all around the world using its satellites on orbit and other complementary networks. Through a host of compatible partner equipment we make it easy to use satellite communications in your solution and route data over the best networks.
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