Chief Engineer – Satellite Systems

Stellar Solutions is a nationally recognized Great Place to Work® and a leading systems engineering services firm delivering high-impact solutions to government, commercial, and nonprofit space partners. We specialize in complex, mission-critical programs that span space, ground, and enterprise systems - bringing technical rigor, systems thinking, and operational insight to every phase of the mission lifecycle.

Stellar Solutions is seeking a Chief Engineer - Satellite Systems to serve as the senior technical authority for the design, development, and delivery of an advanced Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite platform supporting a next-generation precision navigation and timing (PNT) service.

This role provides end-to-end spacecraft technical leadership and system integration oversight, ensuring the satellite functions as a tightly integrated component of an end-to-end service architecture from space to ground.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the technical authority and Chief Engineer for the spacecraft, owning system architecture, technical baselines, interfaces, and margins.
• Lead system-level trade studies balancing performance, cost, schedule, and risk.
• Define and maintain requirements flow-down, interface control, and configuration management.
• Oversee verification and validation strategy and execution, ensuring analytical, environmental, and flight test results close performance gaps.
• Guide subsystem Responsible Engineers (REs) and IPT leads, ensuring disciplined systems engineering practices and cross-discipline integration.
• Drive design-for-manufacture and design-for-operations practices in collaboration with production and mission operations teams.
• Partner with program management to forecast resources, manage technical risk, and communicate system status to internal and customer leadership.
• Ensure integration between spacecraft, ground systems, and service architecture.

Required Qualifications

• Extensive experience in spacecraft systems engineering or technical leadership roles.
• Demonstrated success leading satellite programs through design, integration, and on-orbit operations.
• Proven ability to execute system-level trades and resolve cross-subsystem technical issues.
• Strong communication skills with engineering teams and executive stakeholders.

Desired Qualifications

• 5+ years in senior spacecraft systems engineering or technical leadership positions.
• Experience across multiple lifecycle phases (concept, PDR/CDR, I&T, launch, operations).
• Broad grounding across spacecraft subsystems (payload, GNC, power, communications, thermal, structures).
• Experience developing system architectures, technical baselines, and verification strategies.
• Familiarity with constellation missions and ground-segment integration.
• Experience leading matrixed technical teams.

Education

• Relevant BS in Eng or related STEM degree (MS preferred).

U.S. Citizenship Requirement

To comply with U.S. Government space technology export regulations, applicants must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident (Green Card holder), or other protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. §1324b(a)(3).

Location: Burlingame, CA

Compensation:

The typical pay range for this position is USD $195,000 - $255,000 per year.  Individual pay is determined by many factors including work location, job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. This position is also eligible for a discretionary annual performance bonus, retirement plan and other benefits (all included as part of package).

Serve as the technical authority for spacecraft system architecture, integration, and verification, ensuring mission performance, risk posture, and service objectives are achieved across the full lifecycle from design through on-orbit operations.