Space Vehicle Platform/Payload 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 seeking a Space Vehicle Platform/Payload Systems Engineer to support advanced space vehicle development through disciplined planning, integration, and test across critical subsystem and payload activities. This role contributes to technically demanding efforts that help translate mission needs into resilient on-orbit capability. It is a strong fit for an engineer who enjoys working across architecture, payload development, and program execution in support of consequential national security missions.

This role supports systems engineering across space vehicle platform and payload development, with emphasis on technical reviews, subsystem coordination, and lifecycle execution. The engineer will help inform design and development efforts while collaborating across government and partner teams to strengthen technical readiness and mission alignment.

Key responsibilities include:

• Support space vehicle systems engineering, planning, integration, and testing activities
• Contribute to platform and payload systems engineering across space vehicle development efforts
• Support risk and opportunity management activities to inform sound program execution
• Participate in reviews of space systems, including SRR, SDR, SFR, PDR, CDR, TRR, FCA, SVR, MRR, and PCA
• Apply understanding of the DoD acquisition system to systems engineering support activities
• Collaborate with government clients and partner teammates to achieve program goals
• Support technical planning, integration, and design maturity across the lifecycle
• Contribute to requirements verification and design review support as needed
• Help assess technical issues and opportunities related to payload or subsystem development
• Provide mission-focused systems engineering support in a dynamic defense environment

Required Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience with space vehicle systems engineering, planning, integration, and testing
• 7+ years of experience with risk and opportunity management
• 3+ years of experience with reviews of space systems, including SRR, SDR, SFR, PDR, CDR, TRR, FCA, SVR, MRR, or PCA, and the DoD acquisition system
• Ability to be highly motivated, have a dynamic work ethic, and contribute to the DoD mission
• Ability to communicate and establish collaborative relationships with government clients and contractor teammates
• Active Secret clearance
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, or Computer Science

Desired Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience with space vehicle systems engineering, planning, integration, and testing
• Experience with computer tools, including Confluence or JIRA
• Experience with designing, building, and testing communications antennas, transmitters, or receivers of a payload
• Knowledge of DoD systems engineering, test, and production policies and practices
• Ability to perform multiple systems engineering and program management functions in support of design reviews and requirements verification
• Possession of excellent interpersonal skills
• Possession of excellent oral and written communication skills
• Experience with mission assurance or strategic or tactical MILCOM-related payload development
• Active TS/SCI security clearance

Clearance & Additional Requirements

• Active Secret clearance required
• Active TS/SCI clearance is desired

Location
El Segundo, California - This position is full-time and supports a Government customer environment; Work style expectation is considered hybrid-local (2-4 days per week on site at LAAFB).

Compensation:

The typical salary range for this position is USD $145,000 - $185,000 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 in addition to salary).

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.