Do you have a passion for space, a love of engineering, and a desire to support our nation’s heroes? Do you want to be a part of the future facets of space? We dream big at Sierra Space Corporation— from space exploration, habitation, and services development to keeping our service members safe and creating the systems that keep our world united and sustain our way of living. If this appeals to you, JOIN US! You will be part of an extraordinary team that is passionate about the mission, relentless in our commitments, driven to exceptionalism, and bold in thinking.
Sierra Space, based in Louisville, Colorado with operations in Madison, Wisconsin, Durham, North Carolina, and Kennedy Space Center, Florida, designs and manufactures advanced spacecraft, satellites, propulsion and environmental systems, spacecraft subsystems and components for the U.S. government (including NASA), commercial customers and international organizations. Learn more about Sierra Space.
Sierra Space’s Orbital Systems and Services (OSS) division focuses on the design, build, and operations of small satellites in support of commercial services and national security space and offers two work locations: Louisville, Colorado and Centennial, Colorado.
As Sr. Principal Systems Engineer - Test & Production Lead, you will be responsible for assisting with the development of the strategic plans approved by executive management. You will identify and drive initiatives for improving areas of operations including planning, modification, assembly, production, test, customer service, and logistics, and execute plans along with other operational functions such as Environmental Health and Safety, and facility management. As a key individual, you will help design and implement continuous process improvement initiatives to drive excellence in efficiency, cost, and customer satisfaction. In this leadership role, you will lead teams to produce consistent and scalable operations processes, procedures, and standards in accordance with our policies and procedures as well as external rules and regulations, utilize strategic leadership skills to mentor and develop talent, maintain staff integrity, support business development, and assist in managing budget. You will also be responsible for conducting monthly operations reviews to status programs and production operations performance against objectives, assist with providing guidance and direction to the Program Management Office for issues related to production operations, and be involved with initiatives related to our company mission and vision, growth, operational excellence and other key projects.
Must-haves:
- Bachelor's of Science degree in System Engineering or related discipline and typically 14 or more years of relevant experience
- Advanced knowledge of engineering principles and practices
- Progressive Experience working in multi-disciplinary design and development teams
- Thorough understanding of requirements management, functional requirements parsing, derivation, and allocation; systems design, systems integration, technical risk identification and management strategies, and Verification and Validation (V&V) principles
Preferred:
- Active US Gov security clearance
- Previous supervisory experience; the ability to recruit employees, assign, direct, and evaluate their work and oversee the development and maintenance of staff competence
- A higher level degree may substitute for experience
- Experience in SV Test Operations including the test development process, test execution, data analysis, anomaly resolution, satellite software test systems, and test equipment
- Understanding of a spacecraft production environment
- Demonstrated experience in driving facility efficiencies for spacecraft integration and test
- Ability to enable common usage of qualified products, designs, tools, and analysis and identify needs for new capabilities
- Ability to navigate change and uncertainty, make defensible decisions in ambiguity and own those decisions
- Mastery to drive innovative thinking, lead and inspire teams, instill collaboration, challenge status quo, manage complex situations, delegate authority, and demonstrate ability to adapt to dynamic situations
- Skills in assessing external competition by gathering data from multiple, often disparate, qualitative and quantitative sources and synthesizing it into meaningful reports and presentations
- Possess leadership acumen to perform as a true strategic partner to top company executives; ability to establish presence and demeanor to interface and work collaboratively with leaders and skill to make significant contributions on key leadership committees
- Demonstrated passion for ideation, intellectual curiosity, and innovation, as well as motivating others to act by creating a shared sense of vision or purpose
- Proven long-term and strategic perspective that extends beyond the immediate initiatives; visualizes and articulates a clear direction
- Team oriented with the ability to work independently with minimal supervision
- Background in the Aerospace and Defense Industry, the US Department of Defense (Civilian), NASA/Civil or commercial space and/or US Military, with an understanding of defense, aerospace, intelligence, and adjacent markets The ability to obtain and maintain a Security Clearance may be required. Learn more about the background check process for Security Clearances
Important Notice:
To conform to U.S. Government international trade regulations, applicant 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 or U.S. Department of Commerce.
This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a Top-Secret U.S. Security Clearance. U.S. Citizenship status is required as this position needs an active U.S. Security Clearance for employment. Non-U.S. Citizens may not be eligible to obtain a security clearance. The Department of Defense Consolidated Adjudications Facility (DoD CAF), a federal government agency, handles the adjudicative aspects of the security clearance eligibility process for industry applicants. Adjudicative factors which affect the outcome of the eligibility determination include, but are not limited to, allegiance to the U.S., foreign influence, foreign preference, criminal conduct, security violations and illegal drug use.
Physical/Mental/Emotional Requirements:
- Frequently walk, sit, stand, climb stairs and steps
- Frequently repeat same hand, arm, and finger motion many times to include finger and hand dexterity
- Rarely lifting or carrying up to 20 lbs.
Working Conditions:
- Rarely exposed to outdoor elements (high/low temperatures, sun, rain/snow, etc.)
- Rarely exposed to fumes or hazardous chemicals/materials
- Rarely exposed to loud noises
Estimated Starting Salary Range: $183,344.68 - $252,098.93
Sierra Space offers annual incentive pay based upon performance that is commensurate with the level of the position.
Sierra Space offers a generous benefit package, including medical, dental, and vision plans, 401(k) with 150% match up to 8%, life insurance, 3 weeks paid time off, tuition reimbursement, and more.
At Sierra Space, our mission is to dream, innovate, inspire and empower the next generation to transform humanity through technology and imagination. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we welcome our employees to bring their whole selves to their work. Sierra Space is committed to fostering an inclusive, accepting, and diverse environment free of discrimination on the basis of race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran. Contributions to Sierra Space come in many shapes and styles, and we believe diversity in our workforce fosters new and greater ways to dream, innovate, and inspire.