Senior Systems Engineer

Iridium is an award-winning and innovative satellite communications company with bragging rights to the only network that offers voice and data connectivity anywhere in the world. For over 20 years, Iridium's unique network and services have supported critical communications needs for individuals, businesses, and the evolving Internet of Things.

At Iridium, we understand the importance of staying connected and the limitations of traditional communications networks. People across the globe, including first responders, humanitarians, global militaries, scientific researchers, and lone workers, as well as ships, aircraft and remote operations all rely on Iridium to stay connected. We take our responsibility for providing these essential communications very seriously and pride ourselves on offering a reliable lifeline when needed. Likewise, Iridium is committed to providing an exciting and innovative workplace, where employees are challenged to think outside the box and collaborate on new, bold ideas and solutions. Our talented teams are passionate about their work and the impact our company makes around the world. Iridium fosters an empowering and inclusive culture that allows employees to genuinely be their best selves. We are looking for others who want to join this truly unique company that celebrates our employees and provides the opportunity to truly make a difference in the world.

Iridium is seeking a Senior Systems Engineer to lead complex, cross-functional projects supporting the Space Development Agency (SDA). You'll be responsible for driving system architecture, requirements analysis, and design activities across ground and payload systems. As a senior team member, you'll also mentor junior engineers, guide system trade studies, and help align technical execution with program goals. This role is ideal for a seasoned engineer ready to take strategic ownership of high-impact programs.

Lead the development and decomposition of system requirements
• Serve as a technical authority on system architecture and design decisions
• Coordinate and lead major design reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR, etc.)
• Guide modeling and simulation activities to validate system performance
• Oversee integration and test planning across multiple engineering disciplines
• Collaborate with stakeholders to translate mission needs into system specifications
• Mentor early-career engineers and promote knowledge sharing across the team

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, computer science, or a related field
• 8+ years of relevant experience in systems engineering or technical project management in aerospace or telecom
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to clearly convey products, deliverables, analyses, and/or issues to groups outside of your team or those who are unfamiliar with the topic
• Have confidence and be able to easily build relationships with leadership and colleagues outside of your team
• Possess an analytical mindset, with the ability to understand a situation or problem and think critically to make decisions and come up with out-of-the-box solutions
• Be proactive in providing feedback and be enthusiastic in sharing your knowledge with others
• Capable of prioritizing your own tasks and potentially the tasks of others while making sure deadlines are met

• Experience leading multi-disciplinary engineering teams
• Familiarity with Agile development and DevSecOps principles
• Deep understanding of space-based systems and satellite-ground interfaces
• Strong documentation and configuration management practices

• Be able to work in the office at least 3 or more days a week
• Be able to travel up to 25%
• Be a U.S. Citizen
• Possess a Top Secret security clearance

This position primarily works in an office setting and is largely sedentary with the majority of the position working with a computer. The role typically requires the use of basic office equipment such as a phone, video, computer, keyboard, mouse, and printer.

We believe in-person connection drives innovation, strengthens mentorship, and builds culture, while flexibility enables employees to do their best work. Under Iridium's Hybrid Work Policy, employees are expected to work at least three days per week (approximately 60%) in an Iridium office to support collaboration, relationship-building, and professional growth.

Additional Information

This job description outlines the general nature and level of work for this role and is not a comprehensive list of duties, responsibilities, or qualifications. Employees may be assigned additional responsibilities as needed.

Iridium is an Equal Opportunity Employer, including individuals with disabilities and protected veterans.