Senior Systems Engineerย
Location:ย Graviticsย - Seattle WA, Colorado, (with future travel/support to other company locations asย required)ย
Department:ย Engineeringย
Reports To:ย Head of Engineeringย
Aboutย Graviticsย ย
Atย Gravitics,ย we'reย not exploring spaceย -ย we'reย building it.ย We'reย creating the infrastructure for a thriving space economy, enabling humanity to flourish beyond Earth. Our vision is bold, butย we'reย not just dreamers;ย we'reย doers. We design and manufacture large-scale orbital structures that enable commercial operations while meeting the requirements of defense and government missions.ย ย
Our systems are built to scale and built to last-bridging commercial innovation with mission-critical performance. Ifย you'reย ready to lay the foundations for a new era in space, embrace a culture of relentless learning and innovation, and contribute to a future where humanity's reach extends farther,ย Graviticsย is the place for you.ย Let'sย build the future together.ย ย ย
About the Roleย
We areย seekingย a highly capable Systems Engineer to support technical execution of the commercial spacecraft program from architecture development through qualification, integration, test, launch, and mission operations. This role sits at the center of the program and works directly with Chief Engineers, subsystem leads, Program Management, Manufacturing, Integration & Test, Mission Assurance, and suppliers to ensure the spacecraft functions as an integrated system - not just a collection of subsystems. The ideal candidate is technically broad, execution-focused, comfortable in ambiguity, and able to balance engineering rigor with program realities including schedule, manufacturability, integration flow, and risk. This position will support development of human-rated spacecraft systems and therefore requires strong systems thinking, configuration discipline, verification planning, and cross-functional leadership.ย
Responsibilitiesย
- Support development and management of spacecraft system architecture, requirements, interfaces, and verification approaches for the programย
- Translate mission and programย objectivesย into clear subsystem and vehicle-level technical requirementsย
- Develop andย maintainย system specifications, interface control documents (ICDs), CONOPS, verification matrices, and technical baselinesย
- Drive technical integration across:ย
- Structures and mechanismsย
- Pressure systemsย
- Propulsion systemsย
- Avionics and softwareย
- Thermal systemsย
- ECLSS / crew environment considerationsย
- Docking and payload interfacesย
- Ground systems and GSEย
- Support program technical reviews including:ย
- Coordinate system-level trades balancing:ย
- Performanceย
- Massย
- Safetyย
- Reliabilityย
- Manufacturabilityย
- Testabilityย
- Schedule and cost impactsย
- Work closely with Manufacturing and Integration & Test teams to ensure designs are producible, inspectable, and verifiableย
- Support development of system verification and validation plans including qualification, acceptance,ย protoflight, and integrated vehicle testingย
- Participate in anomaly resolution, failure investigations, and risk reduction activitiesย
- Support hazard analysis, FMEA/FDIR activities, and human-rating related assessmentsย
- Ensure configuration control and technical baseline integrity throughout the program lifecycleย
- Interface with customers, suppliers, and partner organizations asย requiredย
- Help drive closure of technical issues rather than simply tracking them
Required Qualificationsย
- Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related technical disciplineย
- 5+ years of experience in aerospace systems engineering or integrated vehicle developmentย
- Experience working on spacecraft, launch vehicle, aviation, defense, or other complex multidisciplinary systemsย
- Strong understanding of systems engineering processes including:ย
- Requirements developmentย
- Interface managementย
- Verification and validationย
- Configuration managementย
- Technical risk managementย
- Experience supporting technical reviews and hardware development programsย
- Ability toย operateย across multiple engineering disciplines and communicate effectively with technical and non-technical stakeholdersย
- Comfortable working in a fast-paced development environment with evolving prioritiesย
Preferred Qualificationsย
- Experience with human-rated spacecraft or crewed systemsย
- Experience supporting pressure vessels, propulsion systems, docking systems, or orbital vehicle integrationย
- Familiarity with NASA standards and spaceflight development processesย
- Experience with MBSE tools, requirements management tools, or digital engineering environmentsย
- Hands-on integration, test, manufacturing, or operations experienceย
- Experience supporting qualification and environmental test campaignsย
- Familiarity with spaceflight safety and mission assurance processesย
What Success Looks Likeย
- Technical issues areย identifiedย early and driven to closureย
- Vehicle interfaces are clearly defined and controlledย
- Subsystems integrate cleanly into a functioning spacecraftย
- Verification activities are planned before hardware arrives at testย
- Engineering decisions consider program execution realities, not just ideal technical solutionsย
- The program moves forward with increasing technical maturity and reduced integration riskย
Compensation and Benefits
Your level and base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the considerations of job-related knowledge and skills, education, and direct experience. Salary is just one component of the total employee package, which also includes company equity at an exciting time of company growth, as well as comprehensive medical, 401(k) retirement plan, a generous PTO policy, employee discounts, and more.ย
About Compliance
To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.
Gravitics is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are based on merit, qualifications, and business needs, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin or ethnicity, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, or any other legally protected status.