Back to jobs
New

Sr. SE – Mission Systems & RF Payloads

Richardson, TX

The Senior Systems Engineer will lead mission-level systems engineering activities for advanced aerospace and space-based RF payload systems. This role is responsible for translating mission needs into executable architectures, developing Concepts of Operations (CONOPS), and leading end-to-end systems engineering across mission analysis, RF payload design, integration, verification, and operational readiness. The position requires deep expertise in mission systems engineering, aerospace RF payload architectures, and cross-disciplinary technical leadership.

Your main responsibilities will be:

Mission Systems Engineering
•    Lead mission definition, requirements development, and architecture trades from concept through deployment.
•    Translate stakeholder and customer mission needs into validated system-level requirements and technical baselines.
•    Develop and maintain system architecture baselines and solutions.
•    Conduct mission analysis including performance modeling, link budgets, coverage analysis, and operational scenarios.
•    Lead technical reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR, ORR) and ensure mission-level technical integrity.
Aerospace RF Payload Design
•    Lead system-level design of RF payloads including antennas, receivers, transmitters, frequency conversion chains, digital processing, and command/telemetry interfaces.
•    Develop and validate RF link budgets, interference analysis, and spectrum compliance strategies.
•    Define payload performance requirements (gain, noise figure, EIRP, G/T, bandwidth, dynamic range, etc.).
•    Coordinate with hardware, firmware, software, mechanical, thermal, and power teams to ensure integrated payload performance.
•    Support environmental qualification and verification activities for flight hardware (vibration, thermal vacuum, EMI/EMC, radiation).
CONOPS Development
•    Develop detailed Concepts of Operations (CONOPS) aligned to mission objectives and user needs.
•    Define operational modes, timelines, command sequences, and contingency operations.
•    Perform operational trade studies to optimize performance, resiliency, and lifecycle cost.
•    Support mission readiness assessments and operational validation exercises.
Requirements & Verification
•    Lead requirements decomposition, traceability, and verification planning.
•    Develop verification and validation strategies for mission and payload performance.
•    Support integration and test planning, including system-level functional and performance verification.
•    Ensure technical compliance with customer and program requirements.
Technical Leadership
•    Serve as technical authority for mission and payload architecture decisions.
•    Mentor junior systems engineers and support cross-functional integration efforts.
•    Identify and manage technical risks and mitigation strategies.
•    Interface directly with customers, subcontractors, and program leadership.

Required Qualifications
•    Bachelor’s degree in systems engineering, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related field (master’s preferred)
•    10+ years of experience in aerospace or space systems engineering
•    Demonstrated experience leading RF payload design for airborne or space-based platforms
•    Strong background in RF systems, link analysis, spectrum management, and antenna systems
•    Experience developing CONOPS for complex aerospace missions
•    Proven experience supporting major technical reviews (SRR/PDR/CDR/TRR/ORR)
•    Ability to acquire and maintain a Top-Secret security clearance with SSBI and Polygraph

Preferred Qualifications
•    Experience with space missions in LEO, MEO, or GEO
•    Experience with digital beamforming, phased arrays, or software-defined radios
•    Existing Top-Secret clearance with SSBI

We offer a compensation package that includes a competitive base salary plus annual performance bonus and benefits. We consider many factors when determining salary offers, such as candidate's work experience, education, training & skills, as well as market and business considerations. We are also open to considering candidates with experience and qualifications at a different level than required in a job posting, which may affect the compensation package offered.

Salary Range

$175,000 - $205,000 USD

Company Overview:

Innovative Signal Analysis, Inc. is a leading provider of real-time signal and image processing systems for the government and remains dedicated to the development of high performance signal processing solutions. ISA works in all phases from concept design, through development and integration, to operations and maintenance of challenging mission critical systems.

Innovative Signal Analysis & HawkEye 360 are committed to hiring and retaining a diverse workforce. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class.

Apply for this job

*

indicates a required field

Phone
Resume/CV*

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Cover Letter

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf


Education

Select...
Select...
Select...

Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in Innovative Signal Analysis’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

Select...
Select...
Race & Ethnicity Definitions

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Form CC-305
Page 1 of 1
OMB Control Number 1250-0005
Expires 04/30/2026

Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
  • Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
  • Blind or low vision
  • Cancer (past or present)
  • Cardiovascular or heart disease
  • Celiac disease
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
  • Diabetes
  • Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
  • Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
  • Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
  • Intellectual or developmental disability
  • Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
  • Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
  • Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
  • Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
  • Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
  • Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
  • Short stature (dwarfism)
  • Traumatic brain injury
Select...

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.