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Mission Systems Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Sophia Space

Mission Systems Engineer

Pasadena, CA ยท On-site

$106K - $163K/yr

We are seeking a versatile Senior Mission Systems Engineer to support mission architecture, spacecraft systems engineering, integration planning, and mission execution across multiple technical ...

Blue Origin

Mission Systems Engineer

Seattle, WA

As a Mission Systems Engineer III within the Mission Engineering & Architecture organization, you will take a role in the development and maturation of new and exciting business opportunities for ...

Blue Origin

Mission Systems Engineer

Denver, CO

As a Mission Systems Engineer III within the Mission Engineering & Architecture organization, you will take a role in the development and maturation of new and exciting business opportunities for ...

Blue Origin

Mission Systems Engineer

Reston, VA

As a Mission Systems Engineer III within the Mission Engineering & Architecture organization, you will take a role in the development and maturation of new and exciting business opportunities for ...

SAIC

Mission Systems Engineer

Chantilly, VA

$160K - $200K/yr

ORA_ON_SITE Description ๏ปฟSAIC is seeking Mission Systems Engineer to support SAIC's Prime Program, Landmark AOS in Chantilly, VA. Landmark AOS is a large SETA program, supporting the NRO's Ground ...

SAIC

Mission Systems Engineer

Chantilly, VA ยท On-site

$160K - $200K/yr

SAIC is seeking Mission Systems Engineer to support SAIC's Prime Program, Landmark AOS in Chantilly, VA. Landmark AOS is a large SETA program, supporting the NRO's Ground Enterprise Directorate (GED ...

SAIC

Mission Systems Engineer

Chantilly, VA ยท On-site

$160K - $200K/yr

Description SAIC is seeking Mission Systems Engineer to support SAIC's Prime Program, Landmark AOS in Chantilly, VA. Landmark AOS is a large SETA program, supporting the NRO's Ground Enterprise ...

Lockheed Martin

Mission Systems Engineer

Littleton, CO ยท On-site

THE WORK Lockheed Martin's Mission Engineering and Operations team is seeking a talented level 4 Mission Systems Engineer and integrator with an active Top Secret clearance to support our Concept of ...

Boeing

Associate Mission Systems Engineer

Herndon, VA

$100K - $135K/yr

Associate Mission Systems Engineer Company: The Boeing Company Boeing Defense Space & Security (BDS) has an exciting opportunity for an Associate Mission Systems Engineer to join our Experimental ...

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Mission Systems Engineer information

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$53.5K

$127.2K

$167K

How much do mission systems engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 29, 2026, the average yearly pay for mission systems engineer in the United States is $127,215.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $98,000.00 and $157,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a Mission Systems Engineer?

A Mission Systems Engineer is a professional responsible for designing, integrating, and managing complex systems that support the objectives of a mission, often in aerospace, defense, or space exploration projects. They ensure that all technical components work together seamlessly to meet mission requirements, from initial concept through deployment and operation. Their work involves collaborating with multidisciplinary teams, analyzing system performance, and troubleshooting issues to ensure mission success. Mission Systems Engineers play a critical role in balancing technical capabilities, safety, cost, and schedule constraints.

What is the difference between Mission Systems Engineer vs Systems Engineer?

AspectMission Systems EngineerSystems Engineer
Required CredentialsBachelor's or higher in engineering, often with security clearancesBachelor's or higher in engineering or related field
Work EnvironmentDefense, aerospace, military projectsVarious industries including tech, manufacturing, aerospace
Employer & Industry UsagePrimarily defense and aerospace companiesBroad industry application across sectors
Common Search & ComparisonOften compared for specialized military and aerospace rolesMore general engineering roles

The main difference is that Mission Systems Engineers focus on developing and integrating complex systems for defense and aerospace projects, often requiring security clearances. Systems Engineers have a broader scope, working across various industries to design and manage engineering systems. Both roles require similar technical credentials but differ in industry focus and project types.

How do Mission Systems Engineers typically collaborate with cross-functional teams during a project lifecycle?

Mission Systems Engineers work closely with professionals from various disciplines, such as software developers, hardware engineers, project managers, and operations staff. Throughout the project lifecycle, they facilitate communication between teams to ensure that system requirements are clearly understood and integrated across all components. Their role often involves coordinating technical reviews, troubleshooting integration issues, and ensuring that all subsystems work together to achieve mission objectives. Effective collaboration and strong interpersonal skills are essential, as Mission Systems Engineers often act as the bridge between technical specialists and stakeholders.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Mission Systems Engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Mission Systems Engineer, you need a solid grounding in systems engineering, aerospace principles, and mission planning, typically backed by a degree in engineering or a related field. Familiarity with modeling and simulation tools (such as MATLAB or Simulink), requirements management systems, and often security clearances or certifications like INCOSE are important. Strong problem-solving, teamwork, and communication skills help you collaborate effectively across multidisciplinary teams and manage complex project requirements. These skills ensure mission success, technical reliability, and seamless integration of systems within demanding aerospace or defense environments.
More about Mission Systems Engineer jobs
What cities are hiring for Mission Systems Engineer jobs? Cities with the most Mission Systems Engineer job openings:
What states have the most Mission Systems Engineer jobs? States with the most job openings for Mission Systems Engineer jobs include:
What job categories do people searching Mission Systems Engineer jobs look for? The top searched job categories for Mission Systems Engineer jobs are:
Mission Systems Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Mission Systems Engineer job openings in the United States as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% Locum Tenens, 95% Full Time, 1% Part Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 87% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 8% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $127,215 per year, or $61.2 per hour.

Mission Systems Engineer

Sophia Space

Pasadena, CA โ€ข On-site

$106K - $163K/yr

Full-time

Posted 28 days ago

Job description

Sophia Space is a venture-backed deep technology company building high-performance, energy-efficient computing systems designed to operate in orbit. Our work sits at the intersection of aerospace systems, advanced computing, artificial intelligence, and applied physics, enabling a new generation of distributed edge computing capabilities in space.
Having successfully completed our Seed financing, Sophia is focused on scaling its team, products, and capabilities as we prepare for the next stage of growth. We are building a world-class engineering organization that combines expertise from aerospace, cloud computing, robotics, and AI to solve some of the most challenging problems in space infrastructure. As both a product company and an engineering-driven organization, we actively leverage modern AI tools throughout our development process to accelerate learning, improve productivity, and help deliver innovative, environmentally responsible computing platforms for the future.
Job Description
Sophia Space is developing the Athena demonstration mission to validate distributed orbital computing technologies on a commercial spacecraft platform. We are seeking a versatile Senior Mission Systems Engineer to support mission architecture, spacecraft systems engineering, integration planning, and mission execution across multiple technical disciplines.
Rather than specializing in a single subsystem, this engineer will provide experienced systems engineering support wherever needed across the mission lifecycle. The role combines mission analysis, operational planning, interface definition, trade studies, requirements development, and technical leadership while working closely with spacecraft providers, payload teams, avionics, software, and mission operations personnel.
The successful candidate will possess broad spacecraft systems engineering experience, strong technical judgment, and the ability to rapidly contribute across multiple engineering domains while helping mature technical products, reduce mission risk, and enable successful mission execution.
Location & Eligibility
This position is primarily in-person in Pasadena, California, with occasional hybrid flexibility based on business needs.
This position requires access to technology that is subject to U.S. export control laws. To comply with applicable ITAR and EAR regulations, applicants must qualify as a U.S. Person, as defined under those regulations. U.S. Persons generally include U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents (green card holders), and certain protected individuals as defined by applicable law.
Primary Responsibilities
Mission Systems Engineering
  • Support system-level requirements development, interface definition, verification planning, and technical trade studies.
  • Develop and review mission architecture products, technical analyses, and engineering recommendations.
  • Coordinate technical interfaces across spacecraft, payload, avionics, software, GNC, communications, and mission operations teams.
  • Support technical reviews including SDR, PDR, CDR, TRR, FRR, and operational readiness activities.
  • Contribute to technical risk identification, mitigation planning, and anomaly resolution.

Mission Operations
  • Support development of mission ConOps, operational timelines, and contingency procedures.
  • Develop operational procedures for spacecraft commanding, telemetry monitoring, and mission execution.
  • Review ground segment architecture, operational readiness, staffing concepts, and mission support plans.
  • Coordinate operational interfaces and responsibilities with spacecraft providers and mission partners.

Communications Systems
  • Review and validate spacecraft communications analyses, link budgets, and RF system performance.
  • Support communications requirements, ICD development, and ground network coordination.
  • Assist with FCC licensing activities and communications regulatory documentation.
  • Support operational communications planning and ground contact strategies.

Guidance, Navigation & Control
  • Review spacecraft attitude control analyses, pointing budgets, and mission attitude concepts.
  • Evaluate GNC interface requirements and identify technical risks.
  • Support spacecraft fault management, operational modes, and mission sequencing.
  • Review mission simulations and validate assumptions supporting spacecraft performance.

Required Skills
  • B.S. or M.S. in Aerospace Engineering, Astronautical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, Systems Engineering, or related discipline.
  • 4-7 years of spacecraft systems engineering or mission engineering experience.
  • Strong understanding of spacecraft subsystems, mission architecture, and systems engineering principles.
  • Experience developing requirements, interface definitions, verification plans, or technical trade studies.
  • Experience supporting multidisciplinary engineering teams through spacecraft development.
  • Strong analytical, technical writing, and presentation skills.
  • Ability to independently solve complex technical problems while collaborating across engineering disciplines.
  • Experience working in fast-paced development environments with evolving technical requirements.

Desired Skills
Guidance, Navigation & Control
  • Experience with spacecraft attitude determination and control.
  • Familiarity with STK, GMAT, FreeFlyer, or equivalent mission analysis tools.
  • Experience reviewing pointing analyses and fault management architectures.

Mission Operations
  • Experience developing spacecraft operational concepts and mission procedures.
  • Familiarity with ground segment design, launch operations, LEOP, or mission operations planning.
  • Experience supporting operational readiness reviews or anomaly response planning.

Communications Engineering
  • Experience with spacecraft communications architectures, RF systems, and link budget analysis.
  • Familiarity with FCC licensing, frequency coordination, and ground station networks.
  • Experience with communications interface definition and operational communications planning.

General Spacecraft Systems
  • Experience with CubeSat, SmallSat, hosted payload, or demonstration-class missions.
  • Familiarity with MBSE, SysML, DOORS, Jama, or similar systems engineering tools.
  • Active or prior DoD security clearance.

The pay range for this role is:
106,000 - 163,000 USD per year (Pasadena, CA)

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