Senior Systems Engineer - Platform Architect
About the job
- A bachelor's degree in Systems Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field is required.
- At least 7 years of experience in systems engineering, spacecraft development, or similar technical leadership roles is required.
- A proven track record delivering subsystems, technical work packages, or verification campaigns within larger missions is required.
- Strong understanding of the spacecraft design and space-system engineering lifecycle, with experience across multiple phases such as concept development, design, integration, verification, commissioning, or operations, is required.
- Experience with mission analysis, system modeling, technical budget derivation and management, and simulation using tools such as MATLAB, Python, or STK is required.
- Experience in model-based systems engineering and spacecraft system design is required.
- Experience with requirements management, driving verification and validation, subsystem integration, and test planning is required.
- Strong leadership skills and a track record of managing cross-functional engineering teams are required.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to evaluate technical trade-offs and make practical recommendations under cost, schedule, and risk constraints, are required.
- Extensive experience with system-level troubleshooting and risk assessment is required.
- Effective communication skills and the ability to present complex technical solutions to stakeholders are required.
- Flexibility to adapt quickly to new projects, roles, and responsibilities in a multi-program environment is required.
- Experience using artificial-intelligence-enabled tools, workflow automation, or agent-based systems to improve engineering productivity, technical documentation, analysis workflows, or knowledge management is required.
- Demonstrated willingness and ability to leverage AI-assisted engineering and development tools to improve productivity, design quality, and innovation while adapting to evolving technologies and best practices is required.
- Define and mature system architectures for spacecraft, subsystems, payloads, ground interfaces, or technical work packages across space and ground segments.
- Translate customer, mission, and program objectives into clear technical requirements, interface definitions, verification strategies, and executable engineering deliverables.
- Lead requirements development, flow-down, traceability, interface control, verification planning, and evidence closure across assigned systems or work packages.
- Perform and lead system-level analyses, trade studies, mission analysis, performance assessments, risk assessments, and design evaluations to inform technical decisions.
- Work with subsystem leads and program teams to define, manage, and communicate key system budgets, including mass properties, power generation and consumption, radio-frequency link performance, propellant usage, reliability, availability, and the failure detection, isolation, and recovery approach.
- Drive cross-functional integration and interface management across hardware, software, avionics, radio frequency, payload, mission operations, and ground systems.
- Apply reliability and risk practices such as reliability, availability, maintainability, and safety; failure modes, effects, and criticality analysis; failure detection, isolation, and recovery analysis; anomaly resolution; and non-conformance support where relevant to the program or work package.
- Support integration, test, environmental test, payload test, verification campaigns, mission readiness reviews, launch and early orbit phase, commissioning, and on-orbit operations planning as required.
- Develop and maintain technical documentation, including requirements, interface control documents, verification plans, technical budgets, design files, analysis reports, concepts of operations, review packages, and decision records.
- Support bids, proposals, feasibility studies, technology assessments, and new business initiatives by preparing technical inputs, architecture concepts, risk assessments, and execution assumptions.
- Serve as a technical interface with customers, suppliers, partners, and external stakeholders, communicating risks, trade-offs, assumptions, and recommendations clearly.
- Contribute to system roadmaps, process improvements, standards adoption, and departmental continuous improvement initiatives.
- Leverage AI-enabled tools, agents, automation, and digital engineering practices to improve engineering workflows, technical documentation, analysis efficiency, requirements management, and knowledge capture.
- Provide technical oversight, coaching, and mentorship to junior and intermediate engineers, including review of technical outputs and guidance on systems engineering practices.
- Ensure work products follow applicable internal standards, industry best practices, configuration management expectations, and program governance requirements.
- A master's degree in Systems Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field is preferred.
- Experience with reliability analysis and reliability, availability, maintainability, and safety practices is preferred.
- Experience with failure detection, isolation, and recovery design and testing or failure modes, effects, and criticality analysis is preferred.
- Experience with ground systems and operations is preferred.
- Previous contributions to spacecraft integration, environmental testing, or commissioning are preferred.
- Familiarity with space industry standards such as the NASA Systems Engineering Handbook and ECSS-E/Q is preferred.
- Experience leading technical studies, bids, or subsystem teams is preferred.
- Exposure to remote sensing instruments and their data pipelines is preferred.
- Familiarity with software development, including Python, MATLAB, embedded systems, and version control, is preferred.
About the company
Kepler Communications builds and operates a space communications network. It provides real-time, continuous connectivity for space missions through The Kepler Network, which includes satellite constellations, ground stations, payload technology, and intersatellite links to improve telemetry, tracking, and command. The company offers S Band, Ku Band, and Optical communication services to extend data downlink capacity and enable on-orbit data access, while also handling regulatory filings for customers. This setup helps satellite operators, space stations, launch vehicle operators, and other space assets access space-generated data without needing to manage their own communications infrastructure. Kepler’s goal is to remove barriers in space communications and enable global access to data from space.
Company Size
201-500
Company Stage
Grant
Total Funding
$178.8M
Headquarters
Toronto, Canada
Founded
2015
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- August 2026 Kepler began commercial services from Tranche 1 after commissioning.
- January 2026’s ten-satellite launch added 33 satellites, expanding capacity and customer coverage.
- Canadian RADARSAT+ studies and ESA contracts diversify revenue beyond commercial telecom.
What critics are saying
- SpaceIntelReport said ISED sought deadline relief after propulsion defects on two pathfinder satellites.
- Kepler still depends on SpaceX launches and ESA procurement cycles for expansion financing.
- If the 2028 Neutron launch slips, Kepler's optical roadmap loses momentum against better-capitalized rivals.
What makes Kepler Communications unique
- Kepler became ESA HydRON prime contractor in April 2026, proving sovereign optical-network credibility.
- Its January 2026 launch created the first commercial optical data relay constellation.
- Distributed on-orbit compute with NVIDIA, announced March 2026, separates Kepler from pure bandwidth players.
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Benefits
Hybrid Work Options
Growth & Insights and Company News
6 month growth
2%1 year growth
1%2 year growth
0%Kepler Communications has appointed Caitlin Marsh as President of Kepler U.S. to lead the company's American expansion. Marsh brings 15 years of experience in aerospace and national security sectors. Kepler operates 33 satellites and the first commercial optical data relay constellation, providing real-time space connectivity with on-orbit compute and hosted payload capabilities. The company has demonstrated SDA-compatible optical links between spacecraft and successful space-to-ground connectivity. Marsh previously served as Senior Director of Global Operations at Auterion, where she delivered a $47 million international security initiative in six months. She also held positions at SpiderOak, Ball Aerospace, and In-Q-Tel, managing technology portfolios for US intelligence and defence customers. Kepler plans constellation expansion in 2028, introducing optical data rates up to 100 Gbps.
The Canadian Space Agency has awarded $804,000 contracts to MDA Space, Calian and Kepler to develop ground-segment concept studies for RADARSAT+, Canada's next-generation satellite system. The total funding amounts to $2.4 million. The three companies will deliver concepts for modern, flexible ground systems — the Earth-based satellite control and data management infrastructure. They must also provide implementation plans and technology overviews. The government allocated just over $1 billion in 2023 for Canada's Earth observation satellite needs, which support activities from monitoring illegal fishing to disaster relief. MDA Space and Kepler previously received $747,000 each in December to develop satellite concepts for the project. The contracts reflect Canada's renewed focus on space as a sovereign capability under its Defence Industrial Strategy.
Toronto's Kepler Communications secures $7M from FedDev Ontario for its optical satellite network and boost Canada's sovereign defence capabilities.
Wyvern, an Edmonton-based satellite imaging startup, secured $6M USD in funding led by Squadra Ventures, with participation from Uncork Capital, Y Combinator, and others. The funding will help Wyvern expand into the US market, addressing demand in sectors like forestry and agriculture. Founded in 2018, Wyvern has grown from four founders to 33 employees. This follows a previous $7M USD "seed-plus" round and additional funding for agricultural and wildfire mitigation technology.
The future of digital connectivity is increasingly shuffling off the binds of its terrestrial coils. This, as Amazon’s Project Kuiper satellite initiative has taken a key step toward establishing a globally connected optical mesh network powered by a space lasers system. Since its successful launch and deployment of two prototype satellites with optical inter-satellite link (OISL) capabilities in October 2023, Amazon has been attempting to build an OISL ecosystem capable of moving and landing data anywhere via a mesh network in space, creating an end-to-end communications payload and network