The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory

Principal Systems Engineer-Space and Mission Critical Systems

Aerospace & Defense
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in engineering, physics, mathematics, or related field; MS preferred
  • 7-10+ years of experience in systems engineering or related role
  • Experience in stakeholder needs analysis, requirements development, and systems architecture
  • Strong communication skills, especially for presentations
  • Experience with Model Based Systems Engineering and related tools as preferred qualifications like DOORS and SysML.

Responsibilities

  • Independently solve complex problems and develop robust requirements
  • Lead teams of 5-10, fostering alignment and trust towards goals
  • Act as a Subject Matter Expert in Systems Engineering
  • Apply analytical techniques to propose design modifications
  • Identify and manage program and system-level technical risks
  • Develop, document, and share best practices within the engineering team
  • Mentor junior engineers and provide constructive feedback

Benefits

  • Workplace flexibility to support work-life balance
  • Access to health and finance workshops
  • Participate in employee clubs (e.g., photography, yoga)
  • Engagement in off-site social events
  • Discounts to local museums and cultural activities
Full Job Description
Job Description Summary:
The Space and Mission Critical Systems group at Draper is seeking a motivated Principal Systems Engineer to perform key systems engineering tasks in a model-based environment, using formal development and verification processes in support of Draper's National Security and Space business areas. Leveraging Draper's expertise in a variety of fields - including GNC, Spacecraft Systems, fault tolerant computing, SBC development, and autonomous vehicles - the candidate will support the group's mission in developing early-stage concepts all the way through to verified, fully-functional, deployed solutions.

This position will involve the following:
• Developing systems concepts, requirements, and architectures
• Highly robust system engineering practices for mission critical systems
• Development of radiation tolerant systems
• Predicting and analyzing mission performance and reliability
• Use of Model Based Systems Engineering Tools

The ideal candidate will be capable of working and communicating effectively with team members from multiple engineering disciplines, program management, senior engineering management, and customers.

Job Description:

Duties/Responsibilities
• Independently drive solutions to complex problems - develop requirements, propose ways forward when customer requirements are unclear or incomplete, and adapt appropriately to changes in requirements
• Sustained record of successful task leadership. Identifies risks and develops and executes mitigation strategies for them.
• Lead medium-sized teams (5-10 people). Reliably aligns team towards program goals and builds trust within the team.
• Subject Matter Expert (SME) in Systems Engineering
• Provide insight and suggest design modifications based on analysis outcomes, and to apply analysis techniques across a range of technical challenges and disciplines
• Identify program/system-level technical risks and develop and execute mitigation strategies.
• Develop, document, and teach best practices to less experienced engineers
• Demonstrate strong organization, planning, and time management skills to achieve program goals
• Actively mentors. Recognizes strengths and weaknesses in others and provides thoughtful constructive feedback.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Skills/Abilities
• Highly-organized, capable of approaching problems with a system-level perspective.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Practical experience with simulation-based performance analysis.
• Practical experience with the systems engineering process.
• Roles may require proficiency with modeling and simulation, computer language coding, descriptive modeling (e.g. SysML), STPA, and/or other engineering analysis tools
• Knowledge of GN&C, avionics architectures, fault tolerance, cyber/security, comms/encryption, threat modeling or other technologies may be required as defined in the summary.

Education
Bachelor's degree in engineering, physics, mathematics, or related field. Masters degree or higher preferred.

Experience
7-10+ years experience as systems engineer or related role.

Additional Job Description:

Required Qualifications
  • B.S. with 4+ years', or M.S. (preferred) with 2+ years' experience in a relevant engineering discipline. (Internships and co-ops may be considered for experience.)
  • Experience with two or more of the following: stakeholder needs and use case analysis, requirements development and management, system architecture and conceptual design, operational concept development, ICD development, risk management
  • Excellent communication skills, especially in preparing and delivering presentations to customers, management, and technical personnel

Preferred Qualifications:
  • Certification or degree in Systems Engineering
  • Experience with DOORS requirements management tool
  • Experience with Matlab and Simulink
  • Experience with MagicDraw / Cameo MBSE tools
  • Certification in MBSE and/or SysML
  • Experience modeling, simulating, or analyzing systems in one or more of the following domains: Spacecraft, GN&C, Autonomous Vehicles (Air, Ground or Underwater).

Security Requirement
  • Applicants selected for this position will be required to obtain and maintain a United States government security clearance and meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information. Current in-scope Top Secret security clearance with SCI eligibility is highly desired.


Job Location - City:
Cambridge

Job Location - State:
Massachusetts

Job Location - Postal Code:


The US base salary range for this full-time position is
$95,000.00 - $245,000.00
Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. The range displayed on each job posting reflects the minimum and maximum target salaries for the position across all US locations. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Union ranges will be in compliance with the collective bargaining agreement's approved rates by location and role. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your preferred location during the hiring process. Please note that the compensation details listed in US role postings reflect the base salary only, and does not include bonuses or benefits.

Our work is very important to us, but so is our life outside of work. Draper supports many programs to improve work-life balance including workplace flexibility, employee clubs ranging from photography to yoga, health and finance workshops, off site social events and discounts to local museums and cultural activities. If this specific job opportunity and the chance to work at a nationally renowned R&D innovation company appeals to you, apply now www.draper.com/careers.

About The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory

Draper Laboratory is an American non-profit research and development organization, headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts; its official name is The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc. The laboratory specializes in the design, development, and deployment of advanced technology solutions to problems in national security, space exploration, health care and energy. The laboratory was founded in 1932 by Charles Stark Draper at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to develop aeronautical instrumentation, and came to be called the MIT Instrumentation Laboratory. During this period the laboratory is best known for developing the Apollo Guidance Computer, the first silicon integrated circuit based computer. It was renamed for its founder in 1970, and separated from MIT in 1973 to become an independent, non-profit organization. The expertise of the laboratory staff includes the areas of guidance, navigation, and control technologies and systems; fault-tolerant computing; advanced algorithms and software systems; modeling and simulation; and microelectromechanical systems and multichip module technology.
Learn more about The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory

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