
Lead Systems Engineer
Centennial, COJob$77–137/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 Lead Systems Engineer provides technical leadership across the development, integration, verification, and validation of mission-critical space and defense systems. The role owns day-to-day systems engineering activities, guides program Systems Engineers, and coordinates across subsystem teams to resolve integration challenges. It also leads or supports technical review boards, develops system-level test and verification plans, assesses risks, and works with customers, government stakeholders, and internal teams throughout the system lifecycle.
Skills & qualifications
Skills
Qualifications
Full job description
Job Description
The Lead Systems Engineer will provide technical leadership for the development, integration, verification, and validation of complex, mission-critical space and defense systems. This individual will own day-to-day systems engineering activities, including requirements definition and decomposition, verification and validation planning, interface definition, MBSE and requirements-tool integration, technical trade studies, system performance analysis, and gate review execution. The Lead Systems Engineer will guide and prioritize the work of program Systems Engineers while coordinating across mechanical, electrical, software, and other subsystem teams to resolve integration challenges and ensure mission readiness. They will also lead or support Engineering Review Boards and Failure Review Boards, develop system-level test and verification plans, assess technical and mission risks, and work closely with customers, government stakeholders, and internal engineering teams throughout the full system lifecycle. This role is offering an hourly rate of $77-113/hr for Staff Level and $94-137/hr for Principal Level. This role will be on-site in Centennial, Colorado. If this sounds like the role for you, please apply today!
Skills and Requirements
Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related technical field 12+ years of full lifecycle systems engineering experience for Staff level or 15+ years for Principal level Experience leading a vehicle or complex aerospace system through design, integration, test, verification, and validation Proven systems engineering leadership on a major aerospace, defense, or space program Strong experience with requirements definition, decomposition, verification, and validation (RV&V) Experience with system architecture, trade studies, interface control, integration, and failure analysis Ability to lead cross-functional engineering teams across mechanical, electrical, hardware, and software disciplines Experience leading technical/design reviews and balancing technical requirements with program schedule and execution needs Strong technical communication, documentation, and stakeholder management skills Must be able to obtain and maintain a DoD TS/SCI or TS/SAP security clearance Master’s degree or other advanced degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, Systems Engineering, or a related field Active TS/SCI clearance Experience with Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) Experience supporting classified defense or space missions Knowledge of DoD and/or NASA mission standards and processes Experience with range certification, Test Readiness Reviews (TRRs), Engineering Review Boards (ERBs), Failure Review Boards (FRBs), and safety boards Experience working with government agencies, defense primes, or subcontractors Track record of leading cross-functional engineering teams through full design-to-delivery lifecycles
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$77–137/hr
- Colorado median$65–80/hr42 hourly ranges
- US median$56–70/hr454 hourly ranges
This range's midpoint, $107/hr, is 41% above the Colorado median midpoint ($76/hr) — in the top quarter 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 12 years of experience — more than three in four Systems Engineer postings that state a minimum ask for (median 5 years, across 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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