Engineer Senior Principal - Product Line Spacecraft Chief Engineer
About the job
</br><b>Job Description </b></br><p>Join the Space Vehicle Engineering team – a group of motivated problem solvers. We like to have fun and enjoy life - both at work, and in our free time. We're excited about the challenging projects we're involved in and have a commitment to the missions we enable.
Offering growth opportunities at all levels of skill and experience, we're looking for leaders and innovators who can continue our reputation for creativity and technical excellence, while helping to define the future.<br><br>In this position, you will lead the Trek Spacecraft team as the Chief Engineer through development, test and delivery of a highly capable space system.
The Chief Engineer is responsible for ensuring the company delivers a system that meets our customers’ technical performance specifications and their mission needs.<br><br>This is a challenging, fast-paced job which will be exciting and highly gratifying for the successful candidate.<br><br>Make a difference. Love what you do.
Realize your full potential.<br><br>The Engineering Strategic Capabilities Unit comprises the technical talent and organizational leadership that enables the successful delivery of high-impact discriminating technologies for our customers’ missions.
Our collaborative, cross-functional teams are committed to innovation, integrity, continual learning and strong execution.</p><br><strong>What You’ll Do:</strong><br> <ul><li>Lead Technical Authority for the Elevation™ Trek Spacecraft Product Line</li><li>Elevation™ Trek Product Line ERB Chair</li><li>Accountability and ownership of the Elevation™ Trek technical baseline</li><li>Works with SBUs across proposals and active programs to align the Elevation™ Trek product line to business and customer opportunities</li><li>Works with Elevation™ Trek Product program teams to ensure that the bus design, testing, manufacturing, and operations remains aligned with the standard bus products and the Elevation™ Product Line</li><li>Works with suppliers to ensure technical capability meets Trek needs</li><li>Maintains the product line technical development roadmap to support future program needs, input to IRAD</li><li>Supports infrastructure for design and manufacturing of programs utilizing the Elevation™ Spacecraft Product Line</li><li>Communicate technical impact R&Os at the Elevation™ level to Elevation leadership and programs.</li><li>As the Spacecraft Chief Engineer you are the primary technical representative to company program office, external customers, and partners which may include payload, launch, and ground systems providers.</li><li>Develop and manage the Spacecraft technical baseline.</li><li>Lead preparation and execution of major design and readiness reviews.</li><li>Develop cost and schedule baseline for system engineering activities and capable of performing responsibilities of the cost account manager (CAM) for systems engineering.</li><li>Work in a dynamic environment with multiple groups, interfaces, and all Spacecraft subsystems.</li><li>Provide leadership to the system engineering staff generating engineering documents including specifications, interface control documents, test plans, and prioritization that may include:</li><li>Developing the database framework to properly allocate, trace and verify requirements through all mission phases.</li><li>Allocating and flowing system requirements to lower-level specifications.</li><li>Developing the overall verification plan and approach.</li><li>Developing and utilizing technical trades studies to define the system architecture, technical performance options and impacts.</li><li>Utilizing Model Based Systems Engineering tools and processes to develop, define and document the system architecture, interfaces, and CONOPS.</li><li>Defining System Integration & Test Plan.</li><li>Defining System Simulator requirements.</li><li>Defining System STE and GSE requirements.</li><li>Technical authority for risk assessment and anomaly resolution throughout entire program lifecycle.</li><li>Participate in writing proposals and creating and delivering presentations.</li><li>Participate in IRADs and other department initiatives.</li><li>Develop and coach systems engineers on the Spacecraft team, including writing their reviews.</li><li>Maintain a regular and predictable work schedule.</li><li>Establish and maintain effective working relationships within the department, the Strategic Business Units, Strategic Capabilities Units and the Company.
Interact appropriately with others in order to maintain a positive and productive work environment.</li><li>Perform other duties as necessary.</li></ul> <p><strong>On-Site Work Environment:</strong> This position requires regular in-person engagement by working<strong> on-site five days </strong>each normally scheduled week in the primary work location.
Travel and local commute between company campuses and other possible non-company locations may be required.</p><br><strong>Working Conditions:</strong><br> <ul><li>Work is performed in an office, laboratory, production floor, or cleanroom, outdoors or remote research environment.</li><li>May occasionally work in production work centers where use of protective equipment and gear is required.</li><li>May access other facilities in various weather conditions.</li></ul></br></br><b>Required Education, Experience, & Skills </b></br><ul><li>BS degree or higher in Engineering or a related technical field is required plus 8 or more years related experience. </li><li paraeid="{fbb409ae-2e6f-4a80-b9f4-2ed3b4078f74}{152}" paraid="1195412636">Each higher-level degree, i.e., Master’s Degree or Ph.D., may substitute for two years of experience.
Related technical experience may be considered in lieu of education.
Degree must be from a university, college, or school which is accredited by an agency recognized by the US Secretary of Education, US Department of Education. </li><li>Demonstrated experience in systems engineering processes, including requirements development, requirement allocation, change management, verification and validation – a self-starter that will own this activity.</li><li>Demonstrated experience leading multi-disciplinary teams including meeting cost, schedule, and performance goals.</li><li>Customer Relationships: Knowledge of missions and customers across core technologies areas.</li><li>Superb presentation skills with experience of senior decision making and technical audiences.</li></ul><span style="color:#ffffff;">#LI-MA2</span><p>A security clearance or access with Polygraph is not required to be eligible for this position.
However, the applicant must be willing and eligible for submission, depending on program requirements, after an offer is accepted and must be able to maintain the applicable clearance/access. </p></br></br><b>Preferred Education, Experience, & Skills </b></br><ul style="margin-bottom:11px"><li>Working knowledge of Earned Value Management (EVM) - CAM experience.</li><li>Model-Based Systems Engineering expertise is highly desirable.</li><li>8 or more years related experience in either mission systems, spacecraft systems, ground systems or payload</li><li>Ability to define and execute a technical vision that drives innovation and aligns with overarching organizational goals.</li><li>High emotional intelligence with a demonstrated track record of building collaborative relationships with engineers, executives, and external customers. </li><li>Experience developing strategic roadmaps and solving complex technical challenges by balancing business requirements with customer needs.</li><li>Expertise in leading engineering teams through active coaching, mentorship, and the creation of a continuous learning culture.</li><li>Skilled in stakeholder management, with the ability to partner effectively across Sales, Marketing, and Product teams to deliver business-critical outcomes.</li></ul><br><br><b>Pay Information</b><br>Full-Time Salary Range: $132962 - $226035<br>
From BAE Systems Space & Mission Systems's job posting, checked 7 Nov 2026. The employer's own page is the final word on requirements and availability.
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About BAE Systems Space & Mission Systems
Spacecraft, instruments and mission systems from the former Ball Aerospace, now inside BAE Systems.
Pay on its listings: 100% of its open jobs state an hourly rate
How it pays: Paid as an employee on BAE Systems's own payroll (salaried or hourly, as each posting states).
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