Lead Systems Engineer

Lead Systems Engineer

The Lead Systems Engineer is responsible for leading requirements management, architecture definition, interface control, and verification planning for complex, multi-disciplinary systems. They will collaborate closely with mechanical, electrical, software, and test teams to integrate subsystems into mission-capable solutions, manage technical risks, and ensure our systems meet customer performance, schedule, and cost objectives.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, decompose, and manage system and subsystem requirements from customer needs through verification and validation
• Establish and maintain bidirectional traceability between requirements, design elements, and verification methods using requirements management tools
• Define and document system and subsystem interfaces (mechanical, electrical, optical, RF, data) through Interface Control Documents (ICDs)
• Develop system architectures, functional flows, and physical decompositions for electromechanical, opto-mechanical, and RF systems
• Conduct trade studies and technical analyses to support design decisions and optimize system performance against cost, schedule, and performance constraints
• Create verification matrices and test plans that map requirements to appropriate verification methods (test, analysis, inspection, demonstration)
• Develop integration strategies and support integration activities for multi-disciplinary systems across subsystems and suppliers
• Support system-level testing, verification events, and validation activities to ensure requirements are met
• Collaborate daily with mechanical, electrical, software, optical, and RF engineers to resolve technical issues and ensure system-level integration
• Identify, assess, and track technical risks; develop mitigation plans in collaboration with engineering teams
• Prepare technical specifications, reports, design documentation, and presentations for internal teams and customers
• Assess impact of requirements changes and support change control processes to maintain technical and programmatic integrity
• Contribute to continuous improvement of systems engineering processes, tools, templates, and best practices

Technical Leadership & Coordination

• Serve as the technical lead across cross-functional teams (e.g., electrical, mechanical, software, RF, test, manufacturing, quality).
• Lead customer and technical reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR, etc.), ensuring design maturity and risk mitigation.
• Provide technical guidance to systems engineers and contributing engineers and review technical work products for quality, completeness, and alignment with system requirements.
• Act as the primary technical point of contact for internal stakeholders, customers, and suppliers.
• Represent technical status and risk to internal leadership/stakeholders during reviews such as PMRs.

Requirements & Configuration Management

• Lead requirements capture, analysis, allocation, and traceability using appropriate tools (e.g., DOORS, Jama, etc.).
• Manage configuration baselines and ensure changes are controlled, documented, and communicated.
• Ensure compliance with relevant standards, regulations, and customer specifications.

Integration, Verification & Validation (IV&V)

• Define system integration strategy and test approach across lab, field, and production environments.
• Develop and/or oversee test plans, procedures, and reports for system-level verification and validation.
• Lead root-cause analysis and corrective actions for integration and test issues, collaborating with design teams.

Risk, Quality & Lifecycle Management

• Identify technical risks and opportunities; develop and maintain mitigation/contingency plans.
• Support reliability, safety, and FMEA/FMECA analyses as required.
• Contribute to lifecycle planning, including production transition, sustainment, and end-of-life strategies.

Project Support & Communication

• Work closely with Program/Project Management to align technical scope, schedule, and budget.
• Provide technical input to proposals, estimates, and customer presentations.
• Prepare and deliver clear technical documentation, design reports, and briefings to both technical and non-technical audiences.

Mentoring & Process Improvement

• Mentor…