Systems Engineer - Ground-Based Systems

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 Systems Engineer to support a national security space ground program office at LAAFB. This role supports the integration and evolution of DoD ground-based systems for space missions, connecting systems engineering, software integration, interface definition, digital engineering, and technical baseline management. The engineer will contribute to the successful integration of new missions and modernization of ground segment capabilities in a classified customer environment.

The Systems Engineer will operate across technical and program interfaces to support ground system integration, mission onboarding, and software evolution. The role requires disciplined systems engineering combined with the ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, cross-functional environment and independently drive complex tasks to completion.

Key responsibilities include:

• Perform systems engineering, integration, and testing activities for DoD ground-based systems supporting space missions.
• Support integration of new missions into existing or evolving ground segment capabilities.
• Support maintenance and upgrades of ground segment software.
• Develop and maintain Interface Control Documents, service decompositions, and API definitions.
• Use scripting capabilities, including Python, to support engineering and integration activities.
• Identify, analyze, and propose program risks, issues, and opportunities and support development and management of handling plans.
• Apply Model-Based Systems Engineering or Digital Engineering approaches to manage system definitions and technical baselines.
• Collaborate with cross-functional technical and program teams to resolve integration challenges and achieve program objectives.
• Support software-oriented engineering activities in Agile, DevSecOps, or software-factory environments when applicable.
• Develop and communicate technical information using appropriate program collaboration and productivity tools.

Required Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience performing systems engineering, integration, or testing of hardware or software on DoD ground-based systems for space.
• 5+ years of experience integrating new missions, including maintaining or upgrading ground segment software.
• Experience with scripting languages such as Python.
• Experience developing Interface Control Documents, service decompositions, and API definitions.
• Experience identifying, analyzing, and proposing program risks, issues, and opportunities and managing handling plans.
• Experience using a Model-Based Systems Engineering or Digital Engineering approach to manage system definitions and technical baselines.
• Experience using Microsoft Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
• Ability to communicate effectively and work collaboratively on cross-functional teams and independently.
• Ability to demonstrate initiative and complete complex tasks supporting program goals in a fast-paced environment.
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, or Computer Science.

Desired Qualifications

• Experience with military satellite communications missions.
• Experience with space acquisition.
• Experience supporting software programs using Agile methodologies.
• Experience with Confluence or Jira.
• Experience working with software factories or DevSecOps pipelines.
• Ability to learn and solve problems quickly and creatively.
• Master's degree in Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, or Computer Science.
• INCOSE Systems Engineering Professional certification such as ASEP, CSEP, or ESEP.

Clearance & Additional Requirements

• TS/SCI clearance required.
• Ability to support classified work at the customer site as directed.
• On-site work at LAAFB is required based on customer direction.

Location
El Segundo, California - This position is full-time and supports a Government customer environment; Work style expectation is considered onsite.

Compensation:

The typical salary range for this position is USD $130,000 - $144,000 per year. Individual pay is determined by many factors including work location, job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.

In addition to base salary, this position is eligible for a comprehensive total rewards package that includes an annual performance bonus, an employer-funded Profit-Sharing Plan (PSP) contribution based on base compensation, and comprehensive employer-paid medical benefits, PTO pay-out options, along with additional company-sponsored benefits. All of these benefits represent an additional 30-40% to your base compensation for a total compensation package.

The Systems Engineer will help the Government successfully integrate new space missions and evolve ground segment capabilities while maintaining disciplined system definitions, interfaces, and technical baselines. The work will help reduce integration risk and enable ground software and systems to accommodate evolving mission needs. Deliverables may include ICDs, service decompositions, API definitions, engineering analyses, digital engineering artifacts, risk and opportunity assessments, reports, briefings, and other Government-directed technical products.