Senior Systems Engineer
Gravitics Inc
$140,000 - $170,000 / year
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Description
Senior Systems Engineer
Location: Gravitics – Seattle WA, Colorado, (with future travel/support to other company locations as required)
Department: Engineering
Reports To: Head of Engineering
About Gravitics
At Gravitics, we're not exploring space - we're building it. We're creating the infrastructure for a thriving space economy, enabling humanity to flourish beyond Earth. Our vision is bold, but we're not just dreamers; we're doers. We design and manufacture large-scale orbital structures that enable commercial operations while meeting the requirements of defense and government missions.
Our systems are built to scale and built to last—bridging commercial innovation with mission-critical performance. If you're ready to lay the foundations for a new era in space, embrace a culture of relentless learning and innovation, and contribute to a future where humanity's reach extends farther, Gravitics is the place for you. Let's build the future together.
About the Role
We are seeking a highly capable Systems Engineer to support technical execution of the commercial spacecraft program from architecture development through qualification, integration, test, launch, and mission operations. This role sits at the center of the program and works directly with Chief Engineers, subsystem leads, Program Management, Manufacturing, Integration & Test, Mission Assurance, and suppliers to ensure the spacecraft functions as an integrated system — not just a collection of subsystems. The ideal candidate is technically broad, execution-focused, comfortable in ambiguity, and able to balance engineering rigor with program realities including schedule, manufacturability, integration flow, and risk. This position will support development of human-rated spacecraft systems and therefore requires strong systems thinking, configuration discipline, verification planning, and cross-functional leadership.
Responsibilities
- Support development and management of spacecraft system architecture, requirements, interfaces, and verification approaches for the program
- Translate mission and program objectives into clear subsystem and vehicle-level technical requirements
- Develop and maintain system specifications, interface control documents (ICDs), CONOPS, verification matrices, and technical baselines
- Drive technical integration across:
- Structures and mechanisms
- Pressure systems
- Propulsion systems
- Avionics and software
- Thermal systems
- ECLSS / crew environment considerations
- Docking and payload interfaces
- Ground systems and GSE
- Support program technical reviews including:
- SRR
- PDR
- CDR
- TRR
- FRR
- Coordinate system-level trades balancing:
- Performance
- Mass
- Safety
- Reliability
- Manufacturability
- Testability
- Schedule and cost impacts
- Work closely with Manufacturing and Integration & Test teams to ensure designs are producible, inspectable, and verifiable
- Support development of system verification and validation plans including qualification, acceptance, protoflight, and integrated vehicle testing
- Participate in anomaly resolution, failure investigations, and risk reduction activities
- Support hazard analysis, FMEA/FDIR activities, and human-rating related assessments
- Ensure configuration control and technical baseline integrity throughout the program lifecycle
- Interface with customers, suppliers, and partner organizations as required
- Help drive closure of technical issues rather than simply tracking them
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related technical discipline
- 5+ years of experience in aerospace systems engineering or integrated vehicle development
- Experience working on spacecraft, launch vehicle, aviation, defense, or other complex multidisciplinary systems
- Strong understanding of systems engineering processes including:
- Requirements development
- Interface management
- Verification and validation
- Configuration management
- Technical risk management
- Experience supporting technical reviews and hardware development programs
- Ability to operate across multiple engineering disciplines and communicate effectively with technical and non-technical stakeholders
- Comfortable working in a fast-paced development environment with evolving priorities
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with human-rated spacecraft or crewed systems
- Experience supporting pressure vessels, propulsion systems, docking systems, or orbital vehicle integration
- Familiarity with NASA standards and spaceflight development processes
- Experience with MBSE tools, requirements management tools, or digital engineering environments
- Hands-on integration, test, manufacturing, or operations experience
- Experience supporting qualification and environmental test campaigns
- Familiarity with spaceflight safety and mission assurance processes
What Success Looks Like
- Technical issues are identified early and driven to closure
- Vehicle interfaces are clearly defined and controlled
- Subsystems integrate cleanly into a functioning spacecraft
- Verification activities are planned before hardware arrives at test
- Engineering decisions consider program execution realities, not just ideal technical solutions
- The program moves forward with increasing technical maturity and reduced integration risk
Compensation and Benefits
Your level and base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the considerations of job-related knowledge and skills, education, and direct experience. Salary is just one component of the total employee package, which also includes company equity at an exciting time of company growth, as well as comprehensive medical, 401(k) retirement plan, a generous PTO policy, employee discounts, and more.
About Compliance
To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you 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.
Gravitics is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are based on merit, qualifications, and business needs, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin or ethnicity, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, or any other legally protected status.
Benefits
- $170,000 USD
About this role
Gravitics is building large-scale orbital structures for commercial and government space missions, and this Senior Systems Engineer role puts you at the technical center of that effort. You'll own spacecraft system architecture, requirements, and integration across all major subsystems—structures, propulsion, avionics, thermal, ECLSS, docking, and ground systems. This means translating mission objectives into technical requirements, maintaining interface control documents and verification plans, driving trades between performance and manufacturability, and ensuring subsystems work together as a cohesive vehicle rather than isolated components. You'll work directly with Chief Engineers, subsystem leads, Program Management, Manufacturing, Integration & Test, and suppliers, supporting technical reviews from SRR through FRR and participating in anomaly resolution and human-rating assessments.
The role demands someone with 5+ years of aerospace systems engineering experience on complex multidisciplinary programs—spacecraft, launch vehicles, or defense systems. You need strong grounding in requirements development, interface management, verification and validation, configuration management, and technical risk management. Beyond the technical foundation, success here requires comfort with ambiguity, execution focus, and the ability to balance engineering rigor with program realities like schedule and cost. Experience with human-rated systems, pressure vessels, propulsion, NASA standards, or hands-on integration and test work is valued.
Based in the Greater Seattle or Denver area with in-office work required, this full-time position offers a salary range of $140,000–$170,000 and the opportunity to contribute directly to infrastructure enabling a thriving space economy.
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Pay for this role
$140,000 to $170,000 per year
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