Senior Electrical Satellite Systems Engineer Fastwater Staffing

As a Senior Electrical Satellite Systems Engineer, you'll play a pivotal role in ensuring end-to-end mission success. You will lead the definition, integration, verification, and operational readiness of the satellite electrical architecture — from subsystem trade studies and design reviews to launch and early orbit phases.

You'll act as a technical authority across payload and bus domains, mentoring junior engineers and serving as a trusted point of contact for operators, customers, and launch partners.

Key Responsibilities

• System Design and Development
  • Support ongoing design of electrical subsystems through final flight design, build, and test.
  • Define system requirements and maintain performance budgets across power, data, and reliability.
• Requirements Management
  • Maintain system requirements, verification, and test matrices from mission level down to subsystems.
• Technical Analysis
  • Perform and manage analyses including power budgets, failure mode analysis, and reliability.
• Interface Control
  • Manage interface control documents (ICDs) to ensure proper electrical connections between subsystems.
• Testing and Verification
  • Develop and oversee execution of test plans and procedures to verify and validate satellite performance through qualification and LEOP phases.
• Documentation
  • Prepare and maintain design reports, specifications, and verification matrices.
• Team Leadership
  • Provide technical guidance and mentorship to junior engineers and collaborate with multidisciplinary teams (software, mechanical, ground segment)
• Supplier and Project Management
  • Oversee subcontractors and vendors to ensure compliance with program requirements.
• Program Support
  • Participate in major reviews including SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR, PSR, and LRR.

Required Skills and Experience

• Education
  • Bachelor's or Master's in Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field.
• Experience
  • 15+ years in satellite systems design for LEO constellations, with full lifecycle experience.

Technical Expertise

• Systems Leadership & Architecture
  • Define spacecraft electrical system architecture ensuring optimal payload–bus integration.
  • Develop and maintain system-level documentation (Satellite Reference Database, Parameter Book, CONOPS).
  • Oversee subsystem interfaces for avionics, power, AOCS, propulsion, TT&C, thermal, and data handling.
  • Own requirements management, flow-down, and traceability across the project lifecycle.
  • Conduct gap analyses and ensure subsystem requirements meet mission-level objectives.
• Design, Verification & Validation
  • Define and validate electrical performance budgets (power, data, fault management).
  • Lead all V&V phases including electrical ground testing (qualification, TVAC, EMC/EMI), and environmental qualification.
  • Drive fault detection, isolation, and recovery (FDIR) strategy and contribute to flight software validation.
  • Oversee system-level integration testing and ensure design compliance.
  • Lead readiness for launch, early orbit, and end-of-rendezvous operations.
• Operations & Launch Support
  • Interface with launch providers to ensure compliance with integration and environmental requirements.
  • Provide technical leadership during launch campaigns, LEOP, and in-orbit testing.
  • Support Satellite Operations Control Center (SOCC) activities including telemetry, command databases, and anomaly resolution.
• Stakeholder Communication & Leadership
  • Engage with customers and satellite operators on complex technical matters.
  • Mentor junior engineers and promote systems thinking and disciplined engineering practice.
  • Lead and document design reviews ensuring compliance with ECSS, PUS-STD, and internal standards.

Tools & Soft Skills

• Experience with flight engineering software, Agile methods, and modeling/simulation tools (e.g., MATLAB).
• Strong written and verbal communication with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Proven analytical and problem-solving abilities in dynamic, ambiguous environments.