Senior Distributed Systems Engineer Jobs in Minnesota

North Wind is a leading independent supplier of complex hypersonic and Research, Development, Test & Evaluation (RDT&E) systems and services. Leveraging decades of specialized experience, North Wind delivers hypersonic and RDT&E capabilities through five complementary business segments: Applied R Test Articles and Critical System Components; Test Facility Design & Build; Test Services; Flight Testing & Flight Systems. The Company’s offerings span the full life cycle of aerospace & defense and commercial systems, including end-to-end turnkey solutions. Learn more at www.north-wind.com.

Position Overview:

This role helps lead and organize the Systems Engineering group's efforts for the design and development of wind tunnel testing facilities. This position oversees a team of Systems Engineers responsible for developing, delivering, and managing requirements, interface definitions, verification and validation artifacts, and key systems engineering plans. The role prioritizes system needs across multiple disciplines, manages configuration of system artifacts, and ensures the Systems group's cost and schedule commitments are met. It requires close coordination with Chief Engineers to define execution strategies and to provide mentorship and technical guidance to the engineering team. The ideal candidate brings strong systems engineering expertise, experience guiding complex system development efforts, and the ability to communicate technical concepts effectively to diverse stakeholders. This is a leadership role that combines deep technical expertise, systems thinking, and stakeholder engagement, with accountability for guiding teams through change, risk, and technical decision‑making.

Responsibilities:

• Facilitates design, development, and optimization activities for test facilities for wind tunnel systems. Leading a team of Systems Engineers to develop and deliver requirements, interfaces, verification, and validation artifacts
• Responsible for prioritizing systems needs across multiple disciplines and capabilities
• Configuration management of system artifacts
• Ensure conformance to the System Engineering Management Plan, Interface Control Plan, Configuration Management Plan, and System Verification Plan
• Responsible for cost and schedule estimates and reporting for Systems Engineering
• Drive priorities within Systems Engineering and coordinate with Chief Engineers to define the execution path.
• Provide direct guidance and mentorship for team members

Qualifications / Requirements:

• Education:
  • Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related field (advanced degree preferred).
• Experience:
  • 10+ years overall professional experience

• 5+ years of Systems Engineering experience
• 2+ years of technical leadership experience

• Skills and Competencies:
  • Experience leading system development and management of major design efforts.
  • Ability to perform complex systems analysis and provide clear, actionable recommendations.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present complex technical concepts to diverse stakeholders.
  • Experience with system configuration management, including facilitating the change process.
  • Experience developing, decomposing and writing requirements.
  • Familiarity with system modelling and requirements management tools (i.e. Cameo, JAMA, DOORS, etc.)
  • Strong disposition to train, mentor, and support fellow engineers.
• Preferred:
  • Core competency experience in addition to Systems Engineering (Mechanical Design, Aerodynamics, Testing, Analysis, etc.)
  • Proficiency with MBSE tools (e.g., Cameo System Modeler, Enterprise Architect, or similar tools).
  • Hands-on experience with test facilities, such as wind tunnels, shock tubes, or combustion testing.
  • Experience with the development and management of system architecture
  • Experience with Systems Engineering on government contracts.

Due to U.S. State Department restrictions on access to technology, candidates must be “U.S. Persons” as defined by the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR)

North Wind is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status. North Wind supports a safe and drug free workplace through pre-employment background checks and drug testing.