Mission Engineer - Software SME

Mid-Level Systems Engineer

Join the Space Dynamics Laboratory (SDL) team, where you'll contribute to groundbreaking innovations! We are seeking applicants for a mid-level Systems Engineer to help manage software development projects that support the Space Development Agency's PWSA with our Strategic & Military Space Division. The Strategic & Military Space Division delivers advanced satellite and sensor systems that support the Department of Defense and the Intelligence Community.

Our division is a key component of national security, providing technological solutions and expert mission support. Become part of a team dedicated to making a tangible contribution to our nation's defense capabilities.

Location:

Huntsville, AL preferred but locations considered.

• Supports program managers and lead systems engineers on a program in technical management of projects through tracking, risks, requirements, interfaces, configurations, and related tasks
• Has technical responsibility for planning and conducting technical projects or phases of projects
• Designs and coordinates complex systems that involve interdisciplinary engineering such as software, hardware, thermal, structural, optical, and electrical
• Defines and develops interfaces between development teams
• Ensures common understanding between teams throughout development and is responsible for coordinating the work of many engineers, each of whom is an expert in one part of a system
• Gathers all the necessary information about what is needed in a system, selects several possible ways of designing the system, and uses systems analysis to break down the possible solutions into smaller parts
• Creates and maintains programmatic and technical documentation to ensure efficient planning and execution
• Coordinates system development tasks to include design, integration, and formal testing
• Oversees software development activities of SDA contractors to ensure appropriate processes and procedures are followed
• Operates as a subject matter expert on behalf of SDA to influence mature software development practices across the organization
• Operates as a technical point of contact for SDA upper management

• Must be a U.S. citizen with an active, or previously held, U.S. Government security clearance
• Bachelor's degree in engineering or a related technical field and 10+ years of combined software engineering and systems engineering experience
• Systems engineering experience with familiarity with satellite bus architectures
• Ability to lead and communicate effectively to interdisciplinary technical teams in proposal and design efforts for small- to mid-sized programs
• Ability to provide mitigation strategies to minimize risk
• Ability to interpret customer-driven requirements to determine areas of risk from a technical, cost, and schedule perspective
• Ability to provide leadership and mentoring to junior engineers
• Ability to respond resourcefully to new demands and challenges
• Proficiency in managing and prioritizing requirements development and verification, risks, interfaces, configurations, and trade studies on medium to large complexity programs
• Proficiency in providing technical oversight and leadership as the Lead Systems Engineer on small- to medium-sized programs
• Proven organization and planning skills
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to work effectively both individually and within a team environment
• Strong attention to detail while still having a system-level perspective
• Ability to anticipate software development risks and develop contingency plans to manage them
• Proficiency in all phases of a software development lifecycle
• Ability to relate well with outside customers and maintain good relationships under challenging circumstances
• Ability to abstract the progress of a software development project and present appropriate status to senior leadership (may include remote presentations, white papers, and/or personal communications)
• Moderate travel to support SDA (approximately 6-9 weeks a year)

* Salary Range

• $118,000 - $226,000 Salary commensurate based on education and experience

This range serves as a general guideline and may vary based on factors such as role, level, location, market conditions, and individual qualifications, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. The range displayed in the job advertisement reflects the minimum and maximum target salaries across all US locations. Specific salary details for a candidate's preferred location can be provided by the recruiter or HR manager during the hiring process.

Why Join SDL? SDL offers competitive salaries and a comprehensive benefits package. Visit our Benefits Page to learn more about what we offer. SDL delivers advanced multi-domain solutions to protect national security and enable scientific discovery. Our expertise in satellites, sensors and instruments, ground systems and data processing, and autonomous systems plays a critical role in missions supporting NASA…