Principal Systems Engineer - Digital Engineering & Advanced Tools

Who We Are:

At SES Space & Defense, we are a trusted partner ensuring mission success for customers operating in the most demanding environments. As part of SES S.A., a global leader in satellite-enabled connectivity, we deliver multi-orbit, end-to-end satellite and technology solutions that provide secure, reliable, and high-bandwidth communications across the globe.

Our differentiated multi-orbit architecture combines GEO and MEO satellite systems with integrated terrestrial and network infrastructure to deliver resilient, low-latency, high-throughput connectivity at a global scale. With more than 120 satellites covering nearly the entire world, a global ground network, and thousands of deployed terminals supporting over 5,000 government missions annually, SES Space and Defense is a trusted partner to the U.S. Federal Government and national security community, allied governments, NATO, and agencies including NASA for mission-critical communications.

We strive to be the only solution when success is critical and recognize our people as our competitive advantage. At SES Space & Defense, you'll work alongside a mission-driven team committed to integrity, honor, and accountability, delivering real-world impact across today's most critical missions.

We are seeking an experienced and innovative Principal Systems Engineer - Digital Engineering & Advanced Technologies to lead the development and implementation of next-generation digital capabilities across cloud platforms, software systems, data architectures, analytics environments, and automation frameworks. This position serves as a technical leader responsible for advancing digital transformation initiatives through the application of cloud technologies, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), advanced analytics, software integration, API-driven architectures, and enterprise automation solutions.

Working across engineering, software development, operations, and business teams, you will architect and deliver scalable, secure, and data-driven solutions that improve operational effectiveness, enhance decision-making, and accelerate mission outcomes. The ideal candidate combines a strong systems engineering foundation with expertise in modern software ecosystems, digital engineering practices, enterprise data architectures, and emerging technologies. You will play a key role in shaping the organization’s digital engineering strategy while enabling the next generation of engineering and operational capabilities.

• Lead the systems engineering, architecture, and integration of digital engineering and technology modernization initiatives
• Develop and implement solutions leveraging AI, machine learning, predictive analytics, and automation technologies to improve operational performance and business outcomes
• Define and manage system architectures, technical roadmaps, requirements, interfaces, and integration strategies for enterprise software and data platforms
• Design and oversee API-based integrations between internal and external systems, applications, and services
• Collaborate with software engineering teams to ensure system requirements, architecture, and technical solutions are aligned with business objectives
• Support the development and deployment of cloud-native applications and microservices-based architectures
• Lead digital engineering initiatives that improve engineering efficiency, data accessibility, traceability, and decision-making across the enterprise
• Develop enterprise data architecture strategies that enable effective data governance, analytics, automation, and interoperability across business and operational systems
• Establish data management, analytics, and reporting frameworks that enable actionable insights and operational visibility
• Evaluate emerging technologies and recommend innovative solutions to enhance digital capabilities
• Develop technical documentation, system designs, interface specifications, and engineering artifacts throughout the system lifecycle
• Provide technical leadership, mentorship, and guidance to multidisciplinary engineering teams
• Support customer engagements, technical presentations, business…