Systems Engineer Senior Staff (Level 5)
Lockheed Martin · Highlands Ranch, CO
$128,400–$226,435from the description
Jul 20, 2026
Highlands Ranch, CO
Jul 21, 2026
What this job asks for AI summary
A senior systems engineering role focused on satellite bus and payload integration for a constellation of 18 infrared missile-tracking spacecraft in Low Earth Orbit, built under the Space Development Agency's Tranche 2 Tracking Layer program. The position involves leading multi-disciplinary teams through design, qualification, test, and delivery milestones, and suits an experienced space systems engineer with at least eight years in satellite programs and the ability to obtain a TS/SCI clearance.
Senior level · 8+ years · Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO · Bachelor's required · TS/SCI clearance · Full-time
We read this from the posting text with AI. Skim the description below before ruling yourself out.
Why we read it this way (8)
This is a satellite/aerospace Systems Engineer role — not a pure software or IT occupation. No SOC code in the allowed list cleanly fits; 15-1299 (Computer Occupations, All Other) is used as the closest available code, though the role is fundamentally a hardware/systems engineering position more accurately described by SOC 17-2199 (Engineers, All Other) or 17-2011 (Aerospace Engineers), which are not in the permitted enum.
The TS/SCI clearance is a hard gate: the posting states 'This position requires a government security clearance' and lists 'Clearance Level: TS/SCI'. US Citizenship is explicitly required.
The salary range quoted ($128,400–$226,435/year) applies specifically to Colorado (among other listed states); the posting notes the range may differ for other locations.
The desired skills section lists an 'Advanced degree (MS or PhD) with 10 years minimum' — this is framed as a desired/preferred qualification, not a hard requirement; the basic qualification is a Bachelor's degree with 8 years.
Skills such as 'space vehicle integration', 'satellite build and test', and 'satellite subsystems' are domain-specific engineering competencies rather than named software tools, but are included because they are concrete, named technical requirements explicitly gated in the Basic Qualifications section.
The Waterton, CO campus is within the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO CBSA.
Ignored 10 non-technology phrase(s) as skills (responsibilities/concepts, not named tools): systems engineering, infrared sensor payload integration, risk management, satellite build and test, Low Earth Orbit satellite constellations, missile warning/tracking satellite systems, multi-vendor satellite interoperability standards, electro-optical payload architecture, ground system operations integration, optical inter-satellite links (OISL).
Requires a TS/SCI clearance — the cleared population is a small fraction of this occupation, so the real candidate pool is materially smaller than the estimate below, which does not model clearance.
Read the full posting
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