
Senior Systems Engineer
Centennial, COJob$62–84/hrSeen todaySeen in employer's feed today
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At a glance
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Requirements
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Job overview
The Senior Systems Engineer serves as the systems engineering focal for major spacecraft subsystems and supports space and defense programs across the engineering lifecycle. The role develops and manages requirements, maintains traceability, evaluates interfaces, conducts trade studies, and supports verification and validation. It also leads or supports subsystem integration and testing, assesses design changes, troubleshoots integration challenges, identifies risks, and contributes to technical reviews.
Skills & qualifications
Skills
Qualifications
Full job description
Job Description
The Senior Systems Engineer will serve as the Systems Engineering focal for one or more major spacecraft subsystems and support complex space and defense programs throughout the full engineering lifecycle. This individual will work closely with subsystem, vehicle, hardware, software, test, and mission teams to develop and manage requirements, maintain traceability, evaluate system interfaces, conduct technical trade studies, and support verification and validation. They will lead or support subsystem integration and test activities, conduct impact assessments when requirements or designs change, troubleshoot integration challenges, identify technical and mission risks, and provide engineering inputs for major design and technical reviews. Depending on their area of expertise, the Senior Systems Engineer may support subsystems including GNC, propulsion, communications, electrical power, flight software, payloads, thermal, structures, mechanisms, C&DH, or cyber/crypto while helping ensure the subsystem successfully integrates into the overall spacecraft. This role is offering an hourly rate of $62-84/hr. This role will be on-site in Centennial, Colorado OR Long Beach, California. If this sounds like the role for you, please apply today!
Skills and Requirements
8+ years of full lifecycle aerospace or space systems engineering experience Experience leading a major spacecraft or aerospace subsystem through design, integration, test, and verification Domain expertise in at least one spacecraft subsystem, such as: Command & Data Handling (C&DH) Communications Cyber/Crypto Electrical Power Flight Software Guidance, Navigation & Control (GNC) Mechanisms Payload Integration Propulsion Structures/Harness Thermal Control Strong experience with requirements development, decomposition, traceability, and verification Experience conducting system/subsystem trade studies, performance analyses, and feasibility assessments Experience supporting system integration, test planning, and verification Ability to perform technical impact analysis when requirements, interfaces, or designs change Strong understanding of interfaces between hardware, software, and spacecraft subsystems Proven technical leadership on a major aerospace program Ability to lead cross-functional technical activities and coordinate across engineering disciplines Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related technical discipline Ability to obtain and maintain a DoD TS/SCI or TS/SAP clearance Advanced degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, Systems Engineering, or related discipline Active TS/SCI clearance Experience supporting defense, classified, or national security space missions Experience with Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) Experience with Test Readiness Reviews, range certification, or safety boards Experience supporting spacecraft through real-time mission operations Familiarity with DoD and NASA systems engineering standards and processes Experience leading cross-functional engineering teams through a full design-to-delivery lifecycle
We are a company committed to creating diverse and inclusive environments where people can bring their full, authentic selves to work every day. We are an equal employment opportunity/affirmative action employer that believes everyone matters. Qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, marital status, national origin, ancestry, genetic factors, age, disability, protected veteran status, military or uniformed service member status, or any other status or characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations, and ordinances. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please send a request to [email protected].
How this job compares
Set against the 11,576 open Systems Engineer jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 4, 2026.
- Pay
- This posting$62–84/hr
- Colorado median$65–80/hr42 hourly ranges
- US median$56–70/hr454 hourly ranges
This range's midpoint, $73/hr, is 4% below the Colorado median midpoint ($76/hr) — in the middle half of Systems Engineer hourly ranges in Colorado.
- Openings
- Olive Jobs lists 1,073 open Systems Engineer jobs in Colorado and 11,576 across the US. 5% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
- Hiring the most in Colorado
- Lockheed Martin152 open
- BAE Systems88 open
- Northrop Grumman47 open
- Experience
- This posting asks for at least 8 years of experience; Systems Engineer postings that state a minimum ask for 5 years at the median (9,652 postings).
- Education
- This posting asks for a bachelor's degree; 4,541 of the 11,576 open Systems Engineer jobs (39%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.
Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 4, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.
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