Systems Engineer

Job Title: Systems Engineer Requirements & Verification Traceability (RVTM)

Job Description

The Systems Engineer Requirements, Verification Traceability Matrix (RVTM) will own and manage the complete requirements verification traceability matrix for a maritime autonomous vehicle, ensuring every program requirement is correctly allocated to subsystems and linked to the specific tests or analyses that verify it has been met. This role sits at the critical intersection between a moving requirements baseline and an evolving test campaign, ensuring that changes in requirements and test results remain accurately synchronized and traceable throughout the program lifecycle.

Responsibilities

• Own and maintain the requirements verification traceability matrix (RVTM) for a maritime autonomous vehicle program.

• Establish and manage the end-to-end thread from high-level program requirements through subsystem allocations to the specific tests or analyses that verify each requirement.

• Continuously track and update traceability as both the requirements baseline and test campaign evolve over time.

• Identify and update verification items that become invalid when requirements change, ensuring no gaps in verification coverage.

• Review completed tests and analyses to confirm they correctly and fully close the requirements they are intended to verify.

• Collaborate closely with systems engineering, design, and test teams to ensure alignment between requirements, system architecture, and verification plans.

• Build and refine the verification matrix in parallel with the development of the requirements baseline, rather than after the fact.

• Provide feedback on new or changing requirements, including pushing back on requirements that cannot be practically or objectively verified before they are baselined.

• Use requirements management tools to define, track, and manage requirements and their associated verification methods and results.

• Support planning and execution of hardware verification activities by ensuring every test, analysis, inspection, or demonstration is correctly linked to the appropriate requirements.

• Monitor verification status and readiness, highlighting risks, gaps, and dependencies related to requirements and test coverage.

• Generate and maintain clear documentation and reports that demonstrate complete and accurate traceability for internal stakeholders and external reviewers.

Essential Skills

• Bachelors degree in Systems Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a closely related field.

• 7+ years of experience in Systems Engineering with direct ownership of requirements and verification traceability.

• Proven experience building and managing a verification matrix on a hardware-focused program.

• Hands-on experience with requirements definition, validation, and verification processes.

• Proficiency with requirements management software tools such as DOORS, Jama, Polarion, or equivalent platforms.

• Demonstrated ability to create and maintain a requirements verification traceability matrix (RVTM) across complex systems.

• Experience working with autonomous or complex engineered systems where rigorous traceability is essential.

• Ability to interpret and decompose high-level program requirements into subsystem-level requirements and verification activities.

• Strong analytical skills and attention to detail when reviewing requirements, test procedures, and verification results.

• Ability to collaborate effectively with multidisciplinary engineering and test teams to align requirements and verification plans.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Familiarity with SysML or similar model-based systems engineering approaches for structuring requirements and system architecture.

• Experience using traceability matrices in safety-critical or mission-critical environments.

• Experience working with maritime, underwater, or other autonomous vehicle systems.

• Ability to clearly communicate complex traceability and verification topics to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

• Strong documentation skills for producing clear, audit-ready requirements and verification records.

Work Environment

You will work inside a modern, approximately 160,000-square-foot prototype factory supporting the development of a large autonomous underwater vehicle designed from a clean sheet. The system features ultra-long range, full-ocean-depth capability, and operates without GPS and beyond line of sight for extended durations. The environment is highly technical and collaborative, with close interaction among systems, hardware, and test teams as the vehicle and its requirements baseline are actively being defined and verified.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract position based out of Costa Mesa, CA.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $90.00 - $96.00/hr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following: Medical, dental & vision Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital 401(k) Retirement Plan Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) Short and long-term disability Health Spending Account (HSA) Transportation benefits Employee Assistance Program Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract position based out of Costa Mesa, CA.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Nov 13, 2026.

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Costa Mesa,CA.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email [email protected] for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.