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This Systems Engineer role focuses on the design, integration, and development of advanced space-based optical instruments, subsystems, and payloads for airborne and space platforms. You will lead requirements definition and traceability, oversee system architecture and interfaces, and support full lifecycle verification and validation activities. Working closely with cross-functional teams, you will help deliver cutting-edge payloads on faster-moving programs while maintaining rigorous mission assurance and compliance standards.

Responsibilities

• Design, integrate, and develop space-based optical instruments, subsystems, and payloads for airborne and space platforms.
• Define, allocate, and manage technical requirements for complex space systems.
• Ensure end-to-end traceability of requirements throughout the development lifecycle and resolve conflicts or issues as they arise.
• Lead requirements definition, allocation, and traceability activities across the full development lifecycle.
• Prepare and maintain technical documentation, including system design descriptions, interface control documents (ICDs), concepts of operations (CONOPs), and test plans.
• Generate clear technical reports and presentations to communicate findings, progress, and recommendations to internal stakeholders and external partners.
• Provide technical management of project requirements, system architecture, system interfaces, mission assurance guidelines, and system compliance.
• Support the development and testing of space payloads to be integrated on spacecraft platforms.
• Collaborate closely with interdisciplinary teams to ensure seamless integration and functionality of sophisticated payloads.
• Support hardware and software development teams with system-level test planning, debugging, integration, and execution of verification test procedures.
• Analyze test data, identify issues or performance shortfalls, and recommend design refinements or corrective actions.
• Lead hardware and software verification and validation activities to confirm alignment with program and customer requirements.
• Provide technical oversight of system architecture, interfaces, mission assurance, and compliance throughout the project lifecycle.
• Participate in technical interchange meetings and represent the organization in project and technical discussions.
• Support the development, testing, and delivery of space payloads, including assessment and mitigation of technical risks.
• Coordinate with cross-functional stakeholders to ensure that system-level decisions support program objectives and schedules.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of systems engineering processes, tools, and best practices.
• Support travel or off-site work as needed to coordinate integration, testing, or customer interactions.
• Perform other systems engineering duties as assigned to support mission and program success.

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, physics, or mathematics.
• At least 5 years of professional systems engineering experience.
• At least 2 years of verification and validation experience.
• At least 3 years of integration experience in complex systems.
• Experience with requirements management tools, with the ability to provide detailed, structured responses and traceability.
• Hands-on experience in a cross-functional environment collaborating with hardware, software, and test teams.
• Background in a highly regulated industry such as aerospace, defense, medical device, automotive, semiconductor, or data center.
• Experience with verification, validation, and integration of complex systems, preferably in the aerospace and defense domain.
• Practical experience with testing activities, including execution of verification test procedures and analysis of results.
• Strong understanding of systems engineering principles, including requirements definition, allocation, and traceability.
• Ability to manage and document system architecture, interfaces, mission assurance guidelines, and compliance requirements.
• Proficiency in collaborating with interdisciplinary teams to deliver integrated systems.
• Strong written communication skills for preparing technical documentation, reports, and presentations.
• Strong verbal communication skills for participating in technical interchange meetings and representing systems engineering perspectives.

• Professional experience using Python for analysis, automation, or test support.
• Professional experience using MATLAB for modeling, simulation, or data analysis.
• Professional experience with requirements management tools such as DOORS or JAMA.
• Experience planning tests, including development of test plans and procedures for complex systems.
• Hands-on testing experience, including system-level and payload-level verification and validation.
• Aerospace and defense Background with familiarity in mission assurance and compliance requirements.
• Assembly experience related to payloads, subsystems, or integrated systems.
• Knowledge of EMI/EMC considerations and testing in complex systems.
• Familiarity with tools and environments commonly used in systems engineering, such as Python, MATLAB, DOORS, or JAMA.
• Active security clearance.
• Ability to thrive in a smaller, highly collaborative team environment with high expectations and close interaction with engineering leadership.
• Interest in working on faster-moving, cutting-edge programs rather than legacy systems, with direct exposure to hardware and labs.

This is a fully onsite role in a smaller, highly collaborative organization where you can see the direct impact of your work on active space payload programs. You will work closely with a systems engineering team of approximately 7–8 professionals and partner directly with hardware, software, and test engineers. The environment emphasizes faster-moving, cutting-edge programs, where payloads are built and tested on-site, giving you regular access to labs and real-time hardware integration and test activities. Work hours are onsite five days per week, with a flexible start time between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. Specific start and finish hours will be finalized with your team. You will use modern engineering tools and requirements management platforms, and you will operate within a highly regulated, mission-focused environment that prioritizes mission assurance, system compliance, and rigorous testing.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract position based out of Tucson, AZ.

The pay range for this position is $120000.00 - $155000.00/hr.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following:
• Medical, dental & vision
• Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital
• 401(k) Retirement Plan – Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available
• Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
• Short and long-term disability
• Health Spending Account (HSA)
• Transportation benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

This is a fully onsite position in Tucson,AZ.

This position is anticipated to close on Jul 30, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email actalentaccommodation@actalentservices.com for other accommodation options.

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