Systems Engineering Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Sr.Director of Systems Engineering

Intuitive Machines - West is currently seeking a Sr. Director of Systems Engineering with world-class systems engineering skills to join our team in Palo Alto, CA. This senior leadership positionis responsible forstrategic systems engineering, technical excellence, and organizational development acrossthe company-wide portfolio of programs.This person will leadsystems engineering strategy,establishingenterprise-level processes and standards, and ensuretechnical execution excellence acrossadiverseset ofmissions and customers.Examples includelunar exploration,communication, and remote sensing for commercial and governmentcustomers.

Leadership & Organization Development

• Lead, mentor, and develop a multi-program systems engineering organization supporting spacecraft development across Intuitive Machines - West's portfolio

• Build and sustain a high-performing systems engineering culture emphasizing technical rigor, innovation, and continuous improvement

• Establish career development frameworks and technical excellence pathways for systems engineers at all levels

• Participate in recruiting, interviewing, and hiring processes to grow organizational capability

• Foster cross-program collaboration and knowledge sharing to maximize organizational learning

Strategic Systems Engineering

• Define and champion systems engineering vision, strategy, and roadmap aligned with company growth objectives

• Establish enterprise-level systems engineering processes, standards, tools(including artificial intelligence applications), and best practices adaptable across diverse mission types (lunar, LEO/GEO satellites, cislunar infrastructure, national security space)

• Lead transformation initiatives to keep Intuitive Machines - West at the forefront of aerospace systems engineering approaches

• Drive adoption of model-based systems engineering (MBSE) and digital engineering practices

• Ensure consistency in systems engineering approaches while enabling program-specific tailoring

Technical Leadership & Oversight

• Provide senior technical oversight ensuring quality, rigor, and discipline across all programs

• Lead critical technical reviews, trade studies, and decision-making processes for high-impact, high-complexity initiatives

• Adviseexecutive leadership on technical risks, opportunities, and strategic program positions

• Participate in andsupportQualityteam to drivesignificant Material Review Boards (MRB) and Failure Review Boards (FRB)

• Formulate resolutions to complex technical challenges spanning development and production environments

Program Support & Execution

• Support program systems engineering teams across the company in:

• Requirements development, decomposition,validation, andverification

• System architecture definition and interface management

• Trade studiesoptimizingtechnical performance, mass, power, thermal, cost, schedule, and risk

• System budget development and margin allocation strategies

• Heritage application and technology insertion decisions

• Verification planning and execution

• Drive riskmanagement processincludingidentification, assessment, and mitigation of risks and opportunities.Provide recommendations to program leadership based on balancing technical, cost, and schedule risk.Ensure development teamsmanagetechnical risks and opportunities, withappropriate mitigationplans and retirement strategies

• Validate that AIT verification plans and results fully confirm compliance with customer requirements

Customer & Stakeholder Engagement

• Work effectively with internal and external customers to understand system needs and mission objectives

• Provide technical interface leadership with customers, including DoD, NASA, commercial partners, and international entities

• Support business development activities with technical insightsfornew pursuits

• Build andmaintainstrong relationships across Engineering, PMO, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and Quality organizations

Mission & Requirements Engineering

• SupportMissionArchitectureteam withstudies and concept development for new opportunitiesasrequired

• Guide requirements formulationappropriate tomission scope, development level, and customer needs

• Ensure proper requirementflow-downfrom customer needs through subsystem specifications

• Champion balanced approaches addressing cost, technical performance, schedule, and risk throughout all development phases

MinimumRequirements:

• Must be a US Citizen with ability to obtain andmaintaina TS/SCI security clearance

• Bachelor's degree in engineering discipline or equivalent technical degree

• Minimum of12years of engineering experience in aerospace systems engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, or related discipline

• Minimum of8 years in technical leadership roles withdemonstratedpeople leadership and organizational development experience

• Experience leading systems engineering across multiple programs

• Experience withcomplexaerospacesystems including mechanical, electrical, thermal, propulsion, and software subsystems

• Demonstratedexpertiseconducting complex trade studiesoptimizingtechnical performance, mass, power, thermal, cost, schedule, and risk

• Experience withrequirements development, decomposition, and verification across system lifecycles

Preferred Qualifications:

• Active TS/SCI security clearance

• Master's degree or higher in Engineering, Physics, or related technical field; MBA or technical management degree a plus

• Deep knowledge of commercial space architectures, missions, systems, requirements, and acquisition methods

• Deep knowledge of USG spacearchitectures, missions, systems, requirements, and acquisition methods

• Experience working with agile development teams,understanding ofsoftware architectureas relevant to mission needs, close collaboration with software teams, and software requirements decomposition

• Experience with diverse mission types: lunar systems, GEO/LEO satellites, cislunar infrastructure, Earth observation, communications, interplanetary

• Working knowledge of MBSE tools and digital engineering approaches

• Expertisein applicable aerospace standards (NASA, MIL-STD, ECSS, AIAA, IEEE, etc.)

• Outstanding written and verbal communication with executive presence

• Superior customer relationship building ability and business acumen

• Strong written and verbal presentation skills for technical and non-technical audiences

• Strategic thinking with ability to adapt to changing constraints, requirements, and organizational dynamics

• Strong teambuilding and mentoring capabilities with proven success developing technical talent