Systems Engineer, Senior

Position Highlights

Please note, the Position Highlights have been updated to include additional information about the position.

The University of Arizona's Steward Observatory invites you to apply to the role of Systems Engineer, Senior. The candidate must be experienced in leading multidisciplinary engineering teams that have successfully delivered complex, high-precision opto-mechanical systems for both ground-based and space-based astronomical instrumentation. This position plays a central role in the development of systems level documentation, including the top-level Requirements Document and all lower-level requirement specifications that establish the subsystem baseline design. The engineer will contribute directly to Steward Observatory's portfolio of advanced instrumentation projects, including a high-visibility, privately funded space mission.

The successful candidate must have strong communication skills and be able to represent the engineering team professionally in both internal and external technical engagements. The Systems Engineer, Senior is expected to be a motivated self-starter capable of working independently and leading others. This includes guiding engineering teams through complex technical challenges, facilitating trade studies, and establishing structured approaches to ensure robust, mission-aligned solutions.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Lead systems-engineering activities for both ground-based and space-based instrumentation programs, including a high-visibility, privately funded space mission.
• Develop system architectures, technical strategies, and engineering processes that ensure mission success across the full project lifecycle.
• Provide technical leadership, mentorship, and direction to multidisciplinary teams across mechanical, optical, electrical, software, and systems domains.
• Own the development, maintenance, and configuration control of the top-level Requirements Document and all lower-tier subsystem requirement specifications.
• Perform requirements decomposition, allocation, and traceability to ensure clarity, testability, and alignment with engineering and science objectives.
• Lead verification and validation planning, including the creation of verification matrices and compliance documentation.
• Establish and maintain system and subsystem design baselines, ensuring all changes follow formal configuration-management processes.
• Create and manage systems-engineering documentation, including architecture diagrams, interface control documents (ICDs), risk registers, and V&V plans.
• Oversee integration planning and readiness for both ground-based and spaceflight hardware, ensuring interface consistency and adherence to mission assurance requirements.
• Evaluate verification results and assess compliance with performance, reliability, environmental, and operational specifications.
• Facilitate and lead trade studies, engineering assessments, and decision processes that span multiple technical domains.
• Coordinate interface definition and problem resolution across engineering teams, external collaborators, and facility partners.
• Ensure alignment between subsystem designs and the overall system architecture.
• Identify technical risks, develop mitigation strategies, and maintain risk-management documentation.
• Guide root-cause analysis efforts, define corrective actions, and ensure proper documentation of technical resolutions.
• Present systems-engineering status, findings, and recommendations during internal reviews, technical interchange meetings, and external partner reviews.
• Represent the engineering team professionally in interactions with collaborators, vendors, and stakeholders associated with the privately funded space mission.
• Communicate complex technical concepts clearly to diverse audiences, including Directors, PIs, project managers, and leadership.
• Ensure systems-engineering practices comply with mission assurance standards relevant to both precision ground-based instruments and spaceflight hardware.
• Support readiness reviews including PDR, CDR, and design maturity assessments.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Systems/Industrial Engineering or equivalent advanced learning attained through professional level experience required.
• Minimum of 8 years of relevant work experience, or equivalent combination of education and work experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Strong background in Finite Element Analysis.