Senior Systems Engineer
$115k - $150k/yr
Senior
Bachelor's, Master's
Alpharetta, GA, USA
In Person
Hardware EngineeringHardware Systems Integration
About the job
Requirements
- A bachelor’s degree in Systems Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related discipline is required.
- A master’s degree in Systems Engineering or Electrical Engineering is preferred.
- Seven to ten or more years of experience in aerospace systems engineering or related fields is required.
- Demonstrated success delivering complex embedded systems products across the full engineering lifecycle is required.
- Experience operating as a technical leader in cross-functional engineering environments is required.
- Advanced proficiency in requirements management processes and tools such as DOORS, Jama, and Polarion is required.
- Ability to interpret hardware schematics and review embedded software or firmware source code is required.
- Strong understanding of embedded architectures, including FPGAs and microcontrollers, is required.
- Familiarity with aerospace standards including DO-178C for software and DO-254 for hardware is preferred.
- Experience with configuration management and modern systems engineering toolchains is required.
- Deep understanding of hardware-software interactions and real-time system constraints is required.
- Familiarity with systems engineering frameworks including the INCOSE SE Handbook, model-based systems engineering, SysML, and Virtual Twin methods is required.
- Hands-on experience in system integration and testing of aerospace hardware or software is required.
- Knowledge of system hardware/software development, integration, and testing for deployed military vehicle applications is required.
- Working knowledge of engineering development tools such as ClearQuest, JIRA, and Rational Development Tools is required.
- Solid understanding of SOSA and VPX system design standards is required.
- Solid understanding of serial communication protocols such as MIL-STD-1553, RS422, RS485, RS232, 10G and 100G Gigabit Ethernet, PCIe, and USB is required.
- Solid understanding of the latest processing and graphics solutions is required.
- Excellent troubleshooting skills for rugged computing systems are required.
- Ability to clarify ambiguous requests or requirements is required.
- Ability to work in a fast-paced professional office environment is required.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills are required.
- Proven ability to lead cross-disciplinary engineering efforts and collaborate effectively across teams is required.
- Ability to present complex technical information to customers, leadership, and program stakeholders is required.
- Strong analytical, diagnostic, and problem-solving capabilities are required.
- Ability to help customers identify right-sized system solutions and deliver products that meet mission-critical needs is required.
- Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government security clearance at the Secret level is required.
- Must be a U.S. person as defined by ITAR.
Responsibilities
- Lead customer engagement to understand operational use cases and translate them into high-quality, actionable system requirements.
- Lead the definition, decomposition, allocation, and verification of system requirements throughout the product lifecycle.
- Oversee requirements capture, traceability, and formal documentation.
- Ensure accuracy, traceability, and regulatory compliance across engineering documentation.
- Lead product qualification efforts, including developing bid strategies, defining qualification scope, estimating resources, and executing qualification plans to meet customer and regulatory requirements.
- Ensure compliance with applicable military, aerospace, and industry standards.
- Partner across cross-functional engineering teams to define system architectures and embedded system specifications.
- Drive the quality and usability of system architectures, interface control documents, and concepts of operations.
- Conduct trade studies, modeling, simulation, and analyses to support design decisions and optimize system performance.
- Serve as a technical point of contact with internal stakeholders, external partners, and customer agencies such as NASA, the Department of Defense, and the Federal Aviation Administration.
- Manage system-level risk identification, mitigation plans, and technical issue resolution.
- Work with leadership, engineering disciplines, integrated product teams, quality assurance, and program teams to meet schedule and technical objectives.
- Provide technical mentorship to junior engineers and support continuous improvement of systems engineering processes.
- Collaborate across engineering, operations, manufacturing, suppliers, and customers to ensure alignment and execution success.
- Communicate complex technical concepts to engineering and non-engineering stakeholders.
- Represent the business in customer meetings, design reviews, and technical interchange sessions.
- Stay current with emerging technologies, industry trends, and evolving best practices in embedded systems and avionics.
- Identify and champion opportunities to streamline processes, strengthen engineering rigor, and enhance product quality.
- Mentor junior engineers and contribute to organizational knowledge growth.
Desired Qualifications
- A master’s degree in Systems Engineering or Electrical Engineering.
- Familiarity with aerospace standards including DO-178C for software and DO-254 for hardware.
About the company
Spectra Defense Technologies is an aerospace and defense engineering and manufacturing company. The company produces precision components, assemblies, and technical solutions for aircraft, defense, and mission-critical programs. It serves aerospace manufacturers, defense contractors, government programs, and supply-chain partners. Its operating model centers on engineering and production teams operating within controlled quality and program requirements. Teams work across engineering, machining, manufacturing, quality, inspection, program management, supply chain, and operations. The organization combines defense manufacturing expertise with practical delivery for aerospace and defense customers.
Company Size
N/A
Company Stage
N/A
Total Funding
N/A
Headquarters
Alpharetta, Georgia
Founded
N/A
Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- September 2026 wins and launches signal accelerating demand across the mission technology stack.
- August 2026 Oslo expansion more than doubles European engineering and production capacity.
- June 2026 XSR Spire and G2 Ultra Rugged broaden the product pipeline.
What critics are saying
- Defense procurement cycles expose Spectra to program delays and award concentration at Kongsberg.
- Rugged C5ISR competitors like Curtiss-Wright and Mercury Systems pressure pricing and margins.
- No disclosed funding or audited revenue leaves hiring and runway opaque to candidates.
What makes Spectra Defense Technologies unique
- 2021 unification joined Calculex, Galleon, and Argon into one C5ISR platform.
- Spectra sells integrated recorders, mission computers, encryption, and rugged displays across domains.
- Oslo, Germany, Norway, and U.S. facilities support in-region engineering and manufacturing.
Help us improve and share your feedback! Did you find this helpful?