Senior Engineering Manager, Systems Engineering

To conform with the United States Government Space Technology Export Regulations, the applicant must be a United States citizen, lawful permanent resident, conditional resident, asylee, or refugee, as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

At Cesium Astro, we are developers and pioneers of out‑of‑the‑box communication systems for satellites, UAVs, launch vehicles, and other space and airborne platforms. We take pride in our dynamic and cross‑functional work environment, which allows us to learn, develop, and engage across our organization. If you are looking for hands‑on, interactive, and autonomous work, Cesium Astro is the place for you.

We are actively seeking passionate, collaborative, energetic, and forward‑thinking individuals to join our team.

This senior manager is responsible for functional management of the Systems Engineering department by developing standard processes for system engineering such as requirements management, verification and validation plans, conceptual design, and all aspects of the Systems Engineering Lifecycle. The selected candidate will manage the deployment of resources to programs, develop and maintain processes, interface with customers, mentor and evaluate performance, coordinate activities, and support career development of department members.

The Senior Manager of Systems Engineering leads the Systems Engineering team in developing complex, state‑of‑the‑art space vehicles and payload systems for space and airborne applications. The team works in close collaboration with business development, conceptual design, and other functional engineering teams on architecture concepts and enabling technologies for communications systems. The team leads requirements definition and decomposition, concept of operations (CONOPS) development, verification planning, and risk assessment.

Systems Engineering also serves as the primary technical contact with customers and Program Management on active programs.

• Lead a team of skilled Systems Engineers fostering a culture of innovation, efficiency, and continuous improvement.
• Provide employees with task assignments, help employees connect their efforts to the bigger picture, and create an inclusive work environment characterized by mutual respect and valuing differences.
• Drive accountability ensuring that milestones are met and that customer expectations for quality and delivery are satisfied.
• Set clear performance objectives, provide regular feedback, and conduct performance evaluations to support professional growth within the team.
• Partner with recruitment to ensure staffing goals are met in support of business growth.
• Ensure necessary training and certification programs align with business and employee development needs.
• Promote engagement of company culture and values within the Systems Engineering team.
• Evaluate customer and operational needs to define system performance requirements, integrate technical parameters, and ensure compatibility of all physical, functional, and program interfaces.
• Support reviews of requests for proposals to support solution development and response.
• Manage the process for requirements definition and decomposition, concept of operations (CONOPS) development, verification planning, and risk assessment.
• Develop designs and conduct research that result in new requirements management methodologies or unique approaches that mitigate assessment and review findings.
• Lead efforts in developing system engineering processes for requirements management, flowdown, and traceability.
• Define the company methodology and baseline set of technical documents for our programs and products.

• Master’s or Doctorate degree in an applicable engineering discipline.
• 11+ years of experience in the field of space communications.
• 6+ years of experience in technical lead or people‑management roles.
• Experience with and understanding of satellite‑communications standards (, DVB‑S2x, CCSDS).
• Experience working with product or component developers and vendors who provide critical functionality…