Chief Engineer - Payload Systems Engineering

Overview

SES Space & Defense is a trusted partner ensuring mission success for our customers by blanketing the globe with multi orbit end to end satellite and technology solutions which provide reliable, secure, and high bandwidth connectivity. We strive to be the only solution when success is critical, and we will take care of our employees because we recognize they are our competitive advantage.

The SES S&D Team, along with our customers and partners, will achieve success through integrity, honor, and commitment.

As a Payload Systems Engineer, you will serve as the technical lead for the endtoend design, development, integration, test, deployment, and onorbit commissioning of hosted payloads and payloadcentric missions on GEO and MEO spacecraft. Operating as a payloadfocused Chief Engineer, you will own payload performance, payloadtobus interfaces, and overall mission success across a broad range of payload types-including communications, sensing, compute, and advanced technology demonstrators.

You will collaborate closely with heritage spacecraft primes and next generation spacecraft manufacturers to drive requirements, manage interfaces, lead verification and validation efforts, and retire technical risk across all subsystems (mechanical, thermal, structural, electrical, power, RF/communications, TT&C, avionics, and flight software).

• Lead Payload Architecture & Accommodation Trades:
  Guide payload technical decisions for hosted payloads, dedicated freeflyers, and proliferated constellation missions.
• Manage payload requirements, define ICDs, maintain configuration control in SESSD MBSE systems, and drive change management.
• Serve as Payload-Bus Integration Authority:
  Oversee mechanical, thermal, structural, electrical, RF/EMI/EMC, contamination, and radiation interface considerations to ensure seamless payload accommodation.
• Develop & Execute V&V Plans:
  Lead functional, EMI/EMC, thermal vacuum, vibration/shock, RF performance, and endtoend mission validation testing.
• Drive Integration Planning & Execution:
  Ensure integration readiness across MGSE/EGSE, cleanroom workflows, spacecraftlevel integration, and anomaly resolution.
• Own Commissioning & OnOrbit Payload Checkout:
  Lead onorbit calibration, checkout, and performance validation while coordinating with mission operations.
• Shape & Manage Hosted Payload Opportunities:
  Evaluate technical feasibility, accommodation impacts, schedules, and risk posture while engaging suppliers and customers.
• Author & Maintain Mission Critical Documentation:
  Prepare technical deliverables, customer documentation, and inputs for SRR/PDR/CDR/TRR/FRR, as well as lead technical interchange meetings.

• Singlethreaded ownership of payload mission success from concept development through I&T and onorbit commissioning, supported by deep cross disciplinary integration across mechanical, thermal, structural, electrical, power, RF/comms, TT&C, avionics, software, and mission operations interfaces.
• Demonstrated ability to drive disciplined requirements flowdown, interface control, and configuration management while developing executable V&V strategies, ensuring I&T readiness, and closing requirements with missionappropriate quality and speed.
• Proven skill in proactive risk identification and retirement through data driven mitigation and clear entry/exit criteria, coupled with sound engineering judgment under schedule pressure.
• Effective communicator who negotiates constraints and leads timely technical alignment across internal and external stakeholders.
• Collaborative team player who mentors and trains colleagues, openly shares knowledge, and ensures others gain meaningful handson exposure-fostering a nonterritorial, hightrust engineering culture.
• Handson experience in payload integration environments-including clean rooms, environmental testing, and EGSE/MGSE-paired with strong understanding of practical integration workflows and endtoend system behavior.

• BS + 15 years or MS + 12 years in Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical Engineering (or related) with extensive spacecraft payload engineering experience.
• US…