Senior Systems Engineer

Senior Systems Engineer

AAC Clyde Space

Glasgow, United Kingdom

About this role:

The Senior Systems Engineer plays a leading role in the design, integration and delivery of AAC Clyde Space’s spacecraft platforms and missions.

They apply systems thinking and technical leadership to translate mission objectives into coherent, robust and verifiable system solutions. Working across engineering disciplines, a Senior Systems Engineer takes ownership of significant technical scopes and ensures consistency across requirements, architecture, interfaces, analysis, verification, AIT and operations.

The role requires the ability to lead complex technical activities, resolve cross-disciplinary issues and guide teams towards well-reasoned decisions where requirements, evidence or constraints may be incomplete. The Senior Systems Engineer balances performance, cost, schedule and risk while maintaining the technical integrity of the spacecraft and mission.

They will act as Technical Lead for spacecraft projects or major work packages, providing technical direction to multidisciplinary teams and acting as a key technical interface with customers, suppliers, project management and senior stakeholders. They will also mentor other engineers and contribute to the continued development of systems engineering capability within AAC Clyde Space.

Key responsibilities:

• Act as Technical Lead for spacecraft projects or major technical work packages where required, taking ownership of technical coherence, engineering quality and delivery.
• Define and manage spacecraft and mission architectures, including CONOPS, product breakdown structures and power, data, communications, grounding and operational architectures.
• Lead the definition, negotiation and management of system and mission requirements, ensuring appropriate traceability, verification and compliance throughout the project lifecycle.
• Maintain consistency across requirements, architecture, interfaces, system budgets, verification, AIT and operations.
• Lead multidisciplinary technical trade-offs, balancing performance, cost, schedule, feasibility and risk, and provide clear recommendations to project and senior stakeholders.
• Drive complex technical issues through to resolution, coordinating engineering disciplines and subject-matter experts and ensuring decisions and technical rationale are documented.
• Lead interface management across spacecraft subsystems and platform–payload, space–ground, launch and supplier interfaces.
• Lead or assure system budget analysis, including mass, power, data, delta-V, RF link and other mission-critical performance budgets.
• Plan and lead systems verification and validation activities, including verification strategy, requirements traceability, test planning, acceptance criteria and assessment of verification evidence.
• Support multidisciplinary integration, qualification and acceptance testing, including investigation and resolution of complex test anomalies.
• Identify and manage technical and operational risks, developing proportionate mitigation, qualification and contingency strategies.
• Lead or assure mission and constellation analysis using STK or equivalent tools where appropriate.
• Communicate technical status, risks, options and recommendations clearly to customers, suppliers, project teams and senior management.
• Review engineering outputs, identifying inconsistencies, gaps and wider implications for interfaces, AIT, operations and programme delivery.
• Mentor less-experienced engineers and contribute to improvements in systems engineering tools, methods and processes.
• Provide technical leadership to bid and proposal activities, including concept development, feasibility assessment and technical risk identification.

Skills required:

• Relevant degree or equivalent professional experience in engineering, physics or another applicable technical discipline.
• Significant experience applying systems engineering to the development and delivery of complex, multidisciplinary technical systems.
• Demonstrable experience owning a subsystem, major work package or comparable technical scope through requirements, design, integration and verification.
• Proven technical leadership capability, including directing multidisciplinary activities and maintaining progress in uncertain or time-constrained situations.
• Experience defining and managing system architectures and integrating hardware, software, payload, ground and operational elements.
• Strong requirements management and verification experience, including negotiation, traceability and compliance management.
• Experience leading technical trade-offs and making evidence-based recommendations balancing performance, cost, schedule and risk.
• Experience managing complex interfaces and producing or reviewing Interface Control Documents.
• Experience independently managing spacecraft system budgets.
• Strong understanding of systems verification and validation, spacecraft test planning and AIT support.
• Ability to identify and mitigate technical risks and drive complex issues through to closure.
• Ability to manage complex stakeholder environments, challenge assumptions constructively and establish alignment across teams and organisations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including presenting complex technical information clearly to different audiences.
• Experience reviewing engineering outputs and mentoring or guiding other engineers.
• Sound engineering judgement, attention to detail, ownership and resilience within a dynamic, multi-project environment.
• Competent IT skills, including Microsoft software, and proficiency in written and spoken English.

Skills desired:

• Experience in the space, aerospace or another high-reliability engineering domain.
• Experience acting as Technical Lead on a spacecraft, mission, subsystem or multidisciplinary development.
• Experience across several spacecraft lifecycle stages, including design, AIT, commissioning or in-orbit operations.
• Familiarity with mission analysis, FDIR or FMECA, onboard software integration, MBSE or ECSS standards.
• Hands-on experience with spacecraft or test hardware in an AIT or cleanroom environment