Senior Instrument Systems Engineer

You will join the instrument engineering team with a focus on infrared remote sensing instruments, driving development from concept through on-orbit operations for national security missions. You will work across many layers of technical depth, from individual components through the system level, collaborating closely with subsystem engineers, analysts, and cross-functional teams to bring instruments from concept to flight.

Responsibilities

• Lead instrument architecture trades, define concept of operations, own radiometric model and throughput budget, drive requirements decomposition/flowdown and verification and validation (V&V) planning
• Develop and manage technical budgets, including mass, power, thermal, line-of-sight pointing/jitter, and data volume, to ensure adequate margins throughout development
• Develop comprehensive interface control documents (ICDs) across mechanical, thermal, electrical, and software interfaces, to drive a modular instrument architecture
• Support optical instrument assembly, integration, and test (AI&T) planning and implementation, including collaboration with cross-functional teams
• Champion the continuous improvement of systems engineering methodologies, tools, and best practices to enhance overall efficiency in instrument development
• Collaborate and communicate effectively with subsystem engineers and analysts, instrument and spacecraft systems engineers, AI&T and production teams, program managers, external partner teams, and other stakeholders
• Participate in a 24/7 on-call rotation to support on-orbit anomaly resolution, approximately one week per month

Requirements

• B.S, M.S., or Ph.D. in an engineering field, or equivalent experience
• 5+ years of experience working in a multi-disciplinary environment, with exposure to imaging systems, infrared remote sensing instruments, and spacecraft
• Software skills in one or more languages (e.g. Python, Julia)
• Experience with root cause analysis efforts including data analysis and testing
• Experience performing data analysis, post-processing, and test report generation
• Excellent communication, presentation, and organization skills
• Ability to obtain TS/SCI security clearance required, active clearance strongly preferred
• Experience integrating and interpreting STOP analysis results to drive instrument design trades and error budget allocations
• Experience working hands-on with precision optical and mechanical metrology equipment
• Experience supporting environmental testing (thermal stress screening, TVAC, random vibration), integrated spacecraft testing, and launch campaigns
• Experience working in cleanroom environments

Benefits

• Equity compensation
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401k retirement plan
• Short & long term disability and life insurance
• Three weeks paid vacation for new employees
• 12 paid holidays
• Unlimited sick time
• Paid parental leave