Senior Systems Engineer

Stellar Solutions, a nationally recognized “Great Place To Work”, has exciting opportunities providing Engineering solutions for innovative new-entrant space companies, as well as established space systems manufacturers, commercial space system operators and service providers, and other industry stakeholders including investors.  

At Stellar Solutions, we offer talented, energetic, and immediately productive resources to satisfy our customers’ critical needs in systems engineering and integration, mission operations, program management and strategic planning. We are a leading service and expertise provider for high-tech commercial ventures, spanning communications, earth observation and remote sensing systems and data products, to the infrastructures that support earth orbiting and beyond earth orbit businesses.

Stellar Solutions is searching for a Senior Program Management and Acquisition Support professional to support the development of first-of-kind space vehicles and missions. Specifically, this candidate will oversee the development, design, and production of a DoD acquisition program at the contracted vendor location. The candidate will provide recommendations to the program office to ensure the vendor is on track to deliver the system on schedule, and within cost while meeting key performance parameters.

This handpicked candidate must possess excellent communication skills and technical expertise with developing, designing, building, and integrating space hardware and software. A successful candidate must be a leader and problem solver with a proven ability to deliver superior results as part of a high performing team in a high-profile, fast-paced environment. The candidate will apply advanced principles, theories, and concepts for highly classified systems, while also effectively communicating complex results with management and executive leadership.

In this role, the successful candidate will:  

• Serves as program advisory lead for extremely time critical technical projects, test projects, or tasks requiring appropriate level technical expertise.
• Assists acquisition planning and drafting technical requirements and documents.
• Coordinates with internal and external stakeholders to verify program needs and identified to meet project goals.
• Execute cybersecurity activities to achieve accreditation of network systems used to connect satellite antenna and control systems to cloud-hosted satellite operations systems
• Support the design of network communication systems that connect satellite operational components distributed around the world.
• Helps the government assess the technical sufficiency, cost, quality, and timely delivery of program deliverables.
• Confers with engineers to provide technical advice and to assist with problem resolution as needed.
• Supports management and execution of programs consisting of multiple projects--ensures overall program is properly coordinated and efficiently accomplished with the best available resources.
• Aids in the development of a Monthly Status Report on all support efforts including updates in status and performance, major activities, challenges and opportunities, deliverables, and contractor performance.
• Drafts, reviews, and edits final program reports, documents, and briefings.
• Supports acquisition planning and development of documents required for systems acquisition.
• Supports and advises acquisition and program management functions, advises government management on design challenges, supply chain and production challenges, delivery, and integration, and supports system program reviews.
• Work on high-visibility or mission critical aspects of a given program and perform all functional duties independently.
• Oversee the efforts of less senior staff and/or be responsible for the efforts of all staff assigned to a specific job.
• Translate complex ideas and data into simple, actionable recommendations or easily differentiated courses of action.
• Communicate clearly, concisely, and with technical accuracy—oral and written.
• Candidate will support a “customer charged with rapidly delivering first-of-their-kind operational space capabilities that protect space assets and defend joint forces from space-enabled attack.
• Role requires quick responses to stringent deadlines in a high quality, professional manner.

Required skills:

• Minimum ten (10) years of relevant experience on space development programs for the DoD or IC.
• Experience in the development and fielding of satellite systems through assembly, integration, and test.
• Experience with Space Vehicle and subsystem integration.
• Experience in DoD acquisition management.
• Understanding of operational environment and corresponding mission user needs.
• Experience analyzing and developing contract data requirements lists and deliverables.
• Experience with Integrated Master Schedules, and risk management.

Desired skills:

• Fifteen (15) years of relevant experience on space development programs in the DoD or IC.
• Experience with ACAT I/II level acquisition programs.
• Experience as a SETA in a government program office.
• Experience with rapid prototyping.
• Experience with integrated air, space, and cyberspace capabilities.

Education:

• Relevant BA/BS degree
• Relevant MA/MS degree
  

Clearance:

• Active TOP SECRET clearance with sensitive compartmentalized information (SCI) and special access program (SAP) eligibility.
• No less than two (2) years total SAP and/or SCI environment experience and 1-year total within last 5 years.
• Candidate must maintain a TS/SCI clearance as a condition of employment and willingness to submit to a Counter-Intelligence polygraph.
• require a quick response to stringent deadlines in a high quality, professional manner.

Location:

This position is full-time, on site in vicinity of Albuquerque, New Mexico and will require travel up to 25% of time within the continental United States.

The typical annual salary range for this position is approximately, USD $130,000 - $170,000. Individual pay is determined by many factors including work location, job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. In addition to salary, this position is also eligible for a discretionary annual performance bonus, and a full benefits package including a significant profit-sharing retirement savings plan.

Deliverables will be in the format of reports, briefings, spreadsheets, or other documents as directed by the Government, using government approved and/or mandated systems/software and processes governed by guidance/instructions/policy or direction.