Lead Systems Engineer - Mission Payload

Job Title: Lead, Systems Engineer – Mission Payload
Job Code: 46150
Job Location: Fort Wayne, Indiana
Job Schedule: 9/80 (Every Other Friday Off!)

Job Description:
L3Harris is seeking a Lead, Systems Engineer to support development of a space-based Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) sensor system. This position will play a key technical leadership role across the system lifecycle, with primary emphasis on requirements development and management, interface definition and control, and system-level analysis.
The successful candidate will work across cross-functional engineering teams to ensure mission, payload, subsystem, and external interfaces are clearly defined, traceable, verifiable, and aligned to customer and program objectives. This role is well-suited for an engineer with strong experience in systems engineering rigor, technical coordination, and development of complex space or remote sensing systems.

This position is in Fort Wayne: https://careers.l3harris.com/en/Fort-Wayne

Essential Functions:
•    Lead systems engineering efforts for a space-based EO/IR mission payload system across concept, development, integration, test, and verification phases.
•    Develop, decompose, allocate, and manage system and subsystem requirements in accordance with program and customer needs.
•    Establish and maintain requirements traceability from mission objectives through system architecture, subsystem specifications, and verification methods.
•    Define, document, and manage internal and external interfaces, including development of Interface Control Documents (ICDs) and interface verification approaches.
•    Perform and coordinate system-level analyses to assess performance, functionality, risk, operability, and compliance to requirements.
•    Support system architecture definition and technical baseline maturation for EO/IR payload solutions.
•    Coordinate with multidisciplinary teams including payload, optics, focal plane, electronics, software, mechanical, integration and test, and mission operations engineering.
•    Lead or support technical reviews such as SRR, SDR, PDR, CDR, TRR, and other lifecycle reviews.
•    Ensure systems engineering products are complete, consistent, and compliant with internal processes and customer expectations.
•    Identify technical risks, develop mitigation plans, and communicate status to engineering and program leadership.
•    Support verification and validation planning, including requirements verification cross-reference matrices and test/analysis inspection demonstrations.
•    Provide technical leadership and mentorship to other engineers on systems engineering methods, tools, and best practices.
•    Job is onsite in Fort Wayne, Indiana

Qualifications:
•    Bachelor’s degree in Systems Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or a related STEM discipline and a minimum of 9 years of relevant experience; or a Graduate degree and a minimum of 7 years of relevant experience. In lieu of a degree, a minimum of 13 years of prior related experience.
•    Ability to obtain DoD Secret security clearance

Preferred Additional Skills:
•    Experience with space-based EO/IR systems, remote sensing payloads, or electro-optical mission systems.
•    Familiarity with requirements management tools such as DOORS, DOORS Next, Jama, or similar platforms.
•    Familiarity with Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) methodologies and tools such as Cameo, MagicDraw, Capella, or similar.
•    Experience serving as an Integrated Product Team Lead (IPTL) or in another technical leadership role.
•    Experience creating and managing ICDs, verification matrices, and technical baselines.
•    Understanding of spacecraft-to-payload interfaces and mission operations considerations.
•    Experience supporting major program technical reviews and customer interactions.
•    Active security clearance
•    Experience in systems engineering for complex aerospace, defense, or space-based systems.
•    Experience developing and managing requirements at system and subsystem levels.
•    Experience defining and managing interfaces across hardware, software, and multidisciplinary engineering teams.
•    Experience performing or coordinating system analysis, trade studies, or mission/performance assessments.
•    Strong written and verbal communication skills with ability to present technical content to internal and external stakeholders.
•    Ability to work effectively in a cross-functional integrated product environment.

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