Chief Systems Engineer (CSE) at E-Space
Arlington
$190,000–$225,000from the description
Jul 19, 2026
Arlington
Jul 21, 2026
What this job asks for AI summary
A senior technical leadership role at a LEO satellite company, responsible for spacecraft system architecture, all interface control documents, verification and validation planning, and the system-level integration and test campaign. The position also holds authority over spacecraft electrical architecture and serves as the primary escalation point for cross-discipline technical disputes, configuration baseline management, and engineering change order concurrence. Suited to a seasoned systems engineer with constellation program experience from early design reviews through on-orbit operations.
Principal level · 15+ years · San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA · 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 (9)
This role — Chief Systems Engineer — is a rare, org-wide technical authority position (highest technical authority below the CTO) with constellation-program accountability, making it Principal-level by scope, not merely Senior.
SOC classification is genuinely difficult: the role is a hands-on technical authority in aerospace/space systems engineering, not a standard software or IT occupation. 15-1299 (Computer Occupations, All Other) is the closest available code, but 11-3021 (Computer and Information Systems Managers) is a plausible runner-up given the team-building, CCB authority, and cross-division escalation responsibilities.
Constellation program experience is explicitly called out as 'a required differentiator, not a preference' in the posting.
RF link design, phased array systems, and modem/waveform/OSI Layer 1–2 protocol architecture are listed together as a required background; phased array and digital beamforming are separately listed under Bonus Points.
DOORS NG, Cameo, and SysML appear in both the main responsibilities narrative and the Bonus Points section. They are listed as tools the CSE will 'drive working-level use of' in the body, but the Bonus Points section frames production-program MBSE tool experience as a differentiator — marked preferred accordingly.
Degree requirement: the JD states 'Bachelor's or Master's degree… or equivalent verifiable experience,' which means a degree is not a hard gate.
Clearance: DCSA/IC program accreditation familiarity is listed only under Bonus Points; the ITAR/EAR note restricts to US persons but does not require an active clearance.
Location is Saratoga, CA — mapped to the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA CBSA (41940).
Ignored 4 non-technology phrase(s) as skills (responsibilities/concepts, not named tools): Systems Engineering, Spacecraft System Architecture, RF Link Design, Digital Thread Architecture.
Read the full posting
The employer publishes the full description on their own site — read it there ↗. Or sign in to read it here — it's free, and it also lets you track this application.