Senior Systems Engineer
Posted Updated
- Parallel Systems is building autonomous, battery-electric rail vehicles to modernize freight transportation
- We are looking for a hands-on Senior Systems Engineer to interface with customers and end users to define the product
- You’ll architect the system and use best Systems Engineering practices to define requirements, lead design reviews, and execute validation campaigns
- This position straddles the vehicle hardware and the end user command and control software
- You will have a critical role in integrating to existing train control systems, and will participate in crafting the next generation of advanced autonomous rail operations
- Define high level needs, goals, and objectives based on business and customer desires
- Develop product plans and roadmaps and guide team execution to those plans
- Lead trade studies to determine best implementation of product
- Develop system architecture, concepts of operation, and requirements
- Decompose system level requirements to subsystems requirements with all engineering disciples (mechanical, electrical, system/software)
- Manage and maintain requirements traceability from system requirements through validation evidence using a structured requirements database
- Develop interface control documents (ICD)
- Develop compliance matrix, verification and validation plan, integration plan and design verification test (DVT) plan/procedure
- Lead and perform Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA)
- Provide feedback across the design lifecycle to improve testability, reliability, and system robustness
- Provide technical guidance for engineering best practices
- Success in This Role:
- After 30 Days: Understand the vehicle architecture, command and control software, railroad operating environment, subsystem interfaces, and existing requirements. Identify the highest-priority gaps in requirements, traceability, integration, and validation
- After 60 Days: Own key system and subsystem requirements and interfaces. Lead cross-functional design reviews, improve requirements traceability, and begin driving trade studies and integration issue
- After 90 Days: Independently lead systems engineering for a major vehicle or operational capability. Establish clear requirements, interfaces, risks, and verification plans, and drive integration and validation to produce structured, audit-ready evidence
- Experience with existing railroad operations and train control software
- Direct experience testing electromechanical systems that integrate hardware, firmware, and software interfaces
- Experience with system and subsystem validation such as acceptance testing, environmental validation, integration testing, and deployment testing
- 5+ years of experience working on complex hardware systems
- Demonstrated ability to create structured, audit-ready documentation for safety and compliance purposes
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, Controls, Aerospace, Computer Science, or related field
- Strong foundation in electromechanical fundamentals and system integration
- Experience with classical systems engineering practices including requirements management, functional architecture, and DFMEA
- Experience managing or administering a requirements database and maintaining verification traceability
- Experience integrating hardware and software systems in a regulated or safety-critical environment
- Experience with Python or similar programming languages
- Track record of implementing process improvements across engineering or manufacturing systems
- Familiarity with CAD tools such as SolidWorks